Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Gorilla and King Portfolio Candidates -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tinkershaw who wrote (35208)	11/23/2000 12:57:00 AM
From: chaz	Respond to of 54805

Waal, Tinker, I guess I'll just mosey over and have mysalf a look-see at what those Pilgrims have been doin' lately. Chaz

To: tinkershaw who wrote (35208)	11/23/2000 8:11:14 AM
From: tbancroft	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 54805

tinkershaw, I agree that HDTV is an exciting upgrade from conventional television. Furthermore, it is good news for both Rambus and CREE as it takes off. I do have a concern, however, that an apparent standards battle may keep us from the desired tornado. As has happened in the wireless telephony arena, Europe and the United States are backing different approaches, with Europe having converged just a little bit in advance of the U.S. on a standard the gets the job done, even though there may be some technological advantage to the ATSC standard (which is still of split opinion about whether to use interlaced scan - 1080 lines - or progressive scan - 720p, similar to a computer monitor.) The government "teams" are the U.S., Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, and Argentina (ATSC) versus the (surprisingly agreeable) European countries and Australia, who have settled on a different system called DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting -Terrestrial). These signals are transmitted and encoded differently, and can't be received on the same hardware. Japan (oh, yes, Asia does have a mind or minds of its own) has broadcast a completely different, analog version of HDTV since 1989. However, in 1997, the government decided to go digital. The Japanese system, slated for adoption by 2003, will be similar but not identical to DVB-T. Some observers (maybe FUDsters, can't tell yet) claim that the ATSC system(s) exhibit serious transmission problems, and that consumers will be unable to pick up the signals without investing in expensive extra equipment (like 30-ft. dishes.) If true, and if not easily remedied, the ATSC-backers could conceivably come around to some variation of DVB-T, thereby obsoleting current generation purchases. This possibility will, in all likelihood, slow adoption, at least in the U.S., Canada, etc. Of course, this is JMHO. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. tim