Tuesday, December 20, 2005
New 2009 HDTV Deadline Set
byOK...we are going to have high definition television, the question, as always, is when. According to a story in the New York Times, the House of Representatives has mandated February 17, 2009, as the date that broadcasters must give up their old analog licenses and start broadcasting a high definition signal. Of course, the Senate still has to approve the measure, so it is not written in stone yet.
Be warned. There have been many past deadlines that were extended, and extended again. This story discusses what, I think, was the first May 2002 deadline for the HDTV switchover. At the rate the transition is moving, the first HDTVs I bought will have worn out by the time I am actually able to use them for viewing any extensive HDTV programming.
The original deadlines were a boon to the TV set industry. They sold many expensive HD-capable sets based on consumer expectations of the just-around-the-corner resolution revolution. We’re still waiting.
Yes, there is some HD programming I can get through cable or satellite, but depending on the market you are in, the pickings can be rather slim. Due to economics and competition, you usually have more options in bigger markets, but most people would agree, this is moving a lot slower than was originally anticipated.
I think any more delays will hurt the television industry. Blue-ray and/or other high resolution video disk formats are hitting the market. Soon movies will be available for rental or purchase that will take full advantage of the HDTV sets’ superior resolution. In addition, the ability of people to watch content on their high-res computer screens will siphon off viewership first to the digerati...but then to the mainstream.
I hope the broadcast industry hurries up. A lot of consumers (including myself) have made the commitment and purchased great new HDTV equipment. Now we’re just waiting for the industry to show up at the dance. Broadcasters may think they have saved themselves money by delaying the inevitable. However, what I think they have done is opened the door to those who would choose to become the new vanguard in programming by making the former oligopoly irrelevant.
