[opendtv] Re: A view from the UK
- From: "Alan Roberts" <roberts.mugswell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2004 22:50:34 +0100
Thanks guys, I intend to contribute a little more often now that I'm a free
agent.
I always thought, professionally, that the UK jumped for widescreen too
early. But personally I couldn't wait for it. Even so, I bought into digits
only when Freeview started, and then only to get BBC4, the widescreen tv
came later when the old 4:3 set started giving trouble.The problem in the UK
now is that the new shape was the one thing that could be sold as being
different from a distance; a widescreen tv is widescreen even when switched
off. I was very happy that the US went digital, widescreen, and HD all in
one go, because that fires all barrels at the same time. It will be hard to
introduce HD into Europe because it's only the extra definition that can be
sold, all the other attributes are here already. I think it will happen
eventually, but probably not until analogue switch-off. Survey after survey
shows that average viewing distance in the UK is about 3 metres, and we'll
need 60" displays or bigger to make HD have a big impact. Displays of that
size simply won't fit into the average UK home until something like
light-emitting polymers can replace the crt, plasma, and lcd in one go.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 7:12 PM
Subject: [opendtv] Re: A view from the UK
> jeroen.stessen@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >=20
> > I was delighted to see this posting by Alan Roberts:
> > > I've been monitoring this list for some time (years) but=20
> > have not yet
> > posted
> > > because I didn't want my affiliation to mar discussions. I've just
> > retired
> > > from 36 years working for the BBC in R&D, much of it in=20
> > developing DTV
> > and
> > > HDTV.
> >=20
> > A very warm welcome to you, Sir Alan ! ;-)
>
> I concur with that sentiment, and also am delighted to hear from
> you again, Jeroen. Alan used to contribute occasionally to the
> usenet advanced TV group several years ago, until that forum
> went sort of dorment. Always a pleasure to hear from those on
> the front lines, as it were.
>
> I was especially worried, having seen articles of cutbacks at
> Philips in Europe.
>
> Bert
>
>
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