Networks announce HDTV plans
Larry Bloomfield 05/30/98 Broadcast Engineering
Copyright 1998 Intertec Publishing Corporation, a PRIMEDIA Company. All rights reserved.
Such speculation has been made as to how the four major networks will operate under the ATSC umbrella. The major issues deal with the progressive-interlace debate, lines of scan (480, 720 and 1,080), the various frame rates and aspect ratios of 4:3 or 16:9. Because there is no legal requirement that dictates which one of these facets the networks must choose, it will be interesting to see what they start with, and what they end up with.
CBS After much speculation, the four networks have announced their plans for HDTV. Just a few days before NAB, CBS announced that beginning in November, it would broadcast five hours of high-definition prime-time programming each week in the 1,080i format. CBS CEO Michael Jordan said, "By providing the highest-quality HDTV programming, we will gauge the reaction of consumers to HDTV and the response of TV set manufacturers to the technology."
Hedging their bets, CBS went on record as saying that the choice of the 1,080i format does not foreclose any future digital TV options. One such avenue it plans to explore is DTV's ability to deliver programs and non-program-related data to TV sets and computers simultaneously. Another area CBS will investigate is the ability DTV offers to shift between several of the various TV standards during different "dayparts," thereby increasing viewers' programming choices.
This November will also see four of CBS's O&Os launch their digital services with additional O&Os and affiliates coming on-line by November of next year. CBS's goal is to reach 42% of American households with digital TV broadcasts by the end of 1999.
NBC At the Peacock network, NBC initially plans to provide a high-definition signal during prime time with a standard-definition 480 progressive digital signal during other dayparts.
Much the same way NBC began its excursion into stereo audio with "The Tonight Show," it will use this same vehicle to launch high-definition programming by building an HDTV facility in its Burbank facility. The construction of the HD facility is an extension of an agreement between NBC and Sony to develop broadcast products and applications for the next five Olympic Games. Other long-form and series programming will be launched after the fall schedule is in place.
NBC television stations president Scott Sassa said NBC would begin broadcasting a 1,080 interlaced high-definition digital signal to its network this fall. In conjunction with its digital TV announcement, NBC announced its plans for the first new all-digital broadcast operations center. The new tapeless facility will be the backbone of NBC's digital network.
NBC plans include its sMicrosoft Web TV for Windows entertainment programming, along with efforts with Wink Communications and Intel's Intercast. These data broadcasting projects will be compatible with digital and analog broadcast and cable signals.
NBC will begin digital programming in four top 10 markets by Nov. 1: KNBC, Los Angeles; WRC, Washington, DC; WCAU, Philadelphia; and KXAS, Dallas. NBC's O&Os in New York (WNBC) and Chicago (WMAQ) are scheduled for May 1, 1999, followed by San Diego (KNSD), Miami (WTVJ) and Raleigh (WNCN) on Nov. 1. By May 1, 2002, the remaining NBC O&Os in Columbus (WCMH), Providence (WJAR), Hartford (WVIT) and Birmingham (WVTM) will broadcast a digital signal.
ABC The folks at ABC took a different approach to HDTV when it selected 720p as its format. Announced the same day as CBS, Preston Padden, ABC Television Network's president, also announced that ABC's entrance into digital delivery of high-definition programming will be from a new "HDTV Release Center" headquartered in New York. The facility will be built and installed by Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Company (PBTSC) by this September in time for ABC's DTV launch two months later.
One argument opponents use for not going to 720p is a supposed lack of equipment. To that issue Padden said, "We are grateful that Panasonic has elected to support all of the ATSC formats and has accelerated its 720p product line to fulfill our ambitious plans." According to Padden, the reason ABC selected the 720p format is, "To make the best possible pictures, to be ready for second-generation progressive flat-panel displays and to be ready for the multimedia opportunities of the converged world of computing and television." "720p makes great pictures and is the right solution for a converged future," added ABC broadcast operations & engineering president, Preston Davis.
ABC has also purchased DVCPRO equipment for evaluation and possible inclusion in the network's long-term acquisition plans. ABC's HDTV Release Center will revolve around the AJ-HD2700 1,080i/720p switchable D-5 HD videotape recording systems provided by PBDSC. ABC will also purchase 720p studio cameras, monitors and other support equipment for use in future HD programming origination.
Robert Mueller, president, PBDSC, said, "D-5 HD recording systems are the industry standard for high-quality HDTV recording and program distribution. The switchable AJ-HD2700 permits the choice of recording or playing back HD programming in either 1,080i or 720p formats."
FOX FOX's approach to digital delivery is a departure from the others. It doesn't look to employ any of the high-definition formats for openers. According to Andy Setos, senior vice president of broadcast operations and engineering for FOX Television, it will embrace 480p, not HDTV. The folks at FOX are focused on progressive over interlace. They believe that the alphabet soup surrounding the ATSC definitions of HDTV and SDTV are a matter of semantics and the industry should not get hung up on them.
FOX has been working behind the scenes to convince government and equipment manufacturers of the benefits of progressive scan television. FOX is reserved in making any formal commitment to broadcasting high-definition in prime time. One network spokesperson indicated that FOX would experiment with 720p transmission for special events.
Setos indicated that the progressive approach gives FOX a host of benefits ranging from a three to four time's improvement in picture quality over analog NTSC. Besides better pictures, progressive provides more flexibility in what can be done with the spectrum. Santos mentioned that it compresses more efficiently and can interpolate with computers more easily and FOX can go from one scanning standard to another without dramatically making obsolete its earlier production archive.
With FOX beginning its excursion into delivery of 480p this fall, it plans to experiment with digital applications, including time-shifting, multicasting and data broadcasting.
A look at the issues driving today's technology. Aurelio Arce and Dan Mahoney (far left) blow whistles as they protest against Disney/ABC outside the Shrine over NABET's exclusion from the Academy Awards production. A crowd of NABET-CWA members and supporters lined the street with signs and red balloons stating, "It's our work." More than 250 people attended the protest.
In our jobs, we sell ideas, products, services or a combination of these three things. And, throughout history, there have been unions or guilds to cover just about every craft - broadcasting included.
Three unions who have traditionally represented broadcasters include the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE).
Of the nearly 1,700 TV stations in the United States, there are few stations that have union agreements or contracts. IBEW has about 14,000 technicians at 350 radio and TV stations and represents CBS. NABET, who a few years back merged with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), represents NBC and ABC. NABET's contracts cover crafts beyond those in the technical areas of broadcasting for a membership of about 10,500 at 85 stations. IATSE is approximately 6,500 strong, with locals in Canada and the Unit ed States.
In March, there was an ongoing dispute between NABET and ABC that could have affected the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscar) annual presentations show. NABET's local 57 in Burbank, CA, represents the engineers, technicians and other crafts at ABC in Hollywood.
Dan Mahoney, secretary-treasurer of local 57, said that the Academy and ABC had always been joint employers of the crew that worked the technical end of the Academy Awards broadcast. This year was supposed to be no different. According to Mahoney, "The (Oscar) show was broadcast by ABC, with the signal feeds going through the hands of NABET-represented employees. ABC management is still involved and the technical production company is the same. Some of the same technical crew worked the show."
Mahoney made it clear that this issue of the Academy Awards show only deepened the gap in the negotiations that seem to be bogged down at this time. "The only difference (this year) is that ABC and the Academy cut a deal to exclude NABET as the bargaining representative of the crew that works at the Shrine and we don't believe that's legal," explained Mahoney.
In response to Mahoney, ABC company spokesperson Julie Hoover, said, "NABET-CWA had filed a charge against ABC and KABC when, upon the request of the Academy, the Academy took back the production of the Academy Awards. The NLRB has now ruled on that and has said that, in fact, it was perfectly legal. The NLRB in March of this year, determined unless NABET withdrew its charges, that they would dismiss them. The unfair labor practice charge was withdrawn by NABET."
According to Hoover, "The Academy hired its own engineering crew that was a union crew. The Academy Awards was a 100% union operation." (the IATSE). Hoover said she was told that it was the same people who had done the work the previous year. Explaining that, "Many people hold multiple union cards and they choose to be represented by IATSE as opposed to NABET."
Mahoney explained what brought this all on, "Our contract expired last year, and the Academy claimed to be concerned about a strike. But it never talked with us before colluding with Disney/ABC, and they really didn't protect themselves because we still handle the signal feeds."
Hoover was uninhibited in addressing most every issue Mahoney brought up and some that IBEW shared. Hoover began by saying, "I think it is important to understand that this was the decision of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."
According to Hoover, "They (the Academy) decided to ask ABC to step aside as the producer after they became aware of the fact on virtually a weekly basis NABET was threatening a grievance strike and in fact had a grievance strike against ABC on Nov. 1, 1997, and ABC was unable to carry a live golf event. Since NABET had been clear about threatening virtually every live event that ABC telecast, the Academy became concerned and asked if they could take over the production and ABC felt it was only fair to agree and let them do that."
Hoover continued, "that KABC went to NABET and specifically requested that NABET promise them that there would be no grievance strikes the night of the Academy Awards. They (KABC) asked for a concrete, specific and limited promise as regards only the night of the Academy Award because they wanted to use a NABET crew to do their pre and post shows."
Another factor Hoover said played a major roll in this was that, "Gena Stinnett, head of the local in Los Angeles waited weeks before answering the letter, set up a meeting and then did not attend. As a result KABC was forced to use an outside contractor to produce their pre and post show."
In addition to the Oscar show issue, Mahoney pointed out that one of the big issues on the bargaining table is ABC's proposal to strip union members of jurisdiction in all areas relating to computers and digital technology. He explained that if ABC succeeds in transferring the new technology work to lower paid non-union employees and subcontractors, this erosion of jurisdiction will put the union membership out on the streets within the next 10 years. Hoover said, "ABC wants union members to continue to use and to be responsible for much of the technical work that is being done. As new machines become available, however, they have sometimes simplified the job to such an extent that it is possible for people who are not particularly well-trained to use that machine." This lack of understanding for technical exigencies and bean counter mentality seems to be gaining a foothold like a cancer in the broadcast industry."
Jack Stanley, director, broadcasting and recording department for IBEW in the Washington, DC, headquarters said, "I see the union facing the same problems we faced 20 years ago and that's basically technology. The only difference between today and yesterday is technology is moving so much faster and rapidly, going from analog into digital. We have a habit of inventing ourselves out of jobs in the engineering field. To make things easier, technology plays a big roll in that. We have to adopt and adapt different ideas and methods we have to do it much faster then we've done in the past."
According to Hoover, "It's not that people are not being trained to do it, it's that as these new machines come out, only the company that provides them is really equipped to fix them." "Rather than hold things up while they work on a machine, they just send you a new machine. That is my understanding and I think that is a more up-to-date description of why maintenance no longer has the importance that it once had and it was certainly at one time an important part of the mix."
Stanley of IBEW said, "We don't have any nationally organized training program like we have in the construction trades, such as an apprenticeship program, but we have encouraged many of our locals and we have a meeting every year, a broadcast conference, we're always encouraging our local unions to get their people interested in training."
Hoover said, "NABET members have not always shown great enthusiasm for training that has been offered." Hoover continued to say, "I agree that training is important and ABC is happy to provide training and that is provided for in the contract that we have offered to NABET."
Tiglio of NABET did express concern about member training. He said, "In fact, NABET does not have a national training program, but many locals have programs and incentives for SBE certification and vendor specific training. But regardless of the availability of training programs, our membership has seen television go from black and white, film and mechanical cameras to color, tape, ENG, satellite and have continued to do the work and make the transition necessary."
How do you know if it works? This is a question that has been asked of every service technician since Ben Franklin first flew his kite with the key on it. Manufacturers and service personnel are faced with having to determine if the "set" is working. With only a few DTV stations on the air and then only transmitting one of the 18 formats, how will you know if you can receive and decode these signals correctly? Fear not, Sarnoff Labs comes to the rescue.
It was at this years' NAB that Sarnoff Corporation introduced the world's first suite of compliance tests for receivers of the new U.S. (ATSC) digital and high-definition TV (HDTV) standard. The ATSC compliance bitstreams allow receiver manufacturers, broadcasters, makers of computer video boards and other service technicians to determine whether their products will reliably decode complex digital SDTV and HDTV signals across the 18 ATSC formats.
The Sarnoff ATSC compliance bitstreams delivered on a set of CD-ROMs cause a receiver to decode and display a series of test frames. If the decoder makes an error, it shows up in the on-screen frame. Each test is keyed to a specific decoder function so service people can quickly locate problems. The ATSC compliance bitstreams suite includes four sets of tests, each one targeting a specific area of performance.
The comprehensive set of tests show the ability of the decoder to handle various decoding functions, such as motion vectors, over the full range of permitted values. It runs the decoder through all 18 ATSC formats and their variations, based on Table 3 of the ATSC standard A/53. The test material will also show if the decoder can handle the full stream of information, including audio, video and system information tables and allows testing of synchronization between audio and video. They include standard- and high-definition streams and a multicast stream, the equivalent of four 480-line interlaced programs on a single channel. In addition to this the tests will demonstrate the decoder's ability to handle demanding encoders and to conceal errors.
"Our compliance bitstreams are the industry's most complete objective standard for testing ATSC decoders," said Dean Malmstrom, head of DTV professional products at Sarnoff. "They allow DTV set makers to prove out their designs and broadcasters to qualify decoders for ATSC compliance.
"We've seen decoders that work fine when tested with one encoder but lock up and lose the picture when fed signals from another," said Malmstrom. "Thorough testing during design can prevent such problems. But until now there has been no comprehensive set of tests for receiver designers to use.
"ATSC compliance bitstreams run on readily available bitstream players, are fast and easy to use and perform the most comprehensive set of tests available." |
