ms6b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Marvin Sirbu) (03/22/90)
FCC Chairman Alfred Sikes is quoted on today's newswires as saying he favors the "simulcast" approach to HDTV rather than the "enhancement signal" approach. (i.e. instead of providing backwards compatibility with NTSC receivers by transmitting a 6 MHz NTSC signal, plus a 6 MHz enhancement signal which when added to the NTSC signal produces HDTV, simulcast means supporting existing receivers by simply broadcast programming in both NTSC and HDTV formats using 6 MHz for each.) He is also quoted as saying he expects the FCC to decide on a final HDTV over-the-air broadcasting standard in the second quarter of 1993. (The FCC is only choosing an over the air broadcasting standard--not a production standard or a standard for VCRs or for fiber optic telephone lines or any other HDTV distribution system.) Simulcasting is favored by Zenith/ATT.