Is HDTV For Real?
from the catching-on-or-not? dept
People have been talking about HDTV for ages, and now that ESPN is starting to broadcast in HDTV, some people are wondering if the time has finally come. People are increasingly buying HDTV sets - even if there really isn't that much HDTV programming out there to maek it worthwhile. Still, it sounds like those who have bought the TVs are hoping things like the ESPN broadcasts will convince more people to start buying the sets.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
HDTV: Real or not
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in thread ]
get ready to shell out the $$$
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: get ready to shell out the $$$
First, it's DTV, not HDTV, that has been mandated. DTV is just digital delivery. HDTV is high-definition. The FCC has steadfastly refused to require HDTV, and a number of the broadcast networks have announced that they will not be providing HDTV signals.
Second, that's for over the air broadcast. Only a third of Americans still receive their TV signals from an antenna. The rest use cable and satellite.
Third, there are essentially no DTV broadcast tuners available. Digital cable, yes; digital satellite, yes; digital broadcast, no.
Fourth, it is the broadcast stations that are required to convert. The set manufacturers have no legal obligation whatsoever.
Fifth, nobody believes that the 2006 (not 2005) "deadline" bears any relationship to reality. The actual conversion will probably occur sometime after 2010, with final shutdown of analog broadcasting sometime between 2015 and 2020. Some folks, including me, believe that broadcast DTV is the television equivalent of "stereo AM radio" (remember that?). Over the air broadcast TV is on its way to becoming a backwater; cable and satellite are taking all of the viewers that advertisers care about.
Sixth, the consumer equipment side is still being held back by disagreements over copy protection. HDMI is the clear front-runner, but it means that most current DTV and HDTV equipment will be unusable in the future.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
digital broadcast tuners
I have the one that does digital broadcast only and in the Seattle suburbs we get ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, UPN, WB, and a local channel (the mighty KONG) crystal clear. We could also get a few shopping channels and PAX if we had a bigger antenna (those are broadcast from the south-east).
However, as has been pointed out, few of the broadcasts are actually high-definition. Most shows seem to be filmed in about 14 x 9 resolution, so they are slightly chopped on the sides for the regular broadcast and have small pillar boxes on HDTV. The Super Bowl, on the other hand, was broadcast in real HDTV, using separate cameras. The local PBS station has evening broadcasts of these eye candy shows like "Over Washington" and "Over Canada" that are filmed in HD and look amazing.
The Samsung box that does satellite also and costs $200 more has a Firewire output which the cheaper one does not. That allows you to connect it to a JVC D-VHS machine and record the broadcast signal in real HD, if you care. Last time I checked, amazon had about 10 movies available in D-VHS, including "Independence Day" and "X-Men" (of course you don't need a digital tuner to play back D-VHS movies).
- adam
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: get ready to shell out the $$$
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: get ready to shell out the $$$
Receivers with screen sizes 36 inches and above --
50% of a responsible party’s units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2004; 100% of such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2005.
Receivers with screen sizes 25 to 35 inches --
50% of a responsible party’s units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2005; 100% of such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2006.
Receivers with screen sizes 13 to 24 inches --
100% of all such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2007.
TV Interface Devices VCRs and DVD players/recorders, etc. that receive broadcast television signals --
100% of all such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2007.
Reference: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-225221A1.doc
[ link to this | view in thread ]