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It was 1969 when a raging international “debate” began that was destined to change the world of electronics and imagery. Through the halls of the technical and broadcast communities (inclusive of cable, DBS, video recorders, and telephone) the question centered on just what the “next generation” of television--high-definition television (HDTV)--should look like. No less than $5 billion has been spent since in defining it and nudging it to market. It is still not to be found the consumer markets outside of Japan. It is still not fully defined technically in all countries, though certainly described. But the time draws nearer when this gargantuan investment in the quality of home and business communications/entertainment is about to gain serious ground. The “debate” was born modestly in 1964 as the affable Dr. Takashi Fujio, then laboratory director of the Japanese pub-caster, NHK, made the decision that work on a high-definition system must be undertaken. NHK would begin the work. The intent for doing so was to create an international studio production standard. This new high-grade standard, it was believed, would make it easier for international program exchange and international co-productions--a must in a period of escalating program costs. It would be a standard higher in quality than either of the existing 525 and 625 line standards. It would be convertible to those older standards with technical ease. HDTV would rival, but not replace 35mm film and costly film unions. HDTV was to have twice the horizontal and vertical resolution to the existing standards of the world and have a wider image display or aspect ratio (width to height). It was described in international meetings as a system having at least 1000 scanning lines and an aspect ratio of 5:3 (instead of today’s 4:3). The aspect ratio has since been changed to 16:9. In the incipient stage there was no conceivable way of transmitting such large amounts of video information (30 MHz). None of the existing nor foreseeable transmission paths--terrestrial, cable nor satellite, could accommodate it. Even recording of it with professional equipment was a towering achievement. Within a few years the advance in component technology made transmission via satellite possible, but only as a means of sending programs from one broadcaster to another--the original intent being then satisfied. Enthusiasm for HDTV quickly escalated among television engineers the world over. The startlingly clear, life-like pictures demonstrated in private showings and conferences stunned everyone. The dream turned from not only a high global production standard to a new hope of sending those wonderful pictures to every home in the world. Hard core, “born again” HDTV advocates (addicts to some) became camp followers to every HDTV demonstration and conference in the world--and there were many. Marvelous, even elegant speeches were given in the early 1980s about the virtues of setting a global standard and “the beauty of life” destined to unfurl via this magnificent new consumer appliance. Some thought the prime benefit of HDTV in the final analysis economic-- “The way to get rich is to create a new industry.” said MITs' Professor William Schreiber. It is, indeed, a new media on the threshold. But like so many high visions, HDTV has suffered unbearable time on the cross. More controversy has arisen, more new technology born as the result of it, but HDTV itself remains nailed to the status quo and cannot free itself to eagerly come to your home and mine. It was the first time in the 40 years since color television was developed that television engineers had enjoyed such a stimulating setting and vital mental exercise. Computer engineers made their contributions as they began to realize the convergence of the mediums. International forums of engineers from TV set makers to satellites users assembled often to detail and re-detail just how this new TV would work and be employed. Management from within the huge telecommunications companies couldn’t comprehend the enormity of threat to their existing businesses which their own engineers were devising. But manufacturers of TV sets the world over began to believe that a new hope was dawning. There was something real underfoot that might spell new opportunity--call it profits. They attended the conventions and conferences throughout the 80s to see for themselves and to insure their part was fully considered in every decision. As there was a National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) created for the development of black and white and later color television, there was formed in 1980 the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). Manufacturers representing all elements of the transmissible communications chains, from cameras, records to consumer television sets, became members and dozens of vital issues were hammered out. The ATSC is one of the standards setting bodies of the television industry. With the convergence of higher performance chip technology and advanced compression schemes (where bandwidth is reduced by elimination of frame to frame picture redundancies) the way of sending these high grade signals to the home became technically feasible. The work on high resolution displays for computers made the representation of these high quality signals possible. The economics of engaging HDTV were too vague to worry about in the 80s and everyone was saying sincerely that “HDTV is inevitable as the rising sun.” We would find a way to get those signals to the home coordinated with getting HDTV sets to market. Let’s try!
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