FCC Pushing Switch to Digital TV

[John Corn]

WASHINGTON - Federal regulators may look for ways to mandate faster transition to all-digital television if the TV industry fails to move quickly enough on its own, a Federal Communications Commission official said Friday.

The comments from Ken Ferree, chief of the media bureau at the FCC, added emphasis to a proposal by the agency's chairman that aims to bring digital TV to more American viewers.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell challenged everyone involved — television networks, local network-affiliated stations, cable and satellite service providers and equipment manufacturers — to voluntarily meet a series of goals on the way to a 2006 deadline.

Powell hopes that exposing more consumers to the technology, which allows for crisper pictures, higher sound quality, interactive capability and simultaneous programming on the same channel, will inspire them to demand more and thus jump-start digital TV development.

Full Story (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020405/ap_en_tv/digital_tv_4)

[tubbyaz]

Here in Phoenix AZ, the CBS affiliate (CBS being the network that seems to put the most HD source material up) decided to install only an SD digital transmitter. They don't plan to put up an HD xmitter in the near future.

I suspect we'll see this a lot across the country, just making do with the minimum expense (and probably sell the bandwidth they're not using).

Another reason I'm glad I went with a 4x3 Sony. I'll be ready for a giant plasma screen by the time HD actually takes off and becomes really viable (at least 4 years, IMHO).

And Chairman Powell is just an industry lapdog wanker. He'll cave to whomever has the money.

[AllieVi]

I suspect the rollout/acceptance of HDTV is going to be a LOT slower than people originally imagined. While I love the pictures on the sets at BB and CC, the prospect of spending the big bucks for the sets AND the satellite receiver turns me off to the idea. I have three receivers and numerous TV's in the house. At current prices, replacing everything with HDTV equipment is absolutely out of the question, so I'll have standard definition equipment for a very long time. My situation is probably the norm.

Even with the merged assets of E* and D*, Charlie promises only 12 HD channels (after giving all the local-into-locals). The satellite capacity required to provide even all current stations in HDTV is beyond anything I've heard discussed. Cable companies are in the same situation.

While some programming material would benefit from HDTV (sports comes so mind), a lot of programs are just fine in standard definition. Virtually all the archived material is standard definition (such as the old sitcoms we all claim not to watch).

Most other innovations that improved our entertainment experience (CD's and DVD's) took off like wildfire. I believe this one won't share their fate.