For those of you who have a fascination with the evolution of HDTV I want to bring to your attention one book in particular. The author, Dr. Jeffery Hart, and I have been friends for 20 years. His insights into the global electro-political landscape will open your eyes to the difficulty that HDTV had in taking root here in the United States. This book is available through Amazon.com and through our bookstore. It's a fascinating read and not enough have read it due, perhaps, to its academia heritage and credentials. But don't let its pedigree stop you. HDTV is a grand subject that is on the thresholds of delivering an enormous impact around the world. It has a cultural value that makes it more significant than any other communications tool yet devised. Of course, you have to take my word on that since we have only a tiny proof of the pudding yet showing. I am including in this column the chapters in Jeff's fascinating book. It's not for everyone, of course, but for those who must take on leadership roles in the 21st century it is indispensable I more than urge you to acquire it from your local library or from our book store. We will be using many of its chapters as tutorials on topics to be further discussed here on the HDTV Magazine blog. I have also included a very useful list of Acronyms straight out of the book, which I suggest you save. Technology, Television, and Competition: The Politics of Digital TV Not a Pretty Picture: The Politics of Advanced Television by Jeffrey A. Hart Contents of Jeff's book. Acronyms Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. The Institutional Setting for HDTV 23 Chapter 3. Digital Convergence 85 Chapter 4. HDTV in Japan 118 Chapter 5. HDTV in the United States 139 Chapter 6. HDTV in Europe 162 Chapter 7. Digital Television in the United States 203 Chapter 8. Digital Television in Europe and Japan 244 Chapter 9. Conclusions 279 Preface High definition television (HDTV) became a contentious issue in American politics after the European Community rejected a bid in 1986 by the Japanese national broadcasting company, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), to have its HDTV production method adopted as an international standard. The U.S. government supported the Japanese effort initially, but after the European rejection, many people in the United States began the question that support. For some, the Japanese HDTV initiative raised concerns about the relative decline in U.S. competitiveness, even in high technology industries, and the need to respond more effectively to the increased competition from Japan and Western Europe. For others, HDTV was important because it might affect a wide range of industries -- broadcasting, film, video, consumer electronics, computers, and telecommunications -- and therefore needed to be considered more carefully before buying into the Japanese approach. As a result, the United States began a process to choose a standard for advanced TV that took until April 1997 to reach its conclusion. The U.S. choice of a digital television (DTV) standard forced both Japan and Europe to reexamine their earlier decisions on HDTV. This book is about the forces behind these events. Acknowledgements The research for this book was supported by research grants and contracts from the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress, Motorola, Inc., the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, the Electronic Industries Association, the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the Advanced Research Projects Administration of the Department of Defense, the Technology Transfer Institute, the College of Arts and Sciences of Indiana University, the West European Studies Department of Indiana University, the Alfred Sloan Foundation, and Stanford Resources, Inc. I would like to thank the following individuals for their help and encouragement: François Bar, Michael Borrus, Joel Brinkley, Joseph Castellano, Alan Cawson, Stephen Cohen, Dale Cripps, Warren Davis, Joseph Donahue, Darcy Gerbarg, Larry Irving, Greg Kasza, Hans Kleinsteuber, Ellis Krauss, Stefanie Lenway, Junji Matsuzaki, David Mentley, Jörg Meyer-Stamer, Ed Miller, Tom Murtha, Russ Neuman, Elie Noam, Greg Noble, Aseem Prakash, Jerry Pearlman, Harmeet Sawhney, William Schreiber, Pete Seel, Gary Shapiro, Marko Slusarczuk, Alvy Ray Smith, Sid Topol, Laura Tyson, Adam Watson-Brown, and John Zysman. Research assistance for this book was provided by the following current and former students at Indiana University: George Candler, Sangbae Kim, Mark Marone, Craig Ortsey, Khalil Osman, Aseem Prakash, and Robert Reed. John Thomas co-authored an earlier version of Chapter 6. List of Acronyms ABC American Broadcasting Corporation ACATS Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Services ACTV Advanced Compatible Television AEA American Electronics Association ALTV Association for Low-Power Television AMST Association of Maximum Service Telecasters ANSI American National Standards Institute ARD Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Rundfunkanstalten Deutschlands ARPA Advanced Research Projects Agency (see also DARPA) ATM asynchronous transfer mode ATRC Advanced Television Research Consortium ATSC Advanced Television Standards Committee AT&T American Telephone and Telegraph ATTC Advanced Television Testing Center ATV advanced television BBC British Broadcasting Company BCG Boston Consulting Group BBC British Digital Broadcasting BIB British Interactive Broadcasting BRITE Basic Research in Industrial Technologies for Europe BSB British Satellite Broadcasting BskyB British Sky Broadcasting BSS broadcast satellite services BTA Broadcasting Technology Association CATV community antenna television CBS Columbia Broadcasting System CCD charge-coupled device CCIR Comité Consultatif International de Radio-Diffusion CECC Consumer Electronics Capital Corporation CEMA Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association CENELEC European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization CEO chief executive officer CICATS Computer Industry Committee on Advanced Television Standards CIF common image format CLT Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télévision CNCL Commission Nationale de la Communication et des Libertés COFDM coded orthogonal frequency division multiplex COO chief operating officer CRT cathode ray tube DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (see also ARPA) DBS direct broadcast satellite DG Directorate General (European Union) DIVINE digital video narrowband emission DM deutsche mark DSS digital satellite service DTH direct to home DTN Digital Television Network DTV digital television DTVJ DirecTV Japan DVB Digital Video Broadcasting DVD digital versatile disk EACEM European Association of Consumer Electronics Manufacturers EBU European Broadcasting Union EDTV enhanced definition television EIA Electronic Industries Association (new name: Electronic Industries Alliance) EIAJ Electronic Industries Association of Japan (new name: see JEITA) EPG electronic program guide ESPRIT European Strategic Program for Research and Development in Information Technology ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute EU European Union Eureka European Research Coordinating Agency FCC Federal Communications Commission FSS fixed satellite services GA Grand Alliance GDL Grand Duchy of Luxembourg GI General Instrument HBO Home Box Office HD-MAC high definition multiplexed analog components HDTV high definition television IBA Independent Broadcasting Authority (UK) IDTV improved definition television IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers INTV Association of Independent Television Stations ISDB integrated services digital broadcasting ISDN integrated services digital network ITC Independent Television Commission ITU International Telegraphic Union JEITA Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association JESSI Joint European Semiconductor Silicon Initiative JSAT Japan Satellite Broadcasting JSB Japan Satellite Broadcasting LPTV low power television MAC multiplexed analog components MHz megahertz MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology MITI Ministry of International Trade and Industry MMBG Multimedia Betriebsgesellschaft MOU memorandum of understanding MPAA Motion Picture Association of America MPEG Motion Picture Experts Group MPT Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications MST Association of Maximum Service Telecasters MSTV Association for Maximum Service Television MUSE multiple sub-Nyquist sampling encoding MTV Music Television NAB National Association of Broadcasters NACB National Association of Commercial Broadcasters NACS National Advisory Committee on Semiconductors NBC National Broadcasting Company NCTA National Cable Television Association NHK Nipon Hoso Kyokai (Japan National Broadcasting) NII National lnformation Infrastructure NPRM Notice of Proposed Rule Making NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration NTL National Telecommunications Limited NTN Nippon Television Network NTSC National Television Standards Committee OfTel Office of Telecommunications (UK) OMB Office of Management and Budget ORTF Office de Radio-diffusion Télévision Française PAL phased alternation by line PBS Public Broadcasting System PTT postal, telegraphic, and telecommunications agency QAM quadrature amplitude modulation RACE Research and Development for Advanced Communications Technology in Europe RAI Radio Audironi Italiane, later Radiotelevisione Italiane RCA Radio Corporation of America RTL Radiodiffusion-Télévision Luxembourgeoise SC Spectrum Compatible SDTV standard definition television SECAM séquential couleur à mémoire Sematech Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology SES Société Européenne des Satellites SMATV satellite master antenna television SMPTE Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers TDF Télédiffusion de France UHF ultra high frequency VCR videocassette recorder VHF very high frequency VHSIC Very High-Speed Integrated Circuits VSB vestigial sideband WARC World Administrative Radio Conference WAZ Westfälisch Algemeine Zeitung