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History of HDTV

822 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  trbarry 
#1 ·
I don't remember where I found this, so I can't give credit (I may have even found it here on AVS Forum). Funny but true, the history of HDTV so far:


Here's how it went:


Broadcast Industry asks for bandwidth for HDTV

FCC says "OK, we'll set aside bandwidth for HDTV"

FCC says "What standards?"

Industry says 'No Standards Please' and come up with EIGHTEEN recommended formats for HDTV. I am not kidding you.

FCC says "Isn't 18 different standards a bit much?"

Industry says "Shut the %^# up FCC, we know what we are doing. The 'market' will handle this!"

Consumer Electronics dudes whine "18 formats make every thing cost more, you are ^&*#ing us!"

FCC says "OK, it's your call on standards, 18 formats is fine, infact there are NO STANDARDS AT ALL, 'cause we are letting the 'market decide', but you start broadcasting HDTV now or we take back the FREE bandwidth."

Industry says "What? We really just want the free bandwidth. You really want us to do HDTV??

Congress says "^% you Industry. Broadcast HDTV or we'll legislate your arses back to Sun-day!"

Industry says "We're screwed. 18 formats? Why the hell did we do that? Let's change it."

Consumer Electronics dudes say "You ain't changing nothin'. We are already building the boxes you said you wanted built."

FCC says "Yah, ya boneheads we told you 18 was too many, now you gotta live with it."

Industry says "Well FCC, will you at least make the cable companies carry the HDTV at no charge?"

Cable companies say "&^@# you! You gotta pay! Bwah-ha-ha-ha!"

FCC says "Yep, no federal mandated on HDTV must carry, we are letting 'the market' handle that"

Industry says "We are so screwed. We are spending 5-10 million per TV station in hardware alone and have 1000 HDTV viewers per city, even in LA!"

Consumer at home says "Where is my HDTV? Why does it cost so much? #$@ it, I'm sticking with cable/DirecTV."

Consumer electronics dudes, broadcast industry, FCC, and congress all cry. Cable companies laugh and make even bigger profits.

Joe Sixpack says "What's HDTV?"


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D-ILA, HTPC, HDTV, Panamorph(?)

"It's a higher power telling me through bunnies that we're all gonna die!"--Anya
 
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#2 ·
#4 ·
Quote:
"Defining Vision" by Joel Brinkley gives an excellent and very readable account of the history of digital television and HDTV.

You can find it on Amazon.com. I recommend it.
I also highly recommend it, though it defines the history of HDTV as mostly a quest by the broadcasters to keep spectrum away from land mobile use without actually having to ever spend any money to build much of anything.


Of course there may be a certain element of truth there. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif


- Tom



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Getting started:
HTPC FAQ , DScaler , Xcel's Links .
 
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