Did they miss the boat in the switch to digital and hd tv?

[gll99]

Since the switch to digital and hd requires a large investment by the industry and consumers alike could they have designed a better tv system instead of what is essentially for the consumer a minor technological leap?

I mean both at the recording/transmission end as well as the home box/tv receiver. Could something have been better for both of us. More interactive options for the consumer and more flexibility for the program distributor.

Just some general thoughts to show what I mean ... think objects... think layers or planes or angles of view etc...

I have my own basic model in mind that might have been feasible depending on the availability of certain technology but first I would like your ideas.

Once on air analogue is gone and people switch to new boxes, tv's (as needed) etc... it will limit the possibility of another change within 10 to 20 years or more.

Do you believe it might have been possible to design a new tv delivery system now that would have better served the longer term?

What do you think it would look like?

[thecoalman]

I could be wrong here but wouldn't the fact that it's digital make it adaptable. You're no longer in a box because of the limitations set by a "standard" but only limited by the bandwidth and hardware playing it. I really think it's irrelevant anyway as I forsee the future of TV as being a pay-for model where you pay to watch whatever you want via very high bandwidth transmission. You'll only be limited by the hardware you own and what the providers can provide. Basically your TV is going to become a giant monitor.

[gll99]

Yes digital should give you a lot more options that just viewing the same old flat image at a higher resolution. It doesn't matter who controls the tv/video signal the way things are going, the hardware, tv and monitors and other display devices have the same basic capabilities as before. It lets you watch a flat picture.

At this point, I'd like to use a nice sarcastic "whoop ti doo" at this big advancement. Aren't they pleased with themselves for being so innovative.

I'll give you one example of what I have in mind.

Multi layered video versus the flat images which are sent to your tv. Think of an image editing software like Photoshop where you can add many layers to create an image but then you flatten it before saving the image (frame).
Now imagine instead if you didn't create a flat image but you sent the layers via cable / satellite or whatever to an intelligent box or tv which is commanded to interpret and position the layers. There would be the possibility of changing any video just by masking out or adding new picture element layers to any transmission. A simple example right now that might explain it and is currently in use, is station logos but what I envision is that, for broadcast signals, while the layers and instructions are sent separately from the station end, the interpreter is in the consumer electronics (a box or tv set). That way it could be used in technology marketed to home products like DVD, ipods, cellphones etc... as well as to broadcast video.

I'll appeal to the producers and broadcasters with one example of use. Imagine not having to permanently burn in a product placement ad during the making of a show. Let's say Coke supported the original production and was guaranteed x number of showings so there was a coke sign in a scene and later a coke bottle on a table and later again someone drank from a cup marked coke. If video producers, tv shows and movies, reserved specific numbered layers for product placement whenever a tv show or movie was made then when there is a new showing a new sponsor would be found to buy that reserved space. You would just switch the layer by number with an equal sized ad from the new sponsor, the layer info would already contain the frame numbers and the reserved layer placement location. There it is easy switch. The new sponsor gets his product placement within the show.

This is one example of what they could have tried to do. Of course with current hardware the image would have to be flattened for viewing.

Now, let the mind wander a bit, expand this idea and consider how a different television might display these multiple layers on the various planes of a new depth enhanced tv screen.

There are other video design possibilities which I thought of but I could expand on these later.