Sony's push in digital TV

Electronic News, Feb 9, 1998 by Carolyn Whelan

Despite Lack Of Standards, This Electronics Company Is Going Full Tilt To Introduce New Consumer And Professional Equipment

New York--Overpriced sets and scant content. That's what should slow the Digital TV uptake nationwide, most say--everyone save broadcasters, regulators and equipment vendors (see commentary, Page 8)--and issues that, much like those that faced color TVs and stereo sound, will resolve themselves over time. But as the fog lifts above the hype of Digital TV, and manufacturers and broadcasters speak out on major challenges they must meet before this fall, it is becoming startlingly clear that standardization and compatibility issues and, consequently, equipment availability, are the primary stumbling blocks to broadcasting digitized TV.

"Those holes have been there a long, long time, but we were asleep at the wheel," said Peter Dale, chief technology officer at Sony. "And they did not come to light until someone put the breaks on and said 'go'!" Mr. Dale thinks the problems won't be hard to fix, but questions of agreeing upon standards, and deciding if issues should be resolved at the broadcasting or consumer level, need resolution. "It's not brain surgery," he said, "but the holes won't be filled before the end of 1999--we still have some way to go before we can declare victory in Digital TV."

Those dilemmas won't stop Sony from rushing out new products for consumers and broadcasters because some stations are going digital this fall, when most major networks are either mandated or volunteered to broadcast high-definition (HD) content. But it will limit the features initially available to viewers--some as common place as close caption TV, and many that viewers take for granted or need. Other unresolved problems include better audio on DVD than HDTV, luminent matrix issues, and the inability to broadcast digital content through cable TV to inner-city high-rise buildings or when inclement weather occurs. Around 67 percent of the U.S. population receives television broadcasts by cable.

Furthermore, cable and satellite operators--who won't be forced to go digital, though many are opting to take the plunge early--don't see eye to eye.

To top it all, the industry is moving so fast to meet the demand for equipment that many vendors and industry watchers can't agree on what exactly a new sort of product does or is called.

Calling the race to go digital a marathon rather than a sprint, OEMs like Sony are becoming increasingly candid about the problems they face to set expectations and collectively resolve those issues. "We're just learning how to walk down the digital road," said Charles Steinberg, president of Sony Electronic's Business and Professional Group. "And there are many twists and turns."

The scant standards the FCC have laid out are really hampering R&D efforts to create the products that broadcasters need. Thus far, says Mr. Dale, the FCC has only told companies to turn off the analog in 2006, decode close captioning, and transmit NTSC quality-like pictures, leaving how pictures are decoded, data carousels, interactivity, fiber channels, and audio transmissions, among other issues, up for grabs.

"Receiver manufacturers have a big problem on their hands catering to the industry," Mr. Dale said. "How can manufacturers build an encoder not knowing what to do with it?".

Sony's R&D team is clearly not alone, and moving with both enormous speed and a great deal of caution towards the tremendous opportunities that await equipment vendors if their numbers turn up in the Digital TV lottery.

Sony Jumps In

Those issues aren't holding Sony back as it aggressively attacks the digital broadcasting market with the theme "Digital reality." Last week the company announced its commitment to MPEG2 standards, for openness and flexibility in light of the fuzzy state of play, and has voiced its commitment to open network systems, for a range of interoperable solutions.

The company also called sales of its metal DVCam tapes "dramatic" which it said outstripped volume growth, and has plans to invest $34 million to expand its current Advanced Metal Evaporating Tape Products facility in Alabama. Sony said 8 million videocassettes have been sold since the launch of Betacam. In March, expect new products including a high definition camcorder.

Looking ahead, Sony plans to unveil a number of DTV products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show this April. Among them are a DVCAM portable editing recorder, a DVCAM Video Walkman Player/Recorder, a Digital Widescreen High Definition Camcorder and several DVCAM Camcorders, all for field production. In the studio production space the company will introduce a NewsCache On-Air Playback Server, Switchable Aspect Radio Monitors, Nonlinear Editing Systems, a Routing Switcher Control Board, and several Interface Units. DVCAM Master Grade Video Cassettes will also be released, as will Open Reel Digital Audio Tape. Some products are currently available but most will ship between April and October.