Drawbacks of HDTV
Posted on March 2, 2008 - Filed Under Entertainment |
The problem with HD tv antennas is in the quality of reception and even when cashing in that hdtv converter coupon to get the latest equipment to enhance the signals, antennas can only do so much. In fact, the problem is that the majority of HD channels have slow bitrates/lowered resolution.
This could be compared to the current issues with the Internet where there are so many users now online that the space to accommodate the multiple pieces of bandwidth is getting smaller and smaller. Television signals have almost an endless expanse to deal with at present.
The other drawback to HDTV is that the expense is large. HDMI cables are far more costly than RGB cables. S-Video and composites are needed for antennas, tuners and converters. Lengths have to accommodate outdoor and indoor distances from the television and the outdoor ones especially are pricey because they have to be durable enough to withstand the weather.
There has been press coverage about the HDTV, including the Boston Globe free hdtv article. However, there is still a lack of analogue style interference, freezing, skipping or the display of unintelligible garbage on screen. This is worsened by broadcasting houses compressing video to save on the cost of bandwidth and thus putting more channels into a smaller space and reducing picture quality.
The only answer is to subscribe to HDTV through cable companies, but fees will rise as signals are converted over to premium bandwidths. Some channels may still be impossible to receive because the cost is too high to convert them. Or better still get an HD television with Blu-Ray Disc capability. In the end it is about personal choice.
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