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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.
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HDTV: Real or not
Having just purchased a HDTV capable projection monitor I can say that you won't find anything but HDTV ready. If you want to get anything bigger than a 36" TV from BestBuy, you won't be able to get a direct view (tube) TV. If you want something that big, you will be getting a plasma or projection, at least from BB. And from what I've seen, it doesn't really pay to get a standard analog monitor anymore. The price difference was neglible (between competing stores, similar monitor sizes).
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No Subject Given
If you build it .. they will come. Maybe not. I still haven't seen a compelling reason to go to HDTV. Do I really care if I can see Yankee pin-stripes in vivid detail. Can see them fairly well now on my exising tube. Now, if they started broadcasting the victoria's secret show or the SI Swimsuit shoot in HDTV, they might attract some more buyers. Seems to me that the best content for HDTV (music or Sci-fi) usually doesn't cut it with the majority of the viewing audience for TV and most of us really don't want to see Dan Rather in too much detail. Scary !
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get ready to shell out the $$$
Most people seem to forget that the FCC mandated all broadcast signals be converted to High Definition Digital by 2005 way back in 1998. The market may seem to be dragging it's feet, but the manufacturers are not. They have a legal obligation to convert. Expect to see a HUGE push for HDTV next year. A HUGE push.
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Re: get ready to shell out the $$$
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.
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digital broadcast tuners
Samsung makes 2 of these. One does only digital broadcast, and one also does satellite.
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
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Re: get ready to shell out the $$$
The Fourth point Doug made is incorrect. The set manufacturers conversion schedule is as follows.
Receivers with screen sizes 36 inches and above --
50% of a responsible party’s units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2004; 100% of such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2005.
Receivers with screen sizes 25 to 35 inches --
50% of a responsible party’s units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2005; 100% of such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2006.
Receivers with screen sizes 13 to 24 inches --
100% of all such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2007.
TV Interface Devices VCRs and DVD players/recorders, etc. that receive broadcast television signals --
100% of all such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2007.
Reference: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-225221A1.doc
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Re: get ready to shell out the $$$
Wasn't it 2006 that HDTV was mandated by????
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