A personal commentary on the FOX network decision not to broadcast the Superbowl in HDTV.
I'm angry! In recent news, the FOX television network has announced that it will not broadcast this year's Superbowl XXXVI (Sunday, February 3, 2002) in a high-definition television format, opting instead to broadcast in a 16x9 enhanced 480p widescreen format. 480p is basically the same image quality as a progressive scan DVD player. Although 480p is one of the digital broadcasting formats that meets current DTV standards, it is not HDTV. For a TV network that prides itself on intelligent cutting-edge programming and forward thinking, the decision by FOX executives to abandon HDTV on one of the most watched events of the year is shortsighted to say the least, especially in light of the fact that NBC, CBS, and ABC have embraced true HDTV.
Why should we as consumers be concerned by this? First of all, I want to state that I am not a dedicated football fan and sometimes I watch the Superbowl and sometimes I don't. However, FOX's decision on this issue has implications that are much broader than the broadcast of a specific event. The Superbowl is more than just an event, it is a social and cultural gathering point for a large portion of American society. As such, the broadcasting of this event is a showcase for the game, the sponsors, and could also be a prime showcase for new technology. If HDTV is to be accepted into the mainstream, major events need (no, must) be broadcast in the format to expose the public to the best the broadcasters and CE manufacturers have to offer the consumer.
Of course, the argument can be made that not enough people even have access to HDTV transmissions to make an difference, however, in terms of forward thinking (something network executives seem to be short of in this case) broadcasting such events in high definition format serves to expand the economic incentive for broadcasters, manufacturers, and consumers to invest in HDTV options.
The first time I saw HDTV was about 10 years ago. I was visiting a local video editing facility and was afforded a demonstration of a SONY analog Japanese High Definition TV system. As the demonstration HD optical disk began to display images on the 16x9 screen, it was like looking through a window, shapes almost looked three-dimensional. I was hooked. Yes, HDTV technology has been around that long at least, but for political hurdles, should be a part of the American scene for several years already.
Although the old Japanese analog HDTV system, to me, yielded better quality images than that of the current 720p or 1080i digital counterparts in use by ABC, CBS, and NBC today, it is still amazing how good images on television can look. We, as consumers are sometimes to quick to opt for mediocrity rather than quality (the prime example was the public acceptance of VHS over BETA). This seems evident by the executives at FOX, who want to opt for more bandwidth space to cram in multiple standard resolution signals and giving us more of what we already have, rather than using their bandwidth to give us something more in terms of image quality. Their competitors, ABC, CBS, and NBC, despite the lack of a large HDTV audience are using their bandwidth to broadcast regular primetime (and even some daytime) programming in true high definition formats.
In addition, while FOX seems to have abandoned HDTV, NBC has renewed its commitment to the format with a recent announcement that it will be partnering with HDnet satellite to provide delayed HD satellite feeds of significant portions of this year's Winter Olympics in February. While NBC has been criticized for not broadcasting the whole games live in HD, it certainly presents a much higher level of commitment to the technology of HDTV than FOX has exhibited towards the Superbowl, specifically, and other programming in general. The vastly superior picture quality of HDTV, if exposed enough to the general public, will eventually create its own demand for higher technical standards in television broadcasting.
We have the technology, all we need is the will, the commitment, some consistency in market execution, and farsighted thinking to make HDTV part of our everyday TV viewing lives. If FOX fails to see the connection here, they may risk falling behind as a network force.
My message to the executives at FOX: "STOP PLAYING CHICKEN WITH HDTV".
Note - Since this article was written, FOX has finally joined the ranks of HDTV, check out the complete update on this at: HDTV Update: FOX Finally Joins In.
