The US May be Slow to Offer HDTV Broadcasts

According to Phillip Swann, who is the publisher for TVPredictions.com, full implementation of high-definition television broadcasts in the United States is being impeded by cost factors. Swan isn’t the only one that is worried about the effects of cost on progress, as many experts share in his concern. In fact, the Washington Times reported that the cost of producing an HDTV broadcast is about 20% more than producing a typical television broadcast. It doesn’t take long for that difference to really add up.

“There’s always a bean-counting aspect,” said Swann, “and HD adds beans, so consequently, a lot of the people running the shops say ‘We’ll hold off.”

Not only does production of HD broadcasts cost more, it also requires building new studies that are capable of producing these broadcasts. Of course, in order to film HDTV programs, new HDTV cameras must also be purchased.

A spokeswoman for Comcast SportsNet, Stephanie Offen, confirms what the experts are saying about HDTV in the United States. Although they do offer some broadcasts in HDTV, the updates are limited and are quite costly.

“Mostly, it’s a cost issue,” said Offen, “ But it also has to be a slow progression. We feel we got in at the ground floor, but we’re also trying to improve it. We want to make sure we’re doing it right.”