"Cold Case" is the program I think you mean. It's still on as reruns. You are right about the look although IDK if it was shot as digital. Whether digital or not, I think the look was intended to help communicate the cold, gritty atmosphere of Philidelphia, many areas of which I would describe as "cold."
IMDB says it was film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368479/technical?ref_=tt_dt_spec
Duncan
