HD will not become mandatory. The FCC has mandated the switch to digital (now slated for June 12, 2009) for purely economic reasons. Digital broadcast requires fewer frequencies than analog and the FCC wants those frequencies to sell to other users. As it stands right now, most of the households in the US (about 90%) still have 4:3 CRT SD televisions and, therefore, broadcasters are in no hurry to make the expensive conversion to HD just for the benefit of the ten percent or so of households with widescreen, HDTV sets. I read somewhere that wipespread use of HD probably won't come into play for about a decade, after most of the CRTs have died and people have been forced to purchase widescreen units. On the other hand, CRT units are still being made and sold and, because they are considerably cheaper than HDTVs, are still popular among people who aren't concerned about screen shape and high resolution and just want to watch their favorite TV programs, most of which are still being broadcast in 4:3. (Some are letterboxed, but they are still 4:3.)
I realize that you technophiles out there (you know who you are) would like to see everything go strictly to HD because you think it's cool, but the economics just aren't there for such a major shift. Not yet. The broadcast industry will go where the money is and HD isn't there yet. It will be, of that there is little doubt, but it not for several more years.
With all things considered, the DVX100(A)(B) will still be useful for quite some time, so I wouldn't be counting it out just yet.
I realize that you technophiles out there (you know who you are) would like to see everything go strictly to HD because you think it's cool, but the economics just aren't there for such a major shift. Not yet. The broadcast industry will go where the money is and HD isn't there yet. It will be, of that there is little doubt, but it not for several more years.
With all things considered, the DVX100(A)(B) will still be useful for quite some time, so I wouldn't be counting it out just yet.
