Roderick Snell delivers digital TV lecture

Snell & Wilcox founder and President Roderick Snell has addressed members of the RTS at their annual 'Shoenberg Lecture', held in BAFTA's Princess Anne Theatre on November 5.
The Shoenberg Lecture, named for HDTV pioneer Sir Issac Shoenberg, is given annually to discuss issues of technological change important to the industry.
In his presentation, entitled 'Digital TV - Is it Wasted on Broadcasters?', Snell said: "Traditionally, television technologists were pressed by the creative element of the community to produce ever more clever technical effects, regardless of cost.
"With the advent of digital broadcasting, times have changed and the pressure on technology is now coming from those who deliver to consumers. The broadcasters' imperative appears to be less to do with quality and more to do with quantity, and it is argued that technologists and creatives are now on the same side, defending the need for retaining the quality of original content."
Snell went on to illustrate the case for quality images and sound by showing examples of the kinds of engineering breakthroughs that underlie progress, claiming that the need for quality is independent of the broadcast or other distribution models.
"In the past, Shoenberg lectures have focussed on new digital delivery systems, all of which have majored on increasing choice, i.e., more programmes," Snell said. "The focus has now moved away from the creative side of programme-making to 'programming', 'exploitation of assets', 'multiple delivery platforms', 'packaging', and 'profit'. The result is that we now have massive choice, but viewing hours are not rising in proportion."
Snell explained how the cinema industry has led the way in showing how creatives and technologists can collaborate to provide a new movie-going experience, and that the best and most exciting new production technologies may be wasted on the broadcaster if they are only interested in more programming at a lower cost.
Snell concluded: "Future terrestrial spectrum availability and current satellite capacity can already support higher resolution channels. Larger, sharper widescreen displays now form the most profitable sector of the replacement TV market at the moment. The consumer electronics industry, working with the IT industry, will soon bring the best production values of television, including HD and supported by the best new widescreen technologies, into the home, with or without the help of broadcasters.
"People will always pay more for better quality if the offering is right. The technology to deliver high quality images is there for the broadcasters' benefit, if they choose to take it up."
(GB)