HDTV

[Actor]

This my be of interest. Here in the U.S. the FCC was set to order all NTSC broadcasting off the air at midnight 31 December 2006. It's not going to happen. The FCC has declared it will not order a halt to NTSC transmissions until HDTV/DIGITAL has "achieved 85% market penetration", a landmark not expected for another decade.

I do not find this development at all surprising.

I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I think it will slow the development of low-cost HDTV. On the other hand, with NTSC getting a new lease on life, I may renew my efforts to obtain an XL1-s.

[Nigel]

This whole HDTV shift in the USA is loaded with governement crap. How the FCC could sell off part of the electromagnetic spectrum which it could never truly own to begin with is beyond my realm of thought.

I was told that if the 85% was not met by 2006 then NTSC would continue on forever. I don't know if there is truth to this or not. Mike Powell is trying really hard to push through HDTV even though Americans as a whole don't even want it.

Good Luck

[Matt Pacini]

This is just another example of the government's stupid idea of trying to control everything about everyone's behavior.
I'm sick of it.
I'd love to have an HDTV set, just like I'd love to have a spare electric car, and all sorts of other things that make sense if you ignore the fact they cost too much for almost the entire population, myself included.
So forcing us to buy HDTV sets, I don't think is their right.
I think the tenth amendment needs to be printed on billboards everywhere, and on posters hanging on the wall facing every congressman & senator in the country.

For those of you who don't know what it says, it states that the federal governemnt has no right to tell us what to do, other than those things that are specifically stated in the U.S. constitution itself.
My, my, how far we've gotten away from that, with the fed's damn near micromanaging every aspect of our lives, and yes, even to the point that they think they own the EM spectrum, the air, and everything and everyone, within our borders and beyond our borders...

Matt Pacini

[b4bob]

I think the "85% market penetration" means 85% able to recieve HDTV over the air broadcasts if they have DTV's and tuners. I don't think it means if 85% of people have an HDTV.

If it is the former, I thik it may well happen. Most metropolitan areas have one or more (if not all) over the air networks now broadcasting in HD. Hell, I live in Youngstown, OH (not even in the top 100 TV markets) and by the end of the spring we'll have 2 out of 4 broadcasters in HD.

bob

[Brian Maier]

You arent gonna have to buy a whole new tv, just a set top reciever. You can use what ever tv you want. Yeah your still gonna need to pay some extra money for the reciever but its better than a couple grand for a HDTV. But by the time you will need to get a reciever they will be pretty cheap.

Just something to ponder.

Brian

[Actor]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
I think the "85% market penetration" means 85% able to recieve HDTV over the air broadcasts if they have DTV's and tuners. I don't think it means if 85% of people have an HDTV.
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It means 85% of households have digital receiving capability. As of now 100% of the broadcasting stations have to simulcast in digital. They can voluntarily stop broadcasting NTSC any time they want but I don't think any have.

This is the second delay in the transition to HDTV. According to the time line established by the FCC back in the mid 90s the FCC was going to ban the sale of new NTSC sets on 1 January 2001. That did not happen either.

The theory was that if people were not able to replace their worn out sets with new NTSC sets (effectively forcing them to buy HDTV) then most people would have HDTV by 31 Dec 2006. This first delay effectively forced the second one.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 05, 2003 07:54 PM: Message edited by: Actor ]</font>

[lightfeat]

In some ways it's fortunate for you lot that you've had NTSC for so long, as it means there is greater reason to implement HDTV.

Over here in Europe, PAL and SECAM are really better than NTSC, in both definition and colour rendition, but although we're in the transition of going 16:9 widescreen, PAL's no match for HDTV.

PAL/SECAM is good enough that there's no real impetus to go the HDTV route, and that means you're going to overtake us in terms of definition, and in a big way!

Lucas

[c_77]

The whole thing is a mess. The FCC should have had this thing sorted out already.

Apparently they have mandated this 8-vsb system, which means that some HDTV receivers will work and some don't. So did some people buy the wrong brand and get screwed? I thought this was a big issue a year or two ago...

I don't care for any government entity telling how or what I should watch, but if their actions improves television I'm all for it. It almost seems like the FCC is helping these manufacturers 'milk-it' for so long. The prices on the HDTV sets and all the other gear required to watch a dozen or so channels or is simply ridiculous at this point.

[Nigel]

The thing is that the government can't control a market.

The market did not demand HDTV to begin with. Thus the market will not embrace it until it is ready to--Which could be never.

Good Luck

[crimsonson]

I actually admire FCC for what they are doing. Its far from their fault.
American TV stations and cable operators are doing everything they can to delay the transition because it will cost them money. Others who have been given the extra bandwidth are using it for other than HDTV because they see the new bandwidth as a source of new profits. Why migrate when you can broadcast DTV [not really HDTV], earn money and not really need a overhaul of your current setup?

Second, HDTV manufacturers like Sony, JVC, Hitachi and Panasonic, refused to come together for a unified standard. Instead, dragging their feet in order for their proprietary HD technology to become the standard. It delayed the approval of HDTV standards for several years. In the end FCC was forced to accept SEVERAL formats, instead of a unified standard.