High-definition perils
IF YOU PLAN TO BLOW your 13th cheque on a sexy high-definition TV you'd better make sure it's compatible to receive high-definition broadcasts. Constant Fourie, Decoder development manager at MultiChoice, says while all widescreen TVs may look the same, they're not all equal – especially when it comes to displaying high-definition broadcast content.
Melt Loubser, technology operations manager at MultiChoice, says when the company begins broadcasting in high-definition (HD) next year some of the content will rely on an encryption system called high definition content protection (HDCP) to thwart potential pirates.
It works like this: your new HD DStv decoder – which will be available some time next year – will be connected to the screen through an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) cable. Unlike the cables that currently connect your decoder to your TV, the HDMI cable is capable of sending more than just video and audio. Along with sound and images, it sends a message asking the device on the other end to identify itself. The TV then sends back a message telling the decoder that it's in fact a TV and not, for example, a computer.
That allows the content owners (in this case, the TV and movie producers) to set rules about how people are allowed to watch their content. It's designed to make sure that people can't copy the high quality content off their personal video recorders on to their computers and from there on to the various networks that circulate pirated content worldwide.
Fourie says some of the cheaper widescreen TVs sold in SA don't have that HDCP system installed, so trying to watch protected content on those TVs could be a frustrating exercise. "If the TV doesn't have HDCP support, then it won't be able to display protected content sent through the HDMI cable. However, it will be possible to send signals to the TV using other types of cables – such as S-Video or composite cables – but it won't be displayed in HD," says Fourie.
Loubser says that not all HD content will be protected using the system – that will be decided by the agreements signed between content providers and the broadcaster. It's possible that MultiChoice won't use the system for live sports, as there's little value for that content after the event. But that hasn't yet been decided.
The move to HD broadcasting has been driven by the explosive growth of large screen TVs over the past few years. Loubser says between 25% and 33% of DStv premium subscribers already have widescreen TVs.
However, many of their owners are frustrated by the image quality they receive. Current decoders use the PAL format, which has been the standard for displaying video in most of Europe and Africa since the Sixties.
The main difference between the standard definition signal we now see and HD broadcasting is how many vertical and horizontal lines make up the picture. PAL formatted images are composed of 525 horizontal lines while the video format in the United States – called NTSC – is made up of 480 horizontal lines. By contrast, high-definition video is composed of either 720 or 1 080 horizontal lines. Watching a standard definition image on an HD screen makes the images seem jagged and of poor quality, because it's "stretched" to fit a bigger screen than intended.
Loubser says MultiChoice has decided to use the 720-line version of the HD standard. He says all the tests that MultiChoice and other broadcasters worldwide have conducted have shown it's the most effective mix of quality and performance.
The question of when MultiChoice will actually launch its HD services is a closely guarded secret. The only answer Loubser would give was "2008" – adding that being more specific would just open the door to disappointment.
But those of us stuck with non-HD TVs needn't worry. We'll be able to keep watching our DStv as if nothing has changed.
What to do if buying an HDTV
* Check the DStv website for the list of compatible devices www.dstv.com/main.aspx?ID=11100.
* If the TV isn't on its list, make sure it's capable of showing video at 720p.
* Check that it has an HDMI input.
* Check that it has HCDP capabilities.
* If you are happy that those three criteria are met, then it should be able to play nicely with DStv's HD decoder when it arrives.
Finweek
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