The Video Agenda
HDTV shouldn’t be this difficult
By Mark J. Pescatore
May 26, 2004, 11:33

HDTV no longer enjoys early adopter status, but the lack of must-carry cable regulation and the costly prospect of auxiliary purchases beyond the HDTV set itself is making it tough for most consumers to embrace it.
How frustrating it must be for PBS member stations to invest in HD programming, only to learn that it’s only being accessed by a handful of viewers. I’m one of the loudest proponents for HD production in our industry, but how much success can we expect if viewers have to struggle to receive HD signals in their homes? To be fair, HD access has improved for some consumers, but I’m betting more people have had experiences similar to mine.

How Much Did You Say?
There will be a time, my brothers and sisters, when we will not have to pay extra to experience the promised land of HD. All programming will be in equal in the eyes of the cable or satellite provider.
Unfortunately, that’s not today, so save your “amen.” And start saving your pennies, while you’re at it.
Be happy that more TVs will begin to hit the market with built-in ATSC tuners this year. If you’ve waited this long, you might as well invest in a set with a built-in ATSC tuner. I’ve tested more than my fair share of set-top boxes for the HDTV I purchased in 2001, and none of them has really performed to my complete satisfaction.
The HDV420, an entry-level Zenith STB, for example, did a nice job locking on to many local DTV signals with my small indoor antenna, but it didn’t include an NTSC tuner. Last time I checked, we were still in the middle of the digital transition, and many stations are either not broadcasting digitally or not at full power. In my humble opinion, an STB that doesn’t provide both tuners is only doing half the job.
Samsung has arguably the best STB on the market, the SIR-T165, complete with DVI connection and IEEE-1394 port so you can record your over-the-air HD to D-VHS. Sweet. But B&H Photo Video is listing the Samsung for just under $400 — and that’s a significant price drop from just a few months ago. I have a tough time spending more on a tuner than most people spend on a TV.
HDTV shouldn’t be this difficult.

The True Dish
It was time to try another approach. I went back to my old friend, cable TV. When Adelphia began offering HD to its customers in my area late last year, I was one of the first in line to sign up. And one of the first to cancel.
I got yet another set-top box, but this one gave me access to dozens of new channels that I didn’t want along with access to the channels I did want. That was the rub: I needed to subscribe to the digital tier in order to be granted access to the HD channels. All two of them. That’s right, a couple of my local channels, which only broadcast in HD during primetime. This is worth more than $20 a month?
Now, my quest for HD has taken me in a new direction: I subscribe to Dish Network. They gave me a free HD-capable receiver — well, free with a 12-month commitment (and an additional commitment to its HD package). Yes, I can get my local channels in HD, but I have to get those signals from over the air using the STB’s built-in ATSC tuner. That meant I needed a serious outdoor antenna.
HDTV shouldn’t be this difficult.
Radio Shack’s first antenna solution literally fit over the satellite dish. This, however, was a failed experiment, so I moved to the next option. I stuffed a full-size outdoor antenna in the rather limited crawlspace above my garage.
Hanging out in your cramped, unfinished attic is never a joyous exercise, especially when your wife is screaming “no picture!” while you’re trying to aim a large, clumsy metal apparatus and struggling to remain conscious in the South Florida heat that collects in your attic. At least I installed it in February, rather than August.
At this point, I’m reasonably happy, except that no IEEE-1394 port means I can’t actually record the HD signal from my STB (only a downconverted SD signal). Looks like I’m going to have to invest in an HD TiVo ... when I think my wife won’t notice $1,000 missing.
So, to conclude, I now have HD in my home. Good HD, not just a channel or two. When the Miami Dolphins win the Super Bowl next year, I’ll be able to experience the joy in HD. And it only took a set-top box with a built-in ATSC receiver, a dish on the side of my house, an antenna in the crawlspace above my garage, and a 12-month commitment. Of course, football season is months away, and HDNet Movies insists on running some 1984 Willie Nelson movie almost daily.
HD shouldn’t be this difficult. Amen.
Mark J. Pescatore is the editor. Share your own HD nightmares at mpescatore@cmpinformation.com.

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