HDTV Magazine Articles

Who Needs Content Protection?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:55:03 -0800

The subject of “content protection” continues to be a complicated issue. While some firmly think that one should be able to legally make a copy of lawfully acquired content, if such content is protected to avoid exactly that and the protection is circumvented to perform such copy, how can that action be right when it is actually violating the right of the content creator?

The content production industry needs...

HD World Conference in NY - 3D, IP Online Video, and Mobile DTV

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:10:55 -0800

The HD World Conference closed its doors this past Thursday October 15, 2009 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in NY. It was a two day event dedicated to HD, from content creation to production, editing, and distribution.

One of my objectives for this conference was to update my coverage of Mobile DTV and IPTV, and to also discuss the technical details of 3D as it is being implemented for the home. I engaged in several discussions regarding the production and the distribution stages of 3D, with emphasis on the issues that affect the quality of the final viewing by consumers.

I also covered...

HDTV TLC: Projection Lamp Failure and Replacement

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:51:25 -0800

If you suspect lamp failure the first step is to check your owner's manual, which will tell you how to read/interpret the indicator lights on the front of your TV or on your front projector. If you do not have the owners manual, odds are very high you can find it on the internet and download it. Manufacturers often times provide these manuals on their web sites.

A lamp timer...

Revisiting the Component Approach to Audio/Video in Today’s Home Theater Market

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:24:29 -0800

Over two years ago I wrote an article titled A New Approach to Components in a Digital Audio/Video World to share my thoughts regarding equipment options in Home Theater and related electronics. At that time I outlined the reasons that components might provide a better overall solution to an all-in-one box in terms of upgradability, performance and sometimes even price. Basically, the upside focused on the ability to upgrade as needed without replacing perfectly adequate and functional parts and the downside involved more boxes and wires than the alternative. While that's a gross simplification of the whole hypothesis you can review the entire argument by referring to the original article.

The basic principles of that paper still apply but a lot has changed over the past two years...

DTV Transition - Can YOU Help? (Part 6) - Subsidy Set-Top-Boxes

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:30:00 -0800

On July 2006, based on an estimate of the number of households who rely solely on OTA television broadcasts, the U.S. Commerce Department proposed coupons for an estimated 21 million U.S. households to aid the purchase of converter boxes,

Congress passed a law providing an initial $990 million dollars within a $1.5 billion program to subsidize the purchase of converter boxes

DTV Transition - Can YOU Help? (Part 5) - Was Tuner Integration Timed Right?

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:07:39 -0800

This part in the series discusses the implementation of tuner integration, its timing within the DTV Transition, and its impact on existing and future DTVs. I will talk about over-the-air (OTA) and cable reception, integrated tuners and set-top-boxes (STBs), and satellite STBs.

This is an analysis of the facts related to tuner integration as implemented over the past 6 years within the 10-year DTV transition, and how those facts affect consumers depending on the service they use (broadcast, cable, satellite, or Telco).

At closing I will also identify...

DTV Transition - Can YOU Help? (Part 4) - DTV Tuner Integration

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:42:44 -0800

This part is dedicated to tuner integration and the role it was expected to play in the DTV Transition.

As mentioned in part 3 of this series, 15 million households have over-the-air-only TVs, and many cable/satellite subscribers may also tune broadcast on their secondary TVs.

Would DTV tuner integration address this situation?...

DTV Transition - Can YOU Help? (Part 3) - TVs vs. Households

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:58:55 -0800

Part 3 of the series has the objective of helping the reader get a general picture of the adoption of digital TVs; the growing of the DTV installed base, household coverage, the combined conditions of both to meet the deadline of the DTV Transition and a projection for the eventual replacement of the full inventory of analog TVs within the US.

Over recent years some of the figures tossed by...

DTV Transition - Can YOU Help? (Part 2) - A Technical View

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:18:41 -0800

Part 2 is dedicated to some technical aspects and benefits brought by the DTV implementation.

DTV includes HDTV and SDTV, HDTV is a major improvement having 9 times the image quality of analog just in resolution terms, and SD is efficient enough to be able to broadcast 4-6 SD channels over the same bandwidth reserved for one HD channel (or one analog channel) in areas where that line up is needed.

DTV also allows for the simultaneous broadcasting of both HD and SD, whereby SD uses part of the bandwidth required for HD on the same channel slot, which could be a good benefit, but could possibly harm the quality of the parallel HD program if overused. DTV also has...

DTV Transition - Can YOU Help? (Part 1) - Transition, Reception, and Help

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:25:30 -0800

The purpose of this series of articles is to help the public and the industry with the Digital Television (DTV) transition, and to motivate you to help others.

Due to the imminent DTV transition deadline of February 17, 2009, and because the subject is complicated to many in the public, it deserves to be explained in detail, so I will cover the topic in several articles within the series of "DTV Transition - Can YOU Help?"

If you are interested in a more in-depth analysis of the evolution of the DTV implementation...

High Definition Movies Before They Hit Blu-ray? Only if Your HDTV Permits It.

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:32:03 -0800

How would you like to view an HD movie at home via Video-On-Demand (VOD) just a few weeks after its theatrical release, even before it's released on DVD and Blu-ray? Maybe your HDTV connections would not let you do it, despite the fact that you paid for the movie.

On May 9, 2008, the MPAA issued a petition to the FCC for a waiver of the SOC feature...

CRT Rear Projection and Direct View Service and Repair

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:32:48 -0800

The infamous CRT rear projector, whether NTSC or HDTV, remains one of the greatest display products to have hit the consumer market. They lasted over two decades until the flat panel display phenomenon wiped them out. The same can be said of CRT direct view, the TVs we all grew up on. While big, bulky and heavy, these displays could deliver some great imaging, producing bright dynamic pictures and inky blacks in medium to dark ambient light environments. For rear projection, smaller sizes (below 50") could even perform well in brighter environments. CRT rear projection and direct view technology was used to drive the HDTV revolution out of the gate and along the way there were some really stellar videophile performers meeting most of the imaging science aspects of video standards. These products have a typical 10-15 year life span based on normal usage and CRT wear and tear. Before deciding to throw out this technology, you should reflect on the imaging performance you will be losing, the less expensive service costs and how you use a display in your application.

Early HDTV Supporter Dies at 93

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:03:48 -0800

Frances Cripps died yesterday, May 8th 2008, at high-noon in Corvallis, Oregon. She was 93 years old. She had suffered a long illness.

Why is this news in HDTV Magazine, you should rightly ask? Frances was one of many unsung heroes who played key roles in furthering HDTV. Always far-seeing and an engineer by nature, she...

A Comparison of Movie Download Services

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:53:17 -0800

Over the past two years, we have seen a number of video download services hit the market from major players like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Netflix. There have also been some new companies entering this category, such as XStreamHD and VUDU. Some are available only via a software client, meaning a PC (or Mac) would be required to enjoy them, while others work with dedicated hardware connected to your TV. They vary in quality, selection, delivery methods and cost and this article will hit the highlights of what each of the major players are offering their would-be customers in this burgeoning market.

Let's set the stage. This article covers products and services that provide movie downloads via the internet. Specifically...

Will Internet Video Replace Blu-ray?

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:35:24 -0800

With one war over and Blu-ray taking victory, there is yet another war brewing in the background ... or is there? The new question being asked by the rank and file is whether or not there is even a future for packaged media. Can you imagine a day where nobody physically rents a movie? Some are.

Historically, this battle has been ongoing via your local cable system or satellite service; it is called Pay Per View (PPV) and Video On Demand (VOD). While the providers have found great profits in this service and their customers have enjoyed the convenience, it didn't ...