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Posted by Steve Guidry on 05/17/06 22:22
> In the audio field, people were in denial about the coming of ProTools
> and the other programs. In video, it was denial about NLEs. This stuff
> is coming. Over the air analog dies on February 18, 2009. In HD, the
> big networks will make the jump, followed by the lesser networks. Then
> HD TV prices will drop, and the cable companies will go all HD. Then
> the affiliates and LPTV/Access centers/college stations. Maybe this
> process will take 10 years, maybe less. As Sony goes, so goes the
> industry.
You're making a common mistake. The death of analog does _NOT_ mean that
all these TV stations will be doing HD. It means that they will be doing
DIGITAL. For a very few, that may mean an all-HD schedule. But for
most - - large markets and small, it will mean STANDARD DEFINITION
digital.
The reason is pure and simple economics : an HD TV channel takes all the
bandwidth allocated to the station. An SD digital channel takes 1/4th of
this bandwidth. That means the broadcaster can either transmit one really
good-looking HD signal or 4 good, but not HD-quality SD signals. This
means that he will have not one, but FOUR revenue streams. To be sure,
there are some things that will demand HD quality - - sports and movies come
to mind immediately. But there are a LOT of things that will most
certainly be deemed NOT worthy of HD - - like news, daily talk shows,
reruns of Hogan's Heroes, and all that legacy programming that no one wants
to talk about.
I agree that HD is coming. For some, it's here now. But it's just foolish
to junk perfectly good SD gear when it has lots of life in it.
And hey - - I might buy an HDV rig in a few months just so I can deceive
clients into thinking that they're "getting HD". But I'll only be kidding
them.
More later . . .
Steve
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