[mythtv-users] DTV: It Has Begun

[Yeechang Lee]

Michael T. Dean <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> says:
> Which was the point I was trying to make in saying that Europe did
> it right (that would be all the "nonsense" that was deleted from my
> post to make room for someone's reply).

Ah yes, the Michael T. Dean passive-aggressiveness once again in
action. It's not really any preferable to your misanthropism
(<URL:http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/224472#224472>
being one classic memorable example).

> Their approach is significantly cheaper

Remember that the UK's physical size is slightly smaller than of
Oregon, so there are savings from sheer dentity of population. But,
no, I don't doubt that SD digital-only broadcasting gear is cheaper
than HD/SD digital-capable gear. You get what you pay for.

> and gives a huge quality benefit.

Again, no disagreements. No question SD digital over-the-air
transmissions produce much clearer pictures than their analog
predecessors, whether in the US or the US.

The difference, of course, is that in the US SD digital isn't the only
choice.

> The US approach is expensive and difficult for consumers, producers,
> broadcasters, rebroadcasters, ...

Yes, so difficult and expensive that a digital transition that began
about the same time as in the UK (if one counts the pay-TV period
before Freeview) achieved near-universal true-HD coverage years ago
while it will take an unknown, but several, more number of years in
the UK.

> But, "No matter how often [I] claim this, the facts just don't bear [me] 
> out."

No question you know your MythTV coding, but that doesn't change the
fact that you are wrong on this issue, not to mention dependably wrong
on any MythTV-related issue related to the user interface or anything
else that isn't purely related to code
(<URL:http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/293626#293626>
being one typical example).

> But, regardless of what others say, I stand by my claim that digital != 
> HDTV (and even the reverse need not be true).

Digital != HDTV. But the US got it right by more or less making
digital = HDTV de facto.

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