[opendtv] Re: Toward digital TV
- From: Barry Wilkins <barry.barrywilkins@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 21:51:02 +1300
Hi folks,
I hope you will pardon a small diversion on the subject of "Toward digital
TV" but I have just had long and complicated discussions with a Sky New
Zealand technical representative as to why some of the channels they provide
on their digital satellite DTH service have such abysmally poor image
quality. They deny responsibility of course ( It's the other end they
say) but it is to them that I pay the bill!
The thing is this. Consumers have I feel, a perfectly reasonable expectation
that when you move from an all analog standard to an all digital,
i.edigital studio, processing and transmission system that the
proponents say
WILL give you better quality pictures, then you should get just that - all
the time. I am obviously not just talking about the elimination of noise in
the picture but an actual improvement in resolution. After all, CDs provided
exactly what the industry said they would. And note that it was much to the
appreciation of the consumer and that market blossomed. So too was it so for
DVD in its replacement of VHS video. The consumer got what was promised and
what is more it was what was WANTED. So that was a succes story.
But what of DTV? Does the consumer get an improvement in picture quality.
Nothing is standardized to the point of offering something consistent that
the consumer can become familiar with compared to what they originally had.
Well you folks say over there HDTV is really wonderful and yet there appears
to be great variation of quality even within your implementation of that
standard. People think they are watching HDTV when they are not etc.
Down here I swear and declare that I can pick up a quite respectable
resolution image of BBC World from the local analog VHF translator. But
the digital satellite image from Sky of both BBC World and CNN? - what a
mess! Movie channels are almost DVD quality though and this is very telling
of the real truth.
I say that in this magical digital age there is no excuse for poor image
quality if the source material is good - as it surely would be for studio
images of BBC World or CNN. So why can't the industry get it's act together
and ensure a minimum digital quality end to end no matter where in the
world, no matter how many up and down links and especially for studio
images?
From an engineering point of view I find the "just too hard to do" arguement
lacks validity. I think it falls into the "can't be bothered because we
don't think the consumer cares and it'll cost us" category is more likely.
If the later is the case it partly explains the mess the broadcast industry
is in because the new toy it is offering has no strict limits that define
its attraction and advantage compared to the old.
Regards,
Barry Wilkins
barry.barrywilkins@xxxxxxxxx
On 12/15/05, Dale Kelly <dalekelly@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Bert Wrote:
> >Except that the CEA doesn't see those "sign up" bonuses
> >either, do they? If anything, the NCTA, right?
>
> Your equation leaves out the retailer, who does receive the
> Cable/Satellite
> kick back and who is the also the CEA members sole customer.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
> Behalf Of Manfredi, Albert E
> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 12:19 PM
> To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [opendtv] Re: Toward digital TV
>
> Mark Aitken wrote:
>
> > As to the insinuation that "we" are in the same position
> > as Cable and Satellite...read the tea leaves. CEA is
> > serving the 85%...could care LESS about OTA! Not "sign
> > up" bonus, no continuing revenue, just good "old
> > fashioned" FREE OTA.
>
> Except that the CEA doesn't see those "sign up" bonuses
> either, do they? If anything, the NCTA, right? To the
> CEA, one ATSC STB should be just as good as one cable STB.
>
> On the 85 percent figure, how come we keep reading that 35
> percent or more viewership is lost when a station drops
> off the air? OTA viewership ought to matter more to the
> CEA, one would think.
>
> Seems to me that broadcasters and cable operators are in a
> similar situation. Not identical. And I sure ain't
> pointing fingers at Sinclair.
>
> Bert
>
>
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