The BBC Trust have finally after many months responded to the appeal. (specific link to response to be added once posted on the BBC Trust website).
Well no great surprise that the BBC Trust came down in favour of the BBC!
What I can't understand is how it took so long to respond when the response is so bland and just a reiteration of what the BBC HD management have said all along. The BBC HD management could have written this response within a week of the complaint. (they probably did...)
All I can say is thank god for BSkyB and Sky HD. A broadcaster who understands that High Definition means exactly that - and not just better than Standard Definition, which is what the BBC seem to take it as.
The trust clearly try to dismiss BSkyB's HD services as just "specialist movies and sport", but ignore that across the range of HD Channels available from BSkyB there is just as much a mix of Genres that is provided by the BBC. Drama, light entertainment, documentary, news, etc, all of which are provided in much higher picture quality than the BBC broadcasts. If dealing with a range of genres in HD is "technically challenging" according to the BBC, how come it isn't for BSkyB (or ITV, C4, Five)? And since when was showing "specialist movies and sport" in HD somehow less technically challenging than say drama or nature programmes?
I think the problem is that High Definition is just very low down in the BBC's priorities.
Instead, making BBC programming available across every possible platform - often at much lower PQ than even Standard Definition - is much higher on their agenda, and gets far more funding.
The BBC's mantra seems to be quantity, not quality (as long as PQ goes)
They seem obsessed with putting content onto iPhones, iPads, iAnything, whereas good old fashioned Televisions are just no longer important to them it seems - perhaps they mistakenly perceive there is no interest in just watching the TV any more...
But in fact, TV sales have been very good in recent years, and the shift to large screen, HDTV sets, has resulted in far more viewers seeking a higher PQ, and due to the size of the screens noticing more than ever the imperfections in the picture.
BSkyB seem to recognise this trend far more than the BBC. HD is clearly very high on their agenda, (and now 3D) as they recognise that people are not only seeking better PQ but are willing to pay extra for it.
And there in lies the rub. For BSkyB, HD is an opportunity, a way to increase revenues, and hence embraced by their management. Whereas for the BBC, HD is just a cost, an expense, something they wish perhaps they didn't have to do - not when there are shiny new toys from Apple to play with instead - and hence ignored by their management.
As an indication, see the recent speech by the Chairman of the BBC Trust - - pages and pages of speech about technology. And not one mention of high definition. Says it all really....
The trust's response very much appears to confirm the suspicion that we all had that DSAT PQ has been reduced by artificially constraining the bandwidth so that it is no better than DTT.
That said, it does allow the BBC to introduce a 2nd HD channel on DSAT without requiring any increase in bandwidth - though increased in DSAT bandwidth are a small cost in the overall scheme of things compared to other BBC costs...
Whilst I understand their public service remit requires them to broadcast on all available medium, at the same time the BBC and the trust have never put forward any convincing arguement (nor is there anything in the charter) as to why all mediumns must be set at the lowest common denominator PQ-wise.
There is no valid reason why BBC HD via DSAT couldn't be broadcast in higher PQ than DTT, other than the BBC's self serving interest to promote DTT rather than DSAT - which in fairness many people do equate with 'Sky'.
In other words, it seems to be driven by just petty minded politics and some jealousy of BSkyB, rather than any valid technical or commercial decision.
Unfortunately, the BBC are shooting themselves in the foot in the process. The severe limitations of DTT HD mean that as more and more people invest in HDTV and seek a greater range of programming at higher PQ, then their only option will be subscribe to Sky.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. I grew up admiring the BBC for its technical leadership and broadcast quality. Not anymore, that mantle has been passed on to others.
For me, the only consequence of this episode and the conclusions of the trust is to turn me into someone who now seriously questions the role of the BBC and its right to the licence fee. Why should I have to pay for this when there are now so many better alternatives?
And as more and more people subscribe to BSkyB in order to obtain a decent HD service then more and more people will start to question just why they have to pay a licence fee as well when their BBC viewing plummets.
Thanks BBC and the BBC Trust. In one move you have converted me and many others it seems from avid supporter to someone who wants to see the BBC broken up and the licence fee abolished. Well done.
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