[Husker] HDTV Primer (Was Husker Games on NETV)

[Jeff Volk]

To clarify the situation in regards to HDTV, here is a basic primer. 

Until recently, television was broadcast in standard definition (SD) or
NTSC. This signal is a 720 x 480 image that is interlaced. A single
second of NTSC video is comprised of 30 frames - with each frame being
comprised of an odd and an even field of video. Your television scans
from top to bottom and switches between the odd and even fields to
create the image that you see. 

High definition video can actually be 1 of 13 possible "formats" as
approved by the American Television Standards Committee. These ATSC
regulations dictate the aspect ratio (4:3 or 16:9), resolution (720 or
1080) and the scanning method (interlaced like NTSC or progressive like
a computer monitor). Each network dictates what format their HD
broadcasts will be transmitted in. As a general rule the networks use
the following formats:

ABC: 720p @ 16:9 (ESPN is also 720p @ 16:9)
CBS: 1080i @ 16:9
FOX: 720p @ 16:9
NBC: 10801 @ 16:9

As for local HD broadcasting, all of the Omaha and Lincoln broadcasters
are providing an HD signal as well as their analog channel. This allows
them to "pass through" natively produced HD programming from the network
and upconvert their regular analog signal to an ATSC compliant format.
Currently no broadcasters in Nebraska beside NET are doing local HD
although several stations have plans in place to do so with their
newscasts.  

When a local station is broadcasting in HD there is enough available
bandwidth for a station to not only broadcast their primary HD channel
(.1) but to create what is called a .2 channel with the spare bandwidth.
An example of this is WOWT. Their analog channel is channel 6, their HD
channel is 6.1 and their digital channel is 6.2. These .2 digital
transmissions are not HD but travel in the HD bandwidth to be decoded by
an HD receiver. 

Lastly, the FCC has mandated that in 2009 analog channels like WOWT-6
will go away - meaning that you will have to have a set top box capable
of receiving HD signals like the 6.1 and 6.2 channels. If you do not
have 1 of these set top boxes (which could also be cable or dish) or an
HD television you simply won't get TV anymore. 

I hope this helps clear up some of the mystery of HDTV. 

Go Big Red!!!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Volk