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Originally Posted by themelon
No idea on HDTV...........Sky predict it will start in 2006, but you arent going to see 200 channels suddenly broadcast in HDTV, probably 1 premium content channel initally or a selection of premium content channels that Sky will charge an absolute fortune for as ever. Probably trying to reach an Annual Revenue per Subscriber of £50 a month. It will also require new equipment if its worth having it on your current TV which is likely to cost £200+. Compared to a free cable of SDTV box I know what id choose.
But I cant really see HDTV Becoming widespread for at least 10 years, yeah its great but how many TVs are gonna be compatible. It will require a new compression standard and new equipment
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HDTV will take a while to catch on, yes. However, HDTV equipment is actually fairly widely available in the broadcast industry. It's also about to come down in price over the next few months. Sony are about to release a HDTV version of their current consumer flagship DV camcorder (the VX2500) for around £3000, only about £500 more than the current VX2500. While the updated VX2500 won't be considered Broadcast Quality, it is a sign that the likes of Sony, JVC et al are going to bring prices down.
HDTV in America, as I understand it, uses MPEG 2 (the same as DVD), and I understand Microsoft are lobbying STB manufacturers to offer Windows Media 9 support in STBs (which could offer HD resolutions using the same amount of bandwidth todays SD channels use). I would be surprised if Apple & Real weren't doing the same with their Codecs, both of which are also capable of HD resolutions.
Obviously, however, people will need new equipment, and some broadcasters do have a plan in place where when equipment reaches the end of it's life, it's being replaced with HD stuff. Whether the individual customer wants to upgrade his stuff or not should be left up to him (a choice which NTL do not currently offer, but that's for another thread).
On another subject. You mentioned Sky + boxes catching fire. Well, I haven't heard of any NTL boxes doing this, but I know of some that have come pretty close (IE melting the smart card). IIRC, Amstrad did recall any boxes that could have been affected, which was the responsible thing to do.
Finally, back the NTL providing a PVR. I, for one, will applaud NTL for doing this. If and when they manage it. I am surprised that it has taken this long for them to do it. How long has Sky + been out?
Edit: Just found an interesting article showing that 75% of US Cable subscribers can recieve HDTV (
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds14114.html).