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I STILL Want My HDTV
jhaberman writes: "Slate.com has an opinion piece talking about the horrific mess the HDTV rollout has been. It seems everyone's
been to blame from the hardware manufacturers, to the cable/satellite companies,
to the producers of the actual shows. I fell into the trap a year ago buying a
top of the line Sony Wega digital TV and I STILL don't have ANY HDTV! Here's why..."
I mean, it takes AGES to D/L a low-res DivX, I cannot even imagine how long it would take... oh, you were talking about *analog* TV? The one without keyboard? The one that according to this poll isn't used by many slashdotters? <g>
All this does it piss off everyone with a normal TV when they get a semi letterbox picture for no reason other than the 2 people and a dog who bought a PAL Plus TV.
I know of two people who have a PalPlus TV, plus I myself have one. I guess that explains my urges to retrieve every bone people throw.
no sig error.
The Onion had a great article about HDTV in Dispatches From the Tenth Circle". Not available online unfortunately. From memory, it went something like this:
"Broadcasters are excited about transmitting sharper crap than ever. Compare the low defenition version of this atrocious episode of Friends, with this *much* sharper picture which brings home the awfulness much clearer. You will soon be able to not enjoy hi defenitions reruns of the shrill grating Hannah-Barbera cartoons you saw as a kid.
When you are watching The Patriot or Independence Day in the comfort of your home, soon you will be able to have the experience of shaking your head and thinking 'This is crap' just like you would in the movie theatre!"
/LarsW
(unfortunately I can't take credit for this one. It was written by a fellow slashdotter a while back, and I've lost the attribution. If the author is still out there, let me know and I'll send you a beer ;-) )
For those interested in a brief history of HDTV, here it is:
Here's how it went:
Broadcast Industry asks for bandwidth for HDTV
FCC says "OK, we'll set aside bandwidth for HDTV"
FCC says "What standards?"
Industry says 'No Standards Please' and come up with EIGHTEEN recommended formats for HDTV. I am not shitting you.
FCC says "Isn't 18 different standards a bit much?"
Industry says "Shut the fuck up FCC, we know what we are doing. The 'market' will handle this!"
Consumer Electronics dudes whine "18 formats make every thing cost more, you are fucking us!"
FCC says "OK, it's your call on standards, 18 formats is fine, infact there are NO STANDARDS AT ALL, 'cause we are letting the 'market decide', but you start broadcasting HDTV now or we take back the FREE bandwidth."
Industry says "What? We really just want the free bandwidth. You really want us to do HDTV??
Congress says "Fuck you Industry. Broadcast HDTV or we'll legislate your asses back to Sun-day!"
Industry says "We're fucked. 18 formats? Why the hell did we do that? Let's change it."
Consumer Electronics dudes say "You ain't changing shit. We are already building the boxes you said you wanted built."
FCC says "Yah, ya boneheads we told you 18 was too many, now you gotta live with it."
Industry says "Well FCC, will you at least make the cable companies carry the HDTV at no charge?"
Cable companies say "Fuck you! You gotta pay! Bwah-ha-ha-ha!"
FCC says "Yep, no federal mandated on HDTV must carry, we are letting 'the market' handle that"
Industry says "We are so fucked. We are spending 5-10 million per TV station in hardware alone and have 1000 HDTV viewers per city, even in LA!"
Consumer at home says "Where is my HDTV? Why does it cost so much? Fuck it, I'm sticking with cable/DirecTV."
Consumer electronics dudes, broadcast industry, FCC, and congress all cry. Cable companies laugh and make even bigger profits.
Karma: Bored. (Thinking about resurrecting the "Anyone else is an imposter" joke.)
Let's see, HDTV's killer app that really takes advantage of increased screen definition, improved field of view, more vibrant colours and an overall enhanced sense of "being there"...
Ah yes, porn.
I tried real life, but couldn't find the titty channel, so I went back.