Converting to HDTV...................................
Future Designs
By Michael Grotticelli, Editor
Suppose a systems integration company said they could build you an all-digital, format independent facility by November that includes networked newsroom automation and full machine control, complete 5.1 Dolby Digital AC-3 Surround Sound capability and 10 channels of audio for multiple language distribution; all operating in a 1.5 GB infrastructure that features the latest multiformat switcher, an HD character generator and the seamless ability to do closed captioning and local logo insertion.
Would you be interested?
If so, I'd like to interest you in some scenic, oceanfront property in Nebraska. That's because at the present time neither exists and won't for the foreseeable future.
As stations transition to DTV there are still many "holes" in the system that have to be worked out before anyone's "ideal" station becomes reality. It's not just a matter of money. Although Chyron is working on a CG solution ("Duet") and Dolby and Techniche both promise that their solution to get six channels of audio on Panasonic's D-5 videotape format is doable, there still is no standard for doing closed captioning (though SMPTE is working on it) logo insertion is problematic, and many of the digital "glue" products--like a functioning multichannel DVE (Sony is "working on it")-- are slowly making its way through the R&D process.
So, how do you finish a puzzle when some of the pieces are missing? That's the dilemma stations face as they endeavor to get on the air next year or shortly thereafter.
As we move toward implementation, virtually every design consultant, vendor representative and network-level engineer I've spoken with is strongly encouraging stations to begin their designs plans now so that they're not left behind the competition in the DTV race. Yet these same people are also saying that because of the lack of adequate equipment, and the lack of a consumer receiver base, it's probably prudent to wait two or three years before actually purchasing and/or installing anything other than a transmitter, antenna and minimal satellite receive equipment and HDD-5 or HDCAM VTRs for record and playback. For those that want to gain experience in acquisition, some have suggested that acquiring in 480p is a cost-effective way to get started--the images can be "cleanly" upconverted to HD formats, or displayed as is for SDTV.
The general consensus recommendation among these "experts" is to get out a piece of paper and start to develop a business model that fits your station's requirements for a successful future. "What does your market want and how will you give it to them?" Next decide the way in which your staff likes to work and how that can be translated into the DTV world. If your station is not already operating some serial digital equipment, it's probably a good time to figure out why and how to change that.
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