Digital Television

Yesterday I was at my local MEGA mall (and I mean MEGA - World's largest ) and I came upon 'The Sony Store'. Usually, they have the nicest electronics around, so I asked if there was a digital television about. He pointed me to a Digital TV which was 4:3, so I asked if there was a Widescreen one, and he pointed to the soft area in the back.

After staring at the TV for some time, I was discussing with my friend about how Widescreen TVs here are expensive ($4000 was the price for the one I saw) compared to the UK. So I tell the salesman 'too bad Widescreen Digital TV stations aren't as available here in North America as it is in the UK...'

He says 'The UK isn't on Digital.'

'Um... yes it is... isn't it?'

'Nope, they're broadcasting in Widescreen, but it isn't TRUE Digital television,' which is known as High Definition Television here on this side of the Atlantic.

'Oh really,' I replied.

'Yes,' he says. 'Europe does have widescreen television, but they're using analogue equippment. That's why the United States didn't pick up on digital television right away. They're trying to perfect the technology. When HDTV fully comes out in the United States, it will be extremely better than the technology in Britain. And Canada will just piggyback on the U.S. when it comes to TV stations broadcasting on HDTV.'

The above confused me a lot. Can someone tell me if what this guy is saying is true? I was always under the assumption that the UK has been on the Digital bandwagon for some time. http://web.ukonline.co.uk/tv.home/forum/emoticons/confused.gif

Basically this guy is speaking crap. We do have proper Digital TV in the UK. The thing is that the digital reciever converts the digital signals back into analogue signals so the existing analogue TV can display it.

But newer TV models that are being released have built in recivers, so this may be different.

This geezer is talking out of his Arse if they wern't digital channels then why can't you pick them up on a analouge dish

Um... is this bloke working the Mega mall a prat or something? Or as I'm sure he would say, a 'bloody idiot'? It seems that as far as he's concerned, the US is the only country in the world which has 'true' digital!

Go back to the Sony Centre and tell him what your British friends think of him!

(Having said that, I bet he's right...)

Tell him to go back to school and learn his times tables, and quit with the Brit-bashing too!

What a liar. Digital is true digital. Just cos we dont have HDTV yet doesnt mean its not true digital. Go back to the SONY Centre and correct this man!

Ed - tell your salesman this: Great Britain is the forerunner in digital television worldwide. We broadcast 'true' digital TV and widescreen programmes and it is the US (or Canada where you are, sorry, can't remember) that is behind.

Cheers me deers,
Mike

Salesman = Idiot

Simple thing we know here in Britain. Tell us his reply if you see him again.

Technically i have an HDTV as my widescreen Panasonic can run at 100Hz+

I think the guy means a TRUE digital television - ie no need for a digibox.

Which is true up to some point, MOST televisions we have need a digibox.

But, DVB TV sets have inbuilt digital decoders, so that salesman, is, as the rest of the forum members point out, speaking a load of crap.

The salesman is confused (and also probably an imbecile)

The US (and Australia) are, for some reason best know to themselves, using the extra capacity from digital to have HDTV broadcasts, which to my mind is a silly thing, as there is nothing wrong with the current picture quality, and HDTV will cause no end of problems with old programmes being shown which aren't REALLY up to scratch on current TVs

The UK are using the extra capacity to improve quality within the current definition and to broadcast more channels - which will not be done in the HDTV territories.

I know that in Australia, the decision was taken because the big media companies didn't want new companies to be able to start up new channels to compete with them - I would imagine the same was the case in America but I dn't know.

Basically, the salesman thinks HDTV=Digital TV - which just ain't so

See I knew something wasn't right when he told me this. I was for certain that the UK was way ahead of us. Hmm... I shall have to smack him with some trout the next time I come by there. http://web.ukonline.co.uk/tv.home/forum/emoticons/biggrin.gif

The thing I noticed about HDTV also is that TV stations have to broadcast both signals on two different channels, whereas for example BBC One there's no need to do so.