David thanks for your answer concerning HDTV. My question wasn't rhetorical---I was just wondering if Cube had addressed the problem in a publicly known, concrete way. I looked at the "products" page at their site, and couldn't find any directly correlated decoders.
Another aritcle:
What Is Digital TV Anyway?
Here Are Common Questions
By BRYAN GRULEY and KYLE POPE
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
With the federal government about to issue the country's first
licenses for digital television, the question is: Should
consumers care?
Digital TVs, hailed as the biggest thing to hit broadcasting
since color TV, will offer movie-quality pictures and the sharp
sound of compact disks. But so far, consumers have reacted
with a yawn. The promise of a new generation of television sets
hasn't caused people to put off buying conventional tubes, and
TV retailers say they've heard few questions about the new
technology.
The FCC is preparing to give broadcasters free licenses to
offer digital TV now that the companies have agreed to
launch the service in at least 10 major cities by October
1998.
Now, the government's announcement of a timetable and rules
for broadcasters will bring the introduction of digital TV much
closer. Here's what consumers may want to know.
Q: What's different about digital TV?
A: Broadcasters will be able to send more data over the
airwaves using a digital signal that can handle more
information. That produces a more detailed picture, with clearer
images, brighter colors and sharper sound. The sets themselves
will be flatter, like the screens at movie theaters. As TV makers
race to put out new sets, technology companies including
Microsoft, Compaq and Intel say they are teaming up to
develop digital computer screens that will carry TV programs.
Sports fans especially will appreciate the wider angle and
zippier images of high-definition TV. Imagine, for instance, a
close-up of a quarterback that includes a much wider view of
the field around him and the coaches on the sidelines.
You also could get more choice in programs. Some broadcasters
will use their ability to compress digital data to offer a single,
high-definition TV channel; others will offer several different
channels that may not be as super-sharp, but will be sharper
than what you get now. Broadcasters also could use the
channels to offer paging or other data services, or to combine
conventional programming with chunks of data. A basketball
game, for instance, could be accompanied by a stream of data
containing team statistics and player bios, called up at a
viewer's whim.
Q: How much will digital sets cost?
A: TV makers estimate the earliest sets will be available next fall
at a starting price of about $2,500, making them a likely
purchase only for gadget freaks and videophiles. But digital set
prices are expected to tumble as more people buy sets and
makers cut manufacturing costs.
Q: When will digital service be available?
A: As soon as fall 1998 in many metropolitan areas, though not
for several years in smaller markets. Broadcasters now must
install transmitters and production equipment that will enable
them to broadcast a digital signal. Under pressure from
regulators, broadcasters have pledged to make digital TV
available in the ten biggest U.S. cities within 18 months.
Michael Sherlock, executive vice president for technology at
NBC, said the rollout of digital TV will be similar to the advent
of color TV, which took a decade to find its way into 45% of
U.S. homes. "It's not going to happen overnight," Mr. Sherlock
says.
Q: Must I buy a new TV set?
A: Not for a long time. Local stations will continue to broadcast
their current analog signals for as long as another decade while
they launch the digital service. While current TVs can't receive
a digital signal, you will be able to buy a converter box, which
will cost $100 to $200 and look like the boxes provided by cable
operators. Reception over the converter will be better than what
you currently get -- but not as crisp as you'd get over a digital
unit.
The FCC hopes that by 2006, traditional broadcast feeds will
end; many industry observers, though, don't expect that
deadline to stick, so TV buyers could have several more years
to switch over.
Q: Will I still be able to get cable or satellite-dish service?
A: Yes, without any noticeable difference. Digital TV sets will
enhance reception for satellite customers, because satellite
carriers already broadcast in digital. That will also be true for
cable customers as the cable industry converts to a digital feed
over the next several years.
Q: Will I still be able to watch my favorite old programs?
A: Yes, all the programs in the networks' current libraries will be
reformatted for the digital standard. Some shows, like movies
and some filmed dramas shot in high-quality film, already work
digitally.
Production of other programs, though, will have to be
completely revamped to comply with the digital standard. News
and sports programming, for instance, will require new sets,
new cameras and even new makeup to look right on a sharper
digital screen.
NBC's Mr. Sherlock estimates that the nation's 1,600 local
stations will have to spend as much as $2 million apiece
upgrading their systems to digital, and that's without the cost
of building a new transmission tower. As for the networks, NBC
alone already has spent $50 million building a digital
infrastructure at its Rockefeller Center headquarters in New
York. |
