[opendtv] Re: (No Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:30:37 -0400

  • From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "OpenDTV (E-mail)" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 18:22:48 -0400

Craig Birkmaier wrote:

> We advanced the idea that the FCC need only do two
> things to create a more open system:
>
> 1. Choose a modulation standard;
> 2. Choose a packet-bbased transport standard with
> headers/descriptors to identify the content of the
> packets.
>
> The FCC did pay attention, as this approach was
> being promoted by the computer industry in the last
> minute talks that led to the FCC decision to drop
> table 3 from the standard. Alas, the FCC did not
> know how easily the ATSC and the CE vendors walked
> around the table 3 issue.

I think the important historical fact is that the
16:9 aspect ratio standard the Grand Alliance first
proposed is in fact the standard for all HDTV
programming here. And that the two basic HDTV formats
the Grand Alliance proposed have in fact become the
global standards for HDTV and HD displays in general.

This is not through any political shenanigans. It's
an entirely predictable evolution. Just as most WWW
pages are designed for 800 X 600 resolution and 4:3
screens as of now. One-to-many transmissions have
to accommodate the bulk of the installed base of
receivers.

The other important historical fact is that the aspect
ratio mismatch, even with just two ratios in common
use, is a headache. Already now, most wide screen sets
out there are distorting 4:3 images in order not to
suffer burn-in problems. At least, we have some hope
that as transmissions settle on 16:9, the problem will
go away.

With your idea of no standards, the problem would
never have gone away. Or perhaps the better way to say
it is that *even* by imposing no standards, de facto
standards would have emerged. And did! For very
practical, sensible reasons.

Bert
 
 
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