Why in the U.S.A. the P.A.L. system was never itroduced?

[Jonathan]

ATSC is a big step from NTSC. ATSC is better, but thats because it's digital. It will be years, and I mean years before you see an ATSC set in everyone's home. I still don't understand why you don't see smaller ATSC sets using svga CRTs with cheaper ATSC tuners, but I guess because NTSC is still around, you won't see ATSC sets very much.

<rant>But today, there are three options to get TV from, off the air, cable, and satellite. Cable providers (in the US anyway)that provide HDTV provide it through boxes which connects to an HDTV monitor. It's probably cheaper and better that way so they don't have to send full bandwidth ATSC signals down a coax cable verses using their QAM modulators and their own re-encoded HDTV signals. And the fact that you have to use their boxes with their service also is what bothers me. The ones that scientific atlanta make leave much to be desired. The firmware sucks. I personally hate cable tv with a passion, because cable companies today royally suck, but satellite providers are not far behind.

Satellite TV that most people have are the Ku band dishes of echostar and directv, but while you don't get the high prices of cable, you get the yearly commitments. I have a second receiver on my parent's account, and they had directv for over 5 years, so they won't get a termination fee, but if they sign up again and then choose to cancel, they will. I'm getting fed up with pay satellite too, they screw you just as bad as cable, but in a different way. HDTV on satellite is the same as on cable, same channels, same bitrates. Free to air satellite using your C band and Ku band dishes is the way to go if you can get the channels you want, but your backyard looks like you are part of NASA, but you can get NASA's channel though. :P

Over the Air signals are still there, but I hate broadcast network programming other than local news and PBS. The toilet-full of thrillers and reality shows is the reason I never watch them.

All in all, TV programming is slowly going down the drain, as well as providers trying to squeeze every lasy penny from you when all you watch is a few channels. But in the end, most of us will be watchinbg cable or satellite either on channel 3 or 4, or through AV inputs using the same NTSC standard that was always there. Lets face it, TV's are being used for nothing but monitors anymore, whether from videogames, dvd players, cable or satellite boxes, the drive for tv providers to get our money will always be there, and they'll think of any way they can deliver the content to us, either in DVDs, OTA, cable, or satellite. </rant>

Jonathan