Already delayed beyond its planned pre-election launch, and following CNBC's first dabble into real HD, MSNBC has chosen Monday, June 29 as the day it becomes self aw....begins broadcasting in high definition. No word specifically which programs will be in HD, but with the network already broadcasting from two HD ready studios since 2007, there should be plenty to go around for Olbermann, Maddow and Scarborough. No word on carriage, but we're thinking it's no coincidence this news came out of the Cable Show, so expect to hear more in the next few months.

Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, adiós!

Read - Digital boost for UPC Czech
Read - Vecima Supports New HDTV Services for Major MSO
Read - Freeview - the great Aussie TV swindle?
Read - New Sky+ HD software coming soon
Read - More IPTV for Poland
Read - UK Capital To Begin HD Terrestrial Tests
Read - UTS Curaçao Delivers More High Definition Programming
Read - Fashion TV's HD Service Chooses AsiaSat 2
Read - AliantTV launches HD PVR
Read - UK Odeon cinemas to get true 3D projection
Read - 28% of Broadband Households in Western Europe Watch Online TV Monthly
Read - Philips launches the second generation Aurea LCD TV range
Read - Sky HD boxes self-destructing, getting replaced
Read - Cogeco Cable Launches Sportsnet East HD in Quebec

Jacksonville residents looking for a new take on the evening news can finally see their dreams come true. As of now, WJXT -- an independent station serving the Florida city and its surrounding communities -- is broadcasting its newscasts in high-definition. At first, the noon broadcast will be the only one in HD, though other airings should follow suit in short order. Locals who rely on DISH Network and DirecTV will sadly be unable to enjoy the new look without an OTA antenna, though WJXT vice president and general manager John Rafferty has assured us that its high-def signal will be picked up by both "soon."

[Thanks, Eric]

Hotlanta may be feeling the chill of winter right about now, but those looking for one more choice when it comes to watching the evening news in high-def can rejoice. As of this week, the region's CBS affiliate (WGCL) has converted its newscasts to HD, making it the third in Atlanta, Georgia to do so. Also of note, the CBS 46 branding has been trashed in favor of the altogether lovely CBS Atlanta logo you see above, and for those keeping inventory, FOX's WAGA now sits as the only local in the area not broadcasting news in high-definition. Anyone willing to wager that changes soon?

[Thanks, Eric]

South Florida's NBC 6 became the first English-language network in the area to take its newscasts to high-def, but now those who refuse to watch news in SD finally have another choice. Starting this week, WSVN -- the FOX affiliate in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market -- will be airing its local news broadcasts in greater clarity, and now that this station has hopped on board, we reckon the outcasts will be following suit in short order.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Charm City residents refusing to tune into SD news have had their sets locked on FOX 45 for months now, but 2009 is offering the city of Baltimore yet another option. Starting this weekend, WBAL-TV has flipped the high-def switch on its local news, meaning that you can now catch your favorite NBC talking heads in an all new light. So, locals -- are things much improved? Studio shot is after the break.

[Thanks, Ryan and Michael]

Everything is supposedly bigger in Texas, and we can imagine the awkwardness of being the only station in Austin to not offer local news in high-def is substantial. Just before Christmas, the city's NBC affiliate (KXAN) turned the screws on high-definition news, with revamped on-screen graphics and on-air tools. The station collaborated with FX Group in order to "design a visually creative and flexible news set that will be used for all newscasts," and of course, it also upgraded to HD cameras and HD weather forecasting equipment. With the transition complete, it leaves KTBC-TV (FOX) as the only game in town to not even offer newscasts in HD, though we suspect it'll be forced to get with the program soon in order to avoid further embarrassment.

[Thanks, John]

Check it, Beantown. Your local CBS affiliate (WBZ-TV) has decided to follow WHDH-TV into the 21st century, as it finally fired up HD news this week. With this network going high-def, that makes three of the big four in Boston that have successfully made the switch. News in 1080i -- equally depressing, a lot more beautiful.

[Thanks, Will]

Philadelphia residents, NBC 10 loves you. We mean, it really digs you. So much, in fact, that it has taken to heart all those surely kind letters you've sent in over the past few months regarding high-def news. Starting tonight, The City of Brotherly Love has another place to turn for high-definition newscasts, and that place is NBC 10. Reportedly, the station has been constructing an HD studio for months, and it has just now taken the wraps off of everything. Enjoy, Philly, and let us know if you're pleased in comments below.

It's time to celebrate, DC, as you finally have more than one option to turn to when scouting HD news. For some four years, WUSA (CBS 9) has been the lone high-def news station in the immediate region, but at long last WJLA (ABC 7) has stepped in to give it some much needed competition. Reportedly, the station aired its first HD newscast during the noon hour on December 8th, with the next episodes to hit at 5:00PM and 6:00PM for those scooting out of work. So, which network has next?

[Thanks, Ammar]

South Bend, Indiana got more than a win from their Fighting Irish this weekend -- they also got a heavy dose of HD news. WSBT-TV, the area's CBS affiliate, became the first in the region to air its newscasts digitally just days ago, and moreover, the first to broadcast in high-definition. Viewers are being treated to clearer views of their favorite anchors and more information on a wider screen platform, including additional weather data on the margins of their TV screens. The station's news director Meg Sauer has also asked for forgiveness if any glitches crop up due to all the new equipment, but we're sure you'll be willing to do so in exchange for an HD quality broadcast.

Election Night 2008 brought about an unprecedented amount of HD coverage, and while we're all in absolute agreement that CNN's "holographic" interviews were the comedy for the evening, we're interested on your take on how networks as a whole did with their high-def presentation. Was CBS' polished graphics set enough to overcome those embarrassing audio gaffes? Did ABC / FOX have the edge? Where did you find yourself tuned to most of the night? Drop your vote (hey, there's a concept!) below.

As the news networks spend oodles of cash in order to one-up the other with whiz-bang visuals and mind-melting charts, CNN is looking to blow just about everyone else away. As election night officially kicks off in just a few hours, the network's Wolf Blitzer will be conducting interviews with faraway strategists not via the traditional two-pane window, but by hologram. Believe it or not, professionals in Chicago and Phoenix will be beamed live to CNN's New York studios in order to give viewers a look at Wolf and a ghostly counterpart. Granted, this is far from the first holographic / 3D interview we've seen, but it is rather impressive given the scenario. In related news, we're also told that FOX News will be touting a "giant wall with touch-screen technology [that] will provide electoral map results," which hopefully translates in geek speak to "Surface."

[Via Hack-A-Day]

It's one thing to simply fork out some cash for new equipment and pull the lever on HD newscasts, but Lexington, Kentucky's WTVQ-TV is doing it real big when it takes its local news to high-def this month. Starting on October 30th, not only will locals view the evening news in HD, but they'll see a new anchor team, a new news set, a fresh graphics arrangement and revived vivaciousness all around. We've always heard that going all out was the only way to go -- guess we'll see how the ratings react in around a week.

[Thanks, Eric]