← HDTV Origins

Technical Standards (32)

Peter Claydon · 1997 - 2000
Oak Technology's Peter Claydon analyzes the technical feasibility of adopting DVB-T COFDM for US broadcasting, arguing that existing ATSC tuner hardware could …
Dale Cripps · 1998–2000
CBS conducted comprehensive 8-VSB DTV field tests at KYW-DT (Channel 26) in Philadelphia, measuring outdoor reception across 60-mile radials and indoor recepti…
Greg Rogers · 1997–2000
This technical analysis by Greg Rogers examines how projector resolution specifications relate to HDTV format capabilities, explaining why practical resolution…
Dale Cripps · 1999–2001
Field tests with first-generation DTV receivers raised doubts about the FCC's 8-VSB broadcasting standard, prompting calls to adopt Europe's COFDM system. Moto…
William F. Schreiber · 1992
Professor W.F. Schreiber summarizes findings from a two-day MIT workshop where European and Canadian researchers presented COFDM field test results, concluding…
Al Limberg · 1994
Engineer Al Limberg argues that inserting repetitive PN training sequences into specific ATSC data segments could dramatically improve adaptive equalizer perfo…
1996
The FCC released its Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in May 1996, formally considering adoption of the ATSC digital television broadcast standard a…
Dermot Nolan · 1997
Dermot Nolan presents a detailed technical and strategic comparison of DVB-T, ISDB-T, and the U.S. 8-VSB modulation standard, arguing that 8-VSB faces likely d…
Nick Radlo · 1998
Sinclair Broadcast Group's Baltimore tests revealed that the US 8VSB digital terrestrial transmission system consistently failed to produce pictures on indoor …
Mark Schubin · 1998
Engineer Mark Schubin visited NxtWave's lab and reviewed their 8-VSB equalization technology, finding it effective at resolving multipath distortion but not wi…
R. D. Sterling, W. P. Bleha · 1999
Hughes-JVC Technology Corporation presents its ILA projector system as a viable replacement for 35mm film in theatrical exhibition, delivering up to 17,000 lum…
Mark Aitken · 1999
Sinclair Broadcast Group, backed by several hundred stations, formally petitioned the FCC in October 1999 to allow broadcasters to use COFDM modulation alongsi…
Ed Williams · 1999
PBS engineer Ed Williams visited Sinclair's Baltimore COFDM/8-VSB comparison tests on July 14, 1999, observing that COFDM proved easier to receive than 8-VSB u…
DVB Project · 1999
The DVB Project submitted a comprehensive technical and economic response to Mexico's digital terrestrial television standard evaluation questionnaire in Octob…
Bruce Jacobs · 1999
PBS engineer Bruce Jacobs argues that if 8-VSB proponents cannot demonstrate sufficient improvements within three months, the FCC should add COFDM as an option…
Nat Ostroff · 1999
Sinclair Broadcast Group Vice President Nat Ostroff accuses Harris Corporation of prioritizing equipment sales over broadcasters' long-term interests in the CO…
Dale Cripps · 1999
Toshiba America's Mikhail Tsinberg, drawing on his experience at Philips Labs during Grand Alliance development, argues that 8-VSB has no fundamental theoretic…
Mark Hyman · 1999
Sinclair Broadcast Group VP Mark Hyman fires back at the Consumer Electronics Association, arguing that 8-VSB receivers fundamentally fail at indoor antenna re…
1999
User posts from uk.tech.digital-tv reveal widespread reception problems with OnDigital's COFDM-based service in the UK, including signal breakups caused by pas…
Dale Cripps · 2000
Brazil's ABERT/SET Study Group recommended COFDM over 8-VSB for the country's digital television standard, dealing a significant blow to the ATSC following the…
David J. Elrich · 2000
Japan's ARIB standards body selected COFDM modulation over 8-VSB for terrestrial DTV broadcasting, citing the country's mountainous terrain as a key factor. Pa…
Junko Yoshida · 2000
The European DVB standard is gaining global momentum over the U.S.-backed ATSC standard, with Australia, Brazil, and Argentina all reconsidering or abandoning …
Allen Le Roy Limberg · 2000
The core weakness of 8-VSB multipath reception lies in the poorly designed data field synchronizing signal, which fails as an effective training signal for ada…
Mark Schubin · 2000
NBC's VP of Engineering Peter Smith confirmed that NBC tested both COFDM and 8-VSB in Philadelphia, finding that no 8-VSB receiver — including advanced equaliz…
Dermot Nolan · 2000
Real-world DTV channel tests using a Nokia DVB-T COFDM receiver in the UK demonstrate that virtually all DTV channels are time-varying with dynamic multipath, …
J.A. Flaherty · 2000
CBS Senior Vice President Joe Flaherty urges the ATSC VSB Performance Ad Hoc Group to delay finalizing its draft report until current MSTV/NAB and CRC comparat…
Dale Cripps · 2000
Confidential ATSC meeting notes reveal deep skepticism among attendees about new 8-VSB chip implementations, with Zenith refusing to confirm significant improv…
Dale Cripps · 2000
Editor Dale Cripps calls for an end to the prolonged COFDM versus 8-VSB modulation debate, arguing that continued indecision harms the DTV rollout and fails th…
Nat Ostroff · 2001
Sinclair Broadcast Group's Vice President of New Technology Nat Ostroff formally challenged the validity of Phase I COFDM test results, presenting field eviden…
Dale Cripps · 2001
Sinclair Broadcast Group formally responded to the MSTV/NAB Phase One COFDM/8-VSB transmission test, arguing that a defective COFDM receiver front-end tainted …
Dermot Nolan · 2001
Dermot Nolan argues that the NAB/MSTV field trials comparing COFDM and 8-VSB were methodologically flawed, relying on faulty receiver data that undermined COFD…
Daniel Frankel · 2002
Major Hollywood studios convened the Hollywood Advisory Council in July 2002 to discuss a high-definition DVD format, with Warner Home Video leading the push f…