re conjuror:
"...Record HDTV sales have almost nothing to do with HD programing progress, which is extremely slow and does not follows the number of sold HD sets at all. Most folks buy a widescreen TV to watch DVDs. Great majority of them don't have an HD receiver so they don't watch HDTV at all.
Major networks offer HD programs just occasionally at the prime time and only OTA. As you know, most people don't even have OTA channels- they watch whatever they can get from cable and DBS providers. At the same time both Dish and DirecTV get millions of new subscribers each year of which about 95% are very happy with free SD receivers.
So, is there an HD war? I don't think so. As I said, when all DBS providers start giving HD capable boxes to everybody and when major news stations (CNN, Fox, MS NBC...) begin switching to HD (right now they're not even thinking about it), then you'll see some kind of HD war going on. Right now too many people is very happy with plain and over compressed SD.
Dude, DirecTV and Dish combined have about 22 million subscribers of which maybe few hundred thousands have HD capable STBs. Where in the world anybody sees the HD war going on???
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It is hard to know where to start with beating your arguments which you base on this confusing amalgamation of mostly inaccurate information.
But let's start with: "...Major networks offer HD programs just occasionally at the prime time and only OTA...."
Really? Almost all non-reality or news magazine programs on ABC, CBS and NBC are in HD. Fox will have more than half its lineup this year in HD.
CBS is available to DBS subs and O&O subs on E* and D*. NBC is apparently coming (at least to D*) in a matter of hours, and Fox has been promised to D* subs as well.
So that translates to "occasionally" or only OTA?
Then there is the "....when major news stations (CNN, Fox, MS NBC...) begin switching to HD (right now they're not even thinking about it), then you'll see some kind of HD war going on...."
Right. It isn't important that about 35 million people qualify for NBC HD via DBS or that about 35 million or so qualify (or will) for CBS HD and Fox HD.
What is important is that those three and a half million (total primetime) viewers of FNC, CNN and MSNBC get their programming in HD?
Surely you are joking?
And speaking of joking:
"...Dude, DirecTV and Dish combined have about 22 million subscribers of which maybe few hundred thousands have HD capable STBs..."
(Nice condescension there, Dude), but Dish announced it had 10,340,000 subs as of June 30th, and DirecTV announced that it had 13,004,000. That adds up to 23,344,000, and if about four percent of those homes had HD (a number considered a bit low by most analysts) that would provide about 933,600 HD subs. Add on the 28,700 VOOM subs and you are almost at a million - up substantially from the 300,000 or so total of early 2003.
And oh yeah, that alleged lack of programming progress:
Just in the past 18 months (and to be honest, I could have a date wrong here or there, I am doing this from memory):
ESPN HD (with ESPN2 HD due in early 2005)
ABC Monday Night Football (re-started in 2003)
CBS HD Network feeds from D* and E* (2004)
InHD
TNT HD (2004)
NBC HD Network feed from D* (Sept. 2004)
HDNet Movies (2003)
VOOM (2003)
WGN HD (2004)
Fox going from adamantly anti-HD to fervent HD supporter. (2004)
Fox Network HD feed (expected Sept 2004)
One weekly HD CBS NFL game (2003)
Two/three weekly HD CBS NFL games (2004)
Bravo HD (2004)
NBA Finals ABC 2004
Up to six weekly HD Fox NFL games (2004).
Final Four and one NCAA regional site in HD (CBS 2003)
Women's NCAA Final Four (ESPN) (2003?)
NBA Playoffs (TNT HD) (2004)
Jack and Bobby The WB's first HD series (2004)
The expansion of UPN's HD lineup (2003-2004)
NASCAR Daytona 500 (NBC) (2004)
NASCAR Richmond Race (TNT) (2004)
Masters (CBS 2003, 2004)
MSL games HDNet (2003)
More than a dozen regular PGA Tournaments (CBS) (2004)
US Tennis Open (CBS 2003?)
And then add baseball (and only mentioning teams doing a major portion of their games in HD, most starting in 2004:
Yankees games (MSG)
Mets games (FSN)
Orioles games (Comcast)
Phillies games (Comcast)
Padres games (Cox)
Cubs WGN
as to your absurd comment that: "...Equipments are waaaaaay overpriced and at the end you'll have nothing to watch...."
If you find nothing to watch from almost all of four network prime time schedules, the sports listed above, plus HBO, Showtime (D*, E*, VOOM and MSOs) plus all the other premium and exclusive VOOM channels, you must be very, very sated.
So, please, check your facts before you set off on a tirade.
Anyone who can make so many fundamental mistakes in such a short post could have a hard time being taken seriously.