I started writing this post in January, before the originally DTV switch date. Then I got lazy and didn’t finish. Par for the course.

Now in May, I’ve decided to revisit, rewrite and expand this post.

Let’s begin with the theory I’ve presented in the title of this post, “DTV is not HDTV, seriously!”

Guess what? There was a small typo.

DTV is not HDTV, SERIOUSLY!

It wasn’t big enough. Maybe now it will sink in…

The law does not require broadcasters to switch to High-Definition Television, only to switch to Digital Television. It just so happens, you can have HDTV as a part of DTV.

The decision to broadcast HD lies with each station. For example, not all programming on WTHR, WISH, WRTV or WXIN is HD. Some shows are upconverted to HD, others are left 480i and only broadcast digitally. The requirement is just that analog broadcasts be terminated on June 12, 2009.

We’ve had tons of people tell us that it’s our (the broadcasters) fault they won’t be able to watch television. You need to take that up with your representative in Congress, they voted to let this force this to happen.

Viewers have even called in to tell us that the cable company is putting the “digital blame” on us, then telling them they have to get a digital cable box. Not true. Bastards. If you pay for cable of satellite television, you DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. The cable and satellite companies will downconvert and center-cut our digital broadcast signals and add them to the analog pipeline that’s already coming in to your home. Now, if you want to watch HD broadcasts you will need their digital box. But ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX aren’t going to disappear from a TV hooked up to your cable connection.

On a similar, but separate note. I was talking to an employee at an electronics retailer who proceeded to tell me that, “Channel 6 isn’t really HD. I mean c’mon, guys! Just flip the switch on your camera so you can be ‘real’ HD.”

Not “real HD?” Last time I checked, 720p is HD. It’s considered just as HD as 1080i or 1080p. Do you really need to watch Dancing With The Stars at the absolute highest quality? I doubt .5% of the audience could even tell the difference between 720p and 1080p without the TVs being side-by-side. But I digress. Apparently no one got the message through to him that ABC opted for all of their programming to be 720p. That’s why we’re 720p with all of our programming (news is considered programming). If “the Mouse” thinks it’s okay to be 720p, I wouldn’t argue.

Oh, and as for “just flip the switch on your camera,” I didn’t see any professional-grade equipment on the showroom floor. When is the last time he used or sold a $20,000 camera with a $20,000 lens? And how would he know the rest of our broadcast workflow? Maybe our servers only support 720p, maybe our switcher won’t support both 1080i and 720p simultaneously, maybe you work at an electronics store.

That felt good.

1011000110.

Just a taste of June 12 for you.