After years as little more than a showpiece at electronics trade conventions, high-definition television is finally becoming practical. HDTV sets still don't qualify as basic appliances, but with prices as low as US$1,000, they're now within the realm of possibility for many consumers.
But here's the important question: When the gizmo is hooked up and ready to display its wide-screen, high-quality pictures, what will there be to watch?
Until recently, the answer would have been: not much. For years, the technology had been caught in something of a Catch-22: the Federal Communications Commission pressured networks to broadcast more high-definition shows, but most networks were reluctant to spend the money on this programming because the manufacturers were not selling enough sets. For their part, manufacturers were unable to sell many sets because consumers were waiting for more shows to become available.
Today, the stalemate seems to be over. Now that prices have come down, the audience for high-definition television programs has grown, encouraging networks to increase the number of programs shown in the new format. As of last season, CBS and ABC were broadcasting all of their prime-time comedies and dramas in high definition. This coming season, NBC will broadcast 10 prime-time shows in the new format.
On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-1 to require television set manufacturers to include digital tuners in new sets with screens of 13 inches or more by 2007. TV manufacturers, claiming the requirement will burden consumers with higher TV set prices, said they would appeal it in federal court.
PBS may have made the most headway in digital broadcasting. The public television network has been more inclined than commercial broadcasters to respond to the federal government's prodding, and as a result it was one of the first networks to broadcast HDTV. PBS has placed much of the emphasis on "Great Performances" and nature documentaries, which benefit greatly from HDTV's rich visual detail. A year ago "PBS was feeding us one new high-definition program a month; now they're averaging one or two a week," said Paula Kerger, station manager and vice president for development of WNET in New York.
With some shows, especially the three-camera sitcom, the difference between high-definition television and standard television might not be dramatic. "It's hard to say that that's a transforming experience," said Martin Franks, executive vice president of CBS.
But HDTV can greatly improve shows where immediacy and detail are important, like sports programming. High-definition television offers an especially sharp, clear picture, which gives viewers the sense that they are watching programs through a window. During a football game, for example, viewers may notice the sheen on a helmet or the spray of dirt unearthed by a speedy running back's cleats. The size and dimensions of the wide screen also allow the picture to include almost an entire half-court in a basketball game without reducing the players to the size of insects.
Despite HDTV's advantages, ESPN and its spin-off channels have not committed themselves to investing in high-definition equipment. Fox has taken an alternate route: It transmits digital programs in a format known as enhanced definition, which has a wide screen and an improved picture but is not true HDTV.
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