HDTV - Snapstream plans for HDTV

[Cris]

High Definition TV is now appearing and will be commonplace within the next few years. There are now PVRs that will record HDTV and I assume Snapstream cannot be far behind.

I'd love to hear from Snapstream details of their plans to support HDTV and if they have looked at any HDTV tuners that they might recommend.

[DanielS]

I am interested in hearing about this also.

[Bilar Crais]

I have been wondering about this is well... I heard yesterday that stations will not even be allowed to broadcast SDTV by the end of 2006. That only leaves about 750 days left!

[ewitte]

Originally Posted by Bilar Crais

I have been wondering about this is well... I heard yesterday that stations will not even be allowed to broadcast SDTV by the end of 2006. That only leaves about 750 days left!

I think the only requirement is it needs to be a digital broadcast. They can broadcast digtally and still maintain SD.

Eric

[ruel]

Local over-the-air TV stations will either be doing HDTV or SDTV or both in some over-the-air digital multicast combination. And analog terrestrial over-the-air TV won't be turned off by the local over-the-air TV station broadcasters in 2006 unless if 85% of the homes in the US are actually capable of receiving digital TV and that currently means they either have digital TV sets or have digital TV tuner adapters hooked up to a TV set in the home receiving terrestrial over-the-air digital TV broadcasts. So the shutdown deadline is a moving target. Some people in the Congress and at the FCC want to lock down the date to sometime in 2009. Various people in the TV industry say that 2012 may be a more realistic date. (The UK pushed back their terrestrial over-the-air analog TV shutdown to 2012 and the UK seems to be further ahead of the US as far as digital TV adoption by consumers.) But the US government wants to auction off the analog TV airwaves as soon as possible. FCC rules are being made for at least reclaiming channels 52-69. People in the mainstream who haven't been paying attention to this will hear this news as things to know about for the winter holiday 2004 shopping season and also for in 2005 to get people to buy digital TV sets (or adapters which there are very few of - and only one that I know of) for the home. But you just watch for when December 2006 rolls around: There will be news about how over-the-air terrestrial analog TV is suppose to be shut down but that it's being "postponed" or "delayed" or whatever because not everyone has a digital TV set or a digital TV adapter. It's like a slow-moving nationwide effort towards pushing people over to digital TV -- but this is terrestrial over-the-air analog TV we're talking about being shutdown whenever that actually happens. If you are hooked up to cable TV (or satellite), you can still hook up your analog TV to get basic cable, basic extended cable, digital cable. And people who currently only use a TV antenna will then either decide to switch to cable or decide to buy into terrestrial over-the-air digital TV by getting a new TV set or an adapter (or a VCR or a Tivo that has a built-in digital TV tuner).

ruel

[Bilar Crais]

Thanks for clarifying, Ruel. I just caught the tail end of a news report on the matter a few nights ago.

Are there any HDTV cards with hardware encoders yet?

[queonda]

Would be nice for SS to say something regarding HD. I am hoping SS will do something soon. MCE 2005 and comcast is having a pvr type coming out in my location (i heard 2 different things 1) it will record and 2) won't record HD signals! but it does have a HD tuner). I know tive and replay are having (or have) HD pvr coming out.

I really hope this comes thourgh soon. If it's NOT then I wish SS will tell me it won't, so I can find other means of geting a PVR or pvr software that will do HD b4 they push the stupid broadcast flag.

[ruel]

others could comment more on over-the-air HDTV cards for the PC and how they work and what's available. but i think that for anything such as for cable HDTV (and satellite HDTV) that can be directly hooked up to digital HDTV cable (or satellite) without having to hook up a cable box, i think they are currently non-existent for the US consumer market and would be a long time in coming out. and any such cards would need a cablecard for access to allow for authorized paid cable subscribers. otherwise, you have to somehow hook up your tuner card to a cable box or a sat box where you are using the box as the tuner. keep in mind that terrestrial TV whether over-the-air analog or over-the-air digital is free, but cable and satellite are not -- and so you have different standards, different encryption, and different access that varies between providers. so manufacturers of tv tuner cards may have a harder time trying to accomodate all of those standards and differences right now plus any additional costs for adding on the cablecard access hardware. also you have the issues regarding the broadcast flag on the digital TV side as well as the plug-and-play (really it's plug-and-not-play so can't record with any attached recorder devices) for closing the analog issues to satisfy Hollywood that still are being sorted out at the FCC and in Congress. the way i see it, IMHO, the real game will not be with over-the-air HDTV which is the near-term situation but with cable as to what the regulations are going to be - so that manufacturers can have a clear path as to manufacturing possible HDTV tuner cards for the PC that are compliant with digital broadcast content protection rules and that are cable-compatible and profitable for the tuner card manufacturer. and once that's sorted out then i think you can see software publishers will follow much more strongly.

ruel

[Cris]

Ruel,

Many thanks for your perspective and observations. Clearly this is not a simple issue and we need to wait a little longer before we see PC HD adapters of a similar ilk to the PVR250 for example.

Cris

[jreberry]

I agree with Ruel,

This is not an issue that Snapstream or any other computer PVR can tackle right now. Things need to get locked down on the legislative end before they can even think about it. I too would love an HD PVR, but it's not happening any thime soon, and it's not the fault of SS.

On a side note, it may not even be possible after the legislation has been figured out. It's easy to record now with the older video formats and connections. Newer formats like to put all sorts of DRM into the signal. It's very possible (in my mind) that legit companies like Snapstream may not be able to legaly participate in HD computer based PVR's because of file sharing fears. Standalone units with no sharing ability may be the only legal option. The days of Betamax seem to be quickly fading.

--Jon

[ScrappyRMH]

It can be done even now at least for OTA HD signals. I'm using the Divco Fusion3 card and recording HD shows each week (just not through BTV ). Sage had some beta support for the AccessDTV card and now M$ MCE 2005 records HDTV as well.

Also, the cards do not have to encode like the PVR250 since they are already receiving a digital stream. The app just has to write it to disc. It's the decoding for display that takes work. The app that comes with the Fusion3 card takes advantage of the capabilities in the video card and can play back HD video (from a 1080i stream) without much of a hit on the processor. CSI has never looked better!

[imf4]

Until a card comes out that supports DVI in and/or Component in with a hardware encoder I could care less. I would rather see snapstream put effort into bettering the software they already have than wasting time on the OTA cards. Even the fusion card that supports QAM pretty much sucks.

[sho]

I think, in reality, SS can definitely tackle the HDTV issue now, by making appropriate partnerships with TV card mfgs. Now, mind you, for me, as a consumer, 90% of what I watch, I don;t thing that HDTV will actually be better, sure, better visually, but after I showsqueeze it, I am not so sure if my end result will be better.

But, heh, this is not a question of "Do we sell/buy HDTV's" but a question of adopting technology. A large majority (not me actually...but anyway) of BTV users are what they call "early adopters" (assuming the tech is good enough) and therefore, business wise, I would think it's in SS's best interest to work with the TV card mfg's to get this going ASAP.

It is essentially a reality, and while I don't realy care when I am in Spain if the original broadcast of the Knicks v Sixers is in HDTV after I showsqueeze it to "Cable Medium" I do record movies in the highest quality possible.

Lets not even go into the state of HDTV adoption in Euope though. The UK is a sterling example of adopting standards (not withstanding their outlet/inlet electrical system, but anyway) in a A+B=C format. Here in Spain, if I say "terrestrial digital" I get blank looks.

If I was SS, I would really be looking at this, and, since they exist to make money, I bet they are

[queonda]

Originally Posted by sho

I think, in reality, SS can definitely tackle the HDTV issue now, by making appropriate partnerships with TV card mfgs. Now, mind you, for me, as a consumer, 90% of what I watch, I don;t thing that HDTV will actually be better, sure, better visually, but after I showsqueeze it, I am not so sure if my end result will be better.

But, heh, this is not a question of "Do we sell/buy HDTV's" but a question of adopting technology. A large majority (not me actually...but anyway) of BTV users are what they call "early adopters" (assuming the tech is good enough) and therefore, business wise, I would think it's in SS's best interest to work with the TV card mfg's to get this going ASAP.

It is essentially a reality, and while I don't realy care when I am in Spain if the original broadcast of the Knicks v Sixers is in HDTV after I showsqueeze it to "Cable Medium" I do record movies in the highest quality possible.

Lets not even go into the state of HDTV adoption in Euope though. The UK is a sterling example of adopting standards (not withstanding their outlet/inlet electrical system, but anyway) in a A+B=C format. Here in Spain, if I say "terrestrial digital" I get blank looks.

If I was SS, I would really be looking at this, and, since they exist to make money, I bet they are

I think watching something in 16:9 format is better than 4:3 format (some agree and some don't) If you showsqueeze it, you still have the 16:9 format. I would like the option for HDTV recording via air or cable (not available now). Just so I can watch my CSI or Las Vegas or LOST when I don't have a chance to watch it live. Now if I miss it, I just miss it (I don't like watching those shows in Standard DEF). The only way to watch them (after I miss them) is to find them , download them and watch them on playback. encoded in another format to save space and still look great.

[tjdmobile]

Well, as I now own both an HD STB along with the ATI HD Wonder, I find myself watching ONLY OTA content. The advantages are many. I have DishDVR which I hardly watch anymore.

Even if you are watching HD content on an EDTV (720x480), the quality is superior to anything you can get through Dish SD (as it's barely 512x480).

The owners of MS Media Center 2005 are already appreciating the time-shifting of HD content with our ATI HD Wonder cards. I am jealous to say the least!

Now then...the software which comes with ATI HDwonder DOES time-shift, and allow trick play with live content. The only big thing that's missing is watching HD content while another show is recording. MMC only allows for one module to be active at a time, so I basically just record on it, then "convert" the content to 720x480 (in native 16:9).

I would love to start using my BTV again, just waiting for HD support!

TJD