Paul Kemner writes:

> Gavin wrote:
>  >So rather than better quality channel quality, HTDV may mostly just bring
>  >you *more* channels.
>
>  And that's certainly worth paying the $5k to $20k for a new set! Gosh- the
>  $4,700 - $19,700 price difference would certainly pay for a lot of movie
>  tickets! I wonder if the theater would give me a discount if I bought 500 -
>  2400 tickets in advance? Or maybe I should get fewer tickets and hire a
>  limo to get to the theater? Hmmm....

The same equivalent prices were in effect when color TV was first introduced.
I worked for RCA Service from 1959-1963. 1960-61 was the year that color TV
was first introduced to the nation, but even during that period there was
virtually no color repetitive programming, night-after-night, other than Jack
Paar & The Tonight Show.

NBC, RCA's sister company, would run "color weeks" during 1959-1960, where at
least one color program was run every night of the week during prime time, as
well as the Huntly-Brinkley news report.

A modest color television set during those years cost an equivalent $5000, in
today's money. An expensive set, built like a fine-furniture cabinet hutch
would easily have been $15,000.

There are, and always will be, people who will spend that kind of money on
something new. And during those days, RCA provided excellent service. When
someone bought one of these new sets, we would go to their houses for several
nights in a row, sit and drink coffee and eat cake, and show them how to
adjust their color receivers for the best possible quality picture.

For this Sunday's initial broadcast of HDTV, it's been said by more than one
wag that the number of transmitters will outnumber the number of receivers,
but color TV started out precisely the same way.

Prices will come down and HDTV will eventually become pervasive.

Wirt Atmar