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HDTV*

Date:         19990623
From:         Dave Moore <penguin@datastar.net>
Organization: UUNET
To:           sci.electronics.repair@list.deja.com
Subject:      HDTV*

Here's an HDTV* site that I liked for it's concise briefing on the subject of HDTV* and DTV.

www.princeton.edu/~conorneu/hdtv/hdtv.html

And here's a reprint of the timeline for implementation of HDTV* from this site:

1987	The FCC issued a ruling indicating that the HDTV* standards to be set would	be compatible with existing NTSC* service and would be confined to the	existing VHF and UHF frequency bands.
1990	The FCC anounced that HDTV* would be simultaneously broadcast and thats its	preference would be for a full HDTV* standard, rather than a reduced	resolution EDTV*.
19970403	An FCC mandate to speed up the digital transition calls for all public TV	stations six years to add digital signals.
1998, November 1	At least 40 stations in the top 10 US markets went on air digitallly.
19990501	The remaining stations in the top 10 are suppose to have DTV signals on air,	simulcasting at least 1/2 of their analog programming on DTV.
19991101	Commercial stations in top 30 markets are to have digital signals on the	air. This is half of the US households.
200205	The remaining commercial stations must begin broadcasting in DTV.
2003	Non-commercial stations must begin DTV broadcasts.
2004	Stations must broadcast at least 3/4 of their analog programming on DTV.
2005	All stations must broadcast all programs in analog and DTV signals.
2006	The FCC is set to order all analog stations off the air, and all television	stations are to broadcast digital signals. (The government is expected to	set this date back because there will not be enough HDTV* sets on the market	by then.)

Cities of the first DTV broadcasts:

199811	Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York,	Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, Seattle, Portland,	Charlotte, Raleigh, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Columbus, Harrisburg, Honolulu,	Madison, Indianapolis	This is approximately %30 of the 98 million US households
199905	Cleveland, Hartford, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburg, Tampa
199911	Denver, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, St. Louis
200004	Baltimore