Some first impressions

[Joe Carney]

Originally Posted by Pete Bauer

Technicality: Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation (high energy photons) that eminate from atomic nuclear sources such as radioactive materials or from massive cosmic events. The cosmic radiation that gets in through the earth's magnetic polar regions is Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) which is comprised of highly charged particles, mostly protons but occasionally as heavy as iron nuclei, that just whip around randomly in space.

.....
For those who are interested, here is our Space Radiation and Analysis Group's public web page with basic info on such radiation, and also has links to other pages such as a NOAA primer on space weather:

http://srag-nt.jsc.nasa.gov/AboutSRAG/What/What.htm

Thank you Mr. Spock, Kirk out.

(Just kidding, but really thanks for the info).

In a related article over at Slashdot..from NASA..here is one of the solutions being explored to reduce the effects of solar radiation in space. http://science.slashdot.org/science/...tid=160&tid=14


I wonder if you wrap you stuff in plastic garbage bags that would help.

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Michael Maier

Europe sure has HD.

Note I said JVC operation IN Europe -- not Europe itself.

But, in fact, as far as I know there is only one HD service in Europe and one in the UK. Not much more is even planned. Both, I believe, are pay channels that broacast limited fare. It's not like USA and Japan where nearly all prime time programming on all major networks is HD -- plus a half-dozen other HD-only channels.

I expect the BBC to start some service. But, otherwise I suspect there's not much to watch and not much equipment to watch it on.

Production in 1080p24 is popular because without that there will be no sales to the USA.

AUS has more, but I'm not sure how much.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Originally Posted by Steve Mullen

AUS has more, but I'm not sure how much.

Australia has a mix, with a couple major stations being 576p, which makes sense for the budget side of things. Other stations are 1080i, and I was told by the editor of Videocamera, and confirmed by the editor of DMW (Digital Media World) that 1080 will continue to be the standard goal.
Some stations have no immediate plan to go HD at all, opting for widescreen SD only at this time.

[Luis Reggiardo]

Just FYI:

In Argentina we dont have a definitive HDTV standard. ATSC 1080i was adopted at first but rumors are that they might change for 720p in the near future.

There are currently no official HD broadcasts. All major 5 air channels have made experimental transmissions in late 90s, but nowadays only 2 of them (Channel 11 & 13) have upgraded their systems fully to HDTV (one to 720p, the other 1080i).

Both channels have HDTV broadcasts but as I said not official ones, they air some TV-shows and some movies (Star Wars Episode I). There has been only one TV-series ever shot in HD (Cinealta 1080i) here, but again was only for "marketing" purposes, nothing long-term.

News programmes from CH 11 & 13 are shot in HD but broadcasted in SD along with the rest of the schedule.

With HD plasmas prices going down (the only HD-capable displays sold here - no HDTV sets) I think we could start seeing consistent HDTV broadcasts beyond 2008... not before.

As motion-picture concerns, there's an ever increasing HD-films being shot with Cinealta, mostly low-budget indie ones. There's also one Viper Thomson but don't know if it has been used yet.

Sony's HDV is being used for commercials more every day (along with DIGIBETA, HDCAM and 16mm).

In SD, again Sony's PD150/170 rules them all...

Sony leads the market here, everybody wants to use the new HDV nowadays, nobody is asking for the DVX100E anymore! People here tend to worship the very latest tech, and aren't prone to balance things and see what's best for every ocassion (this applies to all other cultural issues).

This is how "HD" is not-"seen" in Argentina...

L