Notice the following quote from a CBS network VP: "Aagaard says engineers at CBS believe adding any subchannel to a digital TV signal takes away from the quality of the HD. " The networks are justifiably concerned.
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Experts question quality of local HDTV
Friday, February 02, 2007
By William LaRue
Staff writer
Consumer-electronics consultant Peter H. Putman was in Syracuse watching an HD broadcast of NBC football last September, when he noticed the video often had "little blocks and squiggly things."
He was disappointed but not shocked. Even as consumers rush out to buy high-definition sets to watch Sunday's Super Bowl, Putman says, many U.S. stations are degrading their HD by squeezing it to make room for subchannels in their digital signals.
Chris Geiger, general manager at NBC affiliate WSTM-TV (Channel 3) in Syracuse, says the station's decision to add subchannels to its digital signal hasn't harmed its HD, which offers super-sharp pictures, wide-screen video and digital sound.
"We've never had any kind of complaint (from local viewers). We're clearly comfortable with our signal," Geiger says.
Time Warner Cable spokesman Jeff Unaitis says the cable company hasn't detected any substandard quality to the HD signals it receives over the air from Syracuse stations and then retransmits to customers without any changes.
But a CBS executive overseeing the network's HD telecast of the NFL's Super Bowl concedes "it's still a wild West" when it comes to maintaining the high quality of a high-definition broadcast once it leaves the network.
"We do as much as we can. But when it gets to affiliates or DirecTV, or when it gets to some of the cable guys, it's hard to say what happens," says Ken Aagaard, CBS Sports senior vice president of operations and production services.
Aagaard says engineers at CBS believe adding any subchannel to a digital TV signal takes away from the quality of the HD.
Complete Article is here http://www.syracuse.com/living/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/living-3/1170410694303660.xml&coll=1
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Experts question quality of local HDTV
Friday, February 02, 2007
By William LaRue
Staff writer
Consumer-electronics consultant Peter H. Putman was in Syracuse watching an HD broadcast of NBC football last September, when he noticed the video often had "little blocks and squiggly things."
He was disappointed but not shocked. Even as consumers rush out to buy high-definition sets to watch Sunday's Super Bowl, Putman says, many U.S. stations are degrading their HD by squeezing it to make room for subchannels in their digital signals.
Chris Geiger, general manager at NBC affiliate WSTM-TV (Channel 3) in Syracuse, says the station's decision to add subchannels to its digital signal hasn't harmed its HD, which offers super-sharp pictures, wide-screen video and digital sound.
"We've never had any kind of complaint (from local viewers). We're clearly comfortable with our signal," Geiger says.
Time Warner Cable spokesman Jeff Unaitis says the cable company hasn't detected any substandard quality to the HD signals it receives over the air from Syracuse stations and then retransmits to customers without any changes.
But a CBS executive overseeing the network's HD telecast of the NFL's Super Bowl concedes "it's still a wild West" when it comes to maintaining the high quality of a high-definition broadcast once it leaves the network.
"We do as much as we can. But when it gets to affiliates or DirecTV, or when it gets to some of the cable guys, it's hard to say what happens," says Ken Aagaard, CBS Sports senior vice president of operations and production services.
Aagaard says engineers at CBS believe adding any subchannel to a digital TV signal takes away from the quality of the HD.
Complete Article is here http://www.syracuse.com/living/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/living-3/1170410694303660.xml&coll=1
