Digital HiVision arrived today

[Douglas R. Bruce]

Today all the TV channels in my area in Kumamoto, Japan started transmissions in Digital HiVision.
As from today all analogue channels will be gradually phased out.

I was not actually aware that it was taking place today, but a friendly, service-minded salesman from the company I buy my cameras etc. from came rushing in to my studio - smiling profusely - and said,"I have a surprise for you."
He then tuned my equipment to begin receiving all the channels that had previously been transmitting analogue only.

Wow.........

[Rob Lohman]

Excuse my ignorance, but is that something else than HDTV that the western
world is using or trying to use?

[Douglas R. Bruce]

Originally Posted by Rob Lohman

Excuse my ignorance, but is that something else than HDTV that the western
world is using or trying to use?

Not something else, Rob.
But the words HiVision and Digital Hivision were coined here in Japan quite a while ago. Hd, HDV is used more for cameras etc. whereas Hivision is more on the receiving side. You don't watch HD or HDV TV here....you watch Hivision!

[Wayne Morellini]

Does this mean that Japan had not completed a roll out of HDTV until now? When the JVC HD1 was released, we were told that Australia would not get a local 25fps version, because PAL countries had little penetration compared to NTSC countries. We have had HDTV for years here across the country, and it takes little to have cameras do either 25fps or 30fps in the same design.

Even now the cheapest 720p 25fps camera is still close to $8-10K AUS (close to $7.5K US, compared to a $1.5KUS HD1 in the US (actually somebody had a special clearance closer to $1k)). Funny, I still haven't bought a JVC HD camera for some reason.

The US and Japan are so lucky, cheaper prices, the latest equipment, and all HD cameras all conforming to local TV standards.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Wayne Morellini

Does this mean that Japan had not completed a roll out of HDTV until now?

Japan had HD first - with the analog MUSE system. They've also had HD from Broadcast Satellite (BS) for many years. Digital HiVision has been available in Japan for a couple of years or so, but apparently the rollout was not complete until today.

I like the fact that Japanese satellite subscribers can watch the BS News (seriously). We've had BS News for, like, ever!

[Douglas R. Bruce]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

Japan had HD first - with the analog MUSE system. They've also had HD from Broadcast Satellite (BS) for many years. Digital HiVision has been available in Japan for a couple of years or so, but apparently the rollout was not complete until today.

I like the fact that Japanese satellite subscribers can watch the BS News (seriously). We've had BS News for, like, ever!

Thank you for clarifying things, Jon.
But now Japan has not only BS and CS digital networks - now ALL TV stations are transmitting in Digital HiVision. Not only pay channels but all local and national stations are transmitting Digital Hivision as distinct from BS-Digital and CS-Digital. Sorry if my technical knowledge of the nomenclature is not correct.
Try to buy an analogue TV here in Japan today and you will 1)Have difficulty in finding one and 2)You would be stupid to buy one anyway, as analogue TV transmissions are being phased out.

[Zack Birlew]

That's awesome, Douglas. Now if only the U.S. could do the same without messing everything up =P (gotta wait a few years).

[Wayne Morellini]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

Japan had HD first - with the analog MUSE system. They've also had HD from Broadcast Satellite (BS) for many years. Digital HiVision has been available in Japan for a couple of years or so, but apparently the rollout was not complete until today.

Sorry, I should have clarified, Digital free to air HDTV. I know about the old analogue HDTV system, and the old HD VHS, things in their due time but did not succeed as well as hoped.

Thanks for the details.


Wayne.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Wayne Morellini

...Thanks of the details...

You're welcome.

BTW, you'll need a heck of an antenna to pick up the signal in Australia! ;)

Speaking of which, I was talking with some DTV experts from Australia a couple months ago, and they mentioned that the software used to estimate DVB transmission profiles was terribly wrong. Station managers and politicians expected a large footprint and ended up with a much smaller one. Apparently the over-water loss is especially bad. That can really cause problems when analog goes dark.

We have the same issue in the US. Congress has approaved a subsidy for low-income households to get set-top-boxes, but that doesn't include an antenna, and it won't matter if the signal doesn't make it over the hills and through the trees.

BTW, people have talked about how DTV is a cliff - it's either perfect or it's not there at all. That's not quite true. The cliff isn't vertical. If you're in a marginal area (as I am) you get the signal on good days, and on bad days you get blocks and dropouts. Anybody who has watched satellite TV in a downpoor knows what I'm talking about.

The technical work regarding DTV in the US is largely done. Turning off the analog transmitters isn't technical - it's a grand social experiment!

[Wayne Morellini]

He, He. I was getting reasonably good reception from the local network during winter, last summer was a bit of a problem usually around exactly the time "House" would start for a few hours :(. But wasn't too bad otherwise. I was getting the only trans of that channel bounced off the a bit of a Cliff on the main peak of an intermediary side mountain, so it is a Cliff literally ;). (re-edit, since the breaking of drought conditions it appears to has vegetation growing on it now).

Now, this summer, it is literally nothing most of the time, a few of the cooler days brings in such an amazing jigsaw I am surprised the box actually accepts it as a reliable signal. Looks like a crumbly cliff with rock slides. I think some new channels were rolled out from the 4 transmission towers I can get, and they are interfering. Unfortunately, I have to wait until next month for the channel to be rolled out to another tower line of site (and guess what the news trans are interfering with the analogue channels). That is not the only channel now suffering, just the worse. But now I think of it, the sweet spot is centimeters, maybe something could have knocked the antenna off by a centimeter or so.

I agree with you, the joy of the digital HDTV reception, even the water content in the atmosphere cooks it.

I have read about the HD stuff in Japan, but an antenna to receive it here, nah, I prefer a video trans cable for that distance, lets see I have a few av cables and joiners around here ;).

[Douglas R. Bruce]

I probably missed an important point about HiVision transmissions.
They are not going out via satellite!
HiVision is a landbased transmission net - no satellites involved.