Overcoming HD bandwidth barriers

摘要

High definition (HD) television is now a reality that is spreading fast! The total number of HDTV households more than doubled last year to over eight million. Those numbers are expected to surge again to thirteen million by the end of 2005. The success of HDTV in the US has proven that HD content is a compelling consumer proposition, and that HD services are now a key offer for competing platform operators to attract subscribers and reduce churn. In the US, research from the CEA shows that over 70% of subscribers would be prepared to switch service provider in order to get more HD content. This momentum is driving the cost of HD displays downwards, and is leading to more content being produced in HD format, including Europe where producers planning to export content to the US are increasingly having to produce in HD. The ability to show HD content on PC monitors and the release of the HD-DVD and BlueRay optical disk formats is beginning to show consumers a better standard of viewing (and listening) experience than they are used to with traditional TV.