PBS Goes Digital

FzZzT writes "This ditty from Wired tells about PBS's move next April, with help from Intel, to digital-only broadcasting. It also tells more about Digital TV, which can now only be seen with a PC and a tuner card. "

Comments

Have you looked at PBS lately?

[Gleef]

Rombu wrote:

PBS is an anachronism these days, since you can get the same types of programming over a number of widely available channels (Discovery, A&E, etc..) PBS was created to broadcast these types of programs and other things that "commercial" networks wouldn't touch. With the advent of cable and satellite we have seen that there is very little that commercial interests won't broadcast. This seems like a last desparate gasp of a dying system to try to draw attention to itself.

First off, PBS uses almost none of your tax dollars. Their federal and state funding has been cut so many times it's not funny. The total line in their financial report for grants is about $41 million of a $448 million budget. That's less than 10% of their expenses, and less than a single tank costs these days.

For that money, they not only support great programming (such as Sesame Street and Nova), but they also spearhead development projects that you never see directly, such as this digital television program, the TeacherSource program, which offers video content for our schools. They also have an impressive Adult Literacy and GED program called LiteracyLink. They have a neat program to support distance learning colleges. They also offer, in conjunction with the MIT Business College The Business Channel, which many prominent companies subscribe to.

This digital television system is not a waste of tax dollars, nor is it a last desperate gasp of a dying network. It is another step forward for an organization that has long been at the core of our country's education infrastructure.

Re:Don't you have IDTVs over there yet?

[hattig]

The digital television content in Britain is split into 2 factions: Satellite Digital TV, from Sky, and Terrestrial Digital TV, from On Digital.

Sky offers 200 channels. On Digital offers 30. Sky has 50 radio channels (10 free, 40 extra subscription, damn it that the heavy metal station os one of the extra 40), no commercials, no presenters. On Digital has none. Sky has 600,000 subscribers to their Digital service. On Digital has 100,000. The top subscription costs the same... I wonder who will win?

Sky is launching their interactive services very soon. This means e-mail, games, shopping, internet etc are supported by the system, if you subscribe. The satellite decoders themselves are pretty nifty, including flash ROMS so the OS and programs can be updated via satellite. I managed to crash the OS once by accident, so this capability is important.

Both systems provide good program guides. It seems that the UK, and Europe, are way ahead of the US in terms of television now! The Sky systems works perfectly, near video on demand capability for selected films, films shown at the same time as video release if you pay £2.99 to watch it. Have to wait to see what the interactive gudgems are like though, they are done by a company called Open.

The systems are free (nice competition for once), cost £30 per month max, with a possible one-off installation fee.