Digital Journal — Some people in the television industry like to compare analogue TV to diesel fuel. We upgraded to unleaded years ago, but diesel just seems to persevere. Likewise, we are now in the early (but accelerating) stages of a prolonged transition to digital and HDTV, but due to analogue’s delayed retirement date, the revolution might take some time.
If you’re not familiar with HDTV, the high-definition picture is composed of either 720 or 1,080 lines, almost double that of a standard-definition, or SD picture. The high-resolution HD signal is digitally transmitted, so you can’t watch it without an HD set-top box (or a built-in tuner) and without receiving digital television.
HDTV is changing the terms of the entire television industry — broadcasting, distributing, manufacturing, licensing and production. With up to two million pixels creating the picture on the screen, it promises picture quality that’s five or six times better than traditional SD.
The technology has been storming living rooms across North America, especially in the past year. Set prices have been cut nearly in half since 2004, and in 2005, sales are expected to increase nearly 50 per cent. Thin, stylish plasmas and LCDs grace living room walls, marking the shift from “rec rooms” to “home entertainment theatres.”
High-definition TV has been called the most important development in television since the advent of colour TV in 1951. But when will the revolution truly arrive?
This article is part of Digital Journal‘s Spring 2005 issue. To read the rest of this story, pick up your copy in bookstores across Canada or the United States!
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