Entice Advertisers to HDTV?

[kjnorman]

Here is a thought...

Having have a TiVo for a couple of years now, my wife and I are now into the habit of never watching anything live anymore and to fast forward though the ads and any boring bits (of which there is a lot) in the programming we watch.

Now having just got digital cable from TWC and the HBO HD station, we are trying to get back into watching "live" tv again, as there is currently no practical way to record HD.

I have heard broadcasters and advertisers bemoaning the advent of PVRs as viewers (like my wife and I) bypass the ads and hence potentially cut of revenue to the stations (so their arguments go).

Well here is a revolutionary thought.  What if more broadcasters went to HD?  Well, then TiVo users would be stumped as we would have to watch live and hence suffer (sorry, that would be 'watch') the ads!

I know there are many counter arguements to this, HD PVRs are just around the corner, the HD market is too small so that advertisers do not hit the audience size they want and so on...

But, it was a fun thought as a method to encourage more HDTV coverage.  Now if only Neisen could get its ratings system in order for HDTV, then we'd all be set  

Kerry