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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
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Re: HDTV format
Well, is that better than the alternative, which is to not progress at all? So there's no new technology for people to spend their money on in the first place? Some sets may be made in japan, but a lot of US labor still goes into the production of HDTV programming, sale and installation of HDTV equipment, cables to hook it up, etc, etc.
I've understood for a long time that a lot of the posters that frequent this place could care less about television in general. It still never ceases to amaze me how negative people are here about new technologies, on a site that's dedicated towards an emerging new technology. "Outrageously expensive?" The price of bigscreen HDTV sets has fallen below the price of similar standard def TVs at the time HDTV made its consumer debut near the end of 1998. A good quality stnadard def 50" bigscreen was around $2000 back then. A quick glance at BestBuy.com shows that I can get a 50" HDTV capable set for $1199 today.
As far as DTV awareness goes, I think the FCC is trying to accelerate the timetable in which they can begin to profit on the sale of spectrum. They're trying to make money rather than lose it due to the deadlines that are highly likely to slip. That, and they want people watching OTA TVs to understand what's goign on when that signal does, eventually, go dark.
That said, I tend to agree that this campaign is a waste of money. I think the various manufacturers of HDTVs are much better poised to sell new televisions, and cable and satellite operators will work to sell the services to interested people. "Awareness" is too little too late. I think most people interested already know about it. The price of the technology continues to fall nicely. The FCC has already done the key things they need to do in order to get adoption going, particularly the requirements they have put onto cable operators. The major networks have the content for it out there now. Most major sporting events, and non-reality primetime TV shows are all in high definition now.
If they wanted to meet their deadlines, they needed to get cable operators on board with HDTV a long time ago. I've had a HDTV capable set since december of 1998, and I'm in the Los Angeles DMA. It's only this past year that I've finally been able to watch the network HD programming on it. I don't think it will be very long before the cable companies simply give out HD capable set top boxes, since they work on both standard def and high def TVs. For example, the 6208 DVR that Comcast offers, does both HD and SD. They don't even offer a model that's standard def only in those markets.
-- Rob
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\\ROB - a part of the SCB local network | |
Vchat20
Landing is the REAL challenge
join:2003-09-16
Warren, OH
clubs: 
| i got to comment on the beginning of your post reguaring the TV prices:
this is one thing i cant agree more on here. our family finances are so fuked right now thanks to bush, we are already 5 months behind on our rent (thank god for a sweetheart landlord who knows what we are going through). just recently we DID have an HD-ready set in our home as a rental from the local rental store around here. it was a very nice set. Toshiba 57h83. although we never managed to watch any HD content on it since having it, it was a nice set nonetheless. but thaks to bills getting behind we couldnt afford to keep it and had to give it back. but i can tell you right now, for only $30-40 every 2 weeks, that HD set is definitely in our future once we get back on our feet financially. and considering our family only brings in about $25k a year, this is saying something. | |
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