Various government and industrial groups are working on HDTV standards, but no consensus has arisen. Issues are compatibility with current equipment, method of signal transmission, display approach, and whether HDTV should be analog- or digital-based. Proponents of HDTV say it foretells the convergence of the TV, computer, and telephone industries and will be the driving force behind semiconductor production. They are, of course, seeking government funds to pursue their vision.

The signal will reach the set through terrestrial transmission (probably NTSC-compatible), analog-based satellite transmission (the current Japanese approach), or a digital fiber-optic network. The fiber-optic approach requires scrapping current TVs, and the computer industry favors it due to its high bandwidth potential.

Display approaches include flat panels, projectors, and glass CRTs. CRTs are the most mature technology, but become large and very heavy at wide screen sizes, so they are unsuitable for hanging on the wall and for many military applications. Another issue is square versus non-square pixels. Non-square pixels result from trying to keep HDTV sampling parameters close to existing 525- and 625-line television parameters. Square pixels are better suited for computer graphics and image processing.

The computer industry wants more say in choosing an HDTV standard, because when the HDTV scanning and interface standard is chosen it may well become the standard for workstations. This would simplify the interfacing of workstations to such devices as monitors, down converters, and recorders.

This paper does not examine whether the public really needs or wants HDTV enough to pay for it. What about families that cannot afford $4,000 for a TV/computer? Will their children be at a disadvantage doing their homework? How much of current TV programming would really benefit from HDTV?