HDTV By The Numbers

[Gregg Lengling]

By Joe Kane


 
A Complete Disconnect

We're four years into the availability of over-the-air digital and high-definition television and it still hasn't reached the level of awareness where it is being covered by the mainstream press. Weekly TV listings don't tell you which programs are in high-definition or even widescreen or Dolby® Digital 5.1, let alone program reviews discussing image and sound quality of the new medium. The majority of what is being published about DTV is found in the high-end video press and Internet. There we find the coverage to be confusing. Writers often take positions on hot topics that aren't justified by the facts. Reviews of equipment fall short of holding products up to system standards. We often read about the growth in quality of a particular product category but aren't being told that it still isn't good.