Thursday, March 20, 2008

FCC Permits DirecTV and Dish to offer "sub-par" HD


Apparently the satellite TV operators cried to the FCC that they couldn't provide HD (High Definition TV) right away because it uses more bandwidth. They claim (quite accurately) that HD requires about three and one half times the bandwidth as Standard Def.

Even though Dish and DirecTV will advertise that they offer HD, many channels will be "down-converted" to require fewer lines of resolution and therefore less bandwidth. This should be a boon to IPTV and cable operators who can now thwart the competition.

Multichannel News: FCC Yields To DirecTV, Dish On HD Carriage
Gizmodo: Proof Satellite Sucks: Dish and DirecTV Get FCC Approval to Downgrade HD Channels Until 2013

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