A primer on High Definition TV, which recently debuted in Las Vegas

Kirk Baird

Tuesday, May 2, 2000 | 9:40 a.m.

If it's true that you can't stop technology, then Las Vegas had better prepare for the "Digital Age."

On April 6 KLAS Channel 8 began broadcasting in high definition, beginning with its CBS prime-time lineup, which includes 16 of the network's 21 hours of evening programming. Additionally KLAS has broadcast two leading sporting events -- the NCAA basketball tournament and the Masters golf tournament -- in high-definition (HDTV), otherwise known as digital television (DTV).

The digital signal, viewable only on HDTV, offers up to 10 times a sharper image than the analog or so-called "normal" television sets. For some it's the difference between looking out a window and walking outside, or the difference between a CD and a record.

In technical terms, the difference is just as staggering: A VCR generally offers 250 horizontal lines of resolution for an image on TV, while a digital satellite offers 400 lines and a Digital Video Disk (DVD) offers 480 lines. An HDTV provides 1,080 lines. This results in a filmlike clarity.

For example, in an HDTV broadcast, the dimples in a golf ball are visible; in a football crowd shot, it's easy to make out individual faces no matter where they are in camera shot. On a CBS show such as "Everybody Loves Raymond" you could make out individual strands of star Ray Romano's hair.

(There is in development a special digital converter box for analog sets, but that is still a few years off, and won't offer the same picture quality of HDTV.)

For those who have seen the HDTV broadcast there's little doubt of the difference, said Brad Faunce, home electronics specialist with Ultimate Electronics on South Rainbow Boulevard.

"A lot of older customers said it's like when television went from black and white to color," he said. "(The picture) is so clear, it gives you the feeling you're there."

Javier Medina, 29, of Las Vegas, bought an HDTV set a month ago and was "blown away" by the difference he sees. "It's the same channel but the clarity is much better," Medina said. "You can just switch it over and see the difference."

Although the $5,000 Medina spent on the set was an initial deterrent, he said he thought that if he was going to invest in a new TV, he might as well get the most out of it.

"It's a lot of money, but it's something you're going to enjoy," he said. "I won't have to buy another (TV) for another 10 years. I also had to get this before anyone else."

And although he raved about the picture quality, there are other benefits to the HDTV signal as well: There's the CD-quality sound, and the fact that networks are able to offer enhancements to TV viewers, such as viewing an entire edition of a newspaper, sports information, computer software, telephone directories or stock market updates, as well as user interaction, such as selection of camera angles.

The problem is with the HDTV sets themselves -- specifically, the price. Faunce said that prices range from $2,000 for the low- to mid-range big-screen set, up to $9,000 for a 73-inch model.

As a result, the product saturation is still in its infancy stages. Dick Fraim, president and general manager of KLAS, estimated that out of the 522,000 Las Vegas homes with televisions, a scant 3,000 have an HDTV set.

"Our expectation is that this will grow dramatically as more sets become available and people have a chance to see the programming," Fraim said.

Still, with the Federal Communications Commission ruling that all stations must be broadcasting in HDTV in some form by 2002, Congress has authorized an additional broadcast spectrum to each TV broadcaster so that they can introduce the HDTV service while simultaneously continuing with their current analog broadcasts. This means that each station was given an additional channel on which to broadcast its digital signal. In KLAS' case, it's Channel 7.

However, because Cox Cable is not equipped to carry the high-definition signal, you can only pick the signal up through the airwaves, via a rooftop antenna. (Channel 7 on Cox cable remains WTBS.)

"(Cox Cable) certainly plans on remedying that in future, but there are no short-term plans in the next 18 to 24 months to do that," Fraim said.

The FCC also ruled that all stations must relinquish one of its two channels by Dec. 31, 2006, thereby forcing the digital issue.

Although there is the 2002 deadline, some stations, such as KTNV Channel 13, are waiting for the consumers to set the timetable as to how close to that date they will make the switch.

"(KTNV) will make the conversion before the FCC-required deadline," said Mary Alice Tierney, vice president of communications with Journal Broadcast Group Inc., parent company of KTNV. "Our company has a history of being a pioneer in the broadcasting industry. Our position is when the viewers in Las Vegas want and are in position to access HDTV we will be there for them."

Making that transition is not going to be cheap. Fraim said that KLAS spent $3.5 million changing the transmission facility, which includes the broadcast antenna and digital equipment within the station, in order to broadcast the digital signal.

"We wanted to get started early," he said. "There are a limited number of vendors on a national level (who) have the expertise to install the transmitting equipment, antennas, etcetera, and we didn't want to get caught in the backlog."

It was the same for WFAA in Dallas. The ABC affiliate was the first station in the United States to broadcast in high definition on the VHF band.

"There's always an advantage to being first," said Dave Muscari, creative director of WFAA-TV and Belo Partnerships, its corporate parent. "Being first with this kind of technology in the market speaks to the company's and TV station's commitment to being leading-edge when you can."

And, in WFAA's case, that allowed the station to act as a "guinea pig" with the new technology for other stations. "It enables us to run the traps," Muscari said.

Although things ran fairly smoothly for the station in making the transition, the signal, like in Las Vegas, is available only via rooftop antennas. Still, that hasn't been a problem, Muscari said.

"There's no signal degradation on HDTV. Because it's a digital signal, it's either crystal clear or you don't get it at all," he said.

As for the future of HDTV, Muscari said that as the prices come down and more programming becomes available, more people will purchase the sets.

"Americans love to be leaders in technology," he said. "Based on my experience, and I've done thousands of demos with HDTV, there is a huge 'wow' factor ... people gravitate to it like crazy.

"(Selling it) is not going to be as tough as we think."