Abstract
While Japanese broadcasters and manufacturers have been world pioneers in the development of high-definition television and digital production technologies, they have been slow to design a national system for digital television (DTV) transmission. Present plans call for the launching of a new satellite that will facilitate DTV transmissions by the year 2000. This paper examines the technological, political, and economic issues that have delayed the advent of digital broadcasting in Japan, especially compared to DTV broadcasting initiatives in Europe and the United States. The paper concludes that Japanese economic and political investment in the analog Hi-Vision HDTV format led to the promulgation of national industrial policies that inhibited the diffusion of alternative television technologies
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Note
M. Dupagne and P. B. Seel, High-Definition Television: A Global Perspective. (Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1998), pp. 233–237.
J. Brinkley. Defining Vision. (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1997), p. 231.
A. Pollack, ‘Japan Says It Will Move Up Introduction of Digital television by a Few Years,’ The New York Times, March 11, 1997, p. C6.
Dupagne & Seel. op. cit., pp. 69–93.
MUSE is an acronym for Multiple SUb-Nyquist Sampling Encoding.
The BTA was renamed the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB) in 1995.
Dupagne & Seel. op. cit., p. 71.
Ibid., p. 85.
There is no D-4 digital format as the number “4” carries connotations of death in parts of Asia.
J. C. Foust,’ Videotape Formats,’ in P.B. Seel and A.E. Grant (Eds.), Broadcast Technology Update. (Boston: Focal Press, 1997), pp. 86–90.
B. Johnstone. ‘Keeping an Eye Out.’ Far Eastern Economic Review. (GET VOL # Mar. 25. 1993). pp. 59–62.
B. Powell and K. Itoi. ‘I Didn’t Really Say That, Did I?’ Newsweek (Mar. 7, 1994). p 47.
N. Kageki. ‘HDTV Shift Stuns Industry.’ The Nikkei Weekley. (Feb. 28, 1994). p. 1, 27.
Ibid.
J. Kumada. ‘The Introduction of Digital HDTV in Japan.’ Paper presented at the HDTV’ 97 Seminar, 1997, Montreux, Switzerland.
Ibid.
Hi-Vision Promotion Association (HPA, 1998). [Online]. Available: http://www.hpa.or.jp/
EDTV stands for Enhanced-or Extended-Definition Television. These sets are typically analog systems that use line-doubling or image processing circuitry to provide a quasi-HDTV picture.
The ATSC is the Advanced Television Systems Committee which codified the DTV standard for the Federal Communications Commission in the United States.
DVB is an acronym for Digital Video Broadcasting, a primarily European consortium of broadcasters and manufacturers who have developed digital standards for cable, satellite, and terrestrial broadcasting. DVB is now competing with the ATSC standard for acceptance as a DTV transmission system in other nations.
International Telecommunications Union. ‘Television Broadcasting Given a Major Boost with the Adoption of Two Landmark Standards.’ ITU News, 7, 1997, pp. 27–29.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Seel, P.B. (1999). The Path from Analog HDTV to DTV in Japan. In: Gerbarg, D. (eds) The Economics, Technology and Content of Digital TV. Economics of Science, Technology and Innovation, vol 15. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4971-0_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4971-0_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7256-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4971-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive