Now that broadcast television is finally going digital, and theaters are to follow suit, the question becomes is that an opportunity or a threat for those concerned?

One of the main reasons for the transition is simply demand for excellent picture quality. I can’t explain all the technical stuff and video compression technologies applied because I don’t care whether the content I am watching is in binary digits or analogue waves but just give me a picture that makes you feel like you’re there and you just want to grab the things you see?

So how come the transition is so slow? The answer according to Barry Fox, a London-based journalist writing about consumer electronics is:

Analogue broadcasting must end before digital can flourish. Switching off today’s analogue services will release broadcasting frequencies that can be then sold off to the highest bidders- either for more television broadcast or for new mobile services.

So there you have it, more money for the government but better picture and more content for us.

Satellite broadcasters and cable companies have the edge now since they own the delivery systems that enable them at their own discretion to offer more channels in high definition. The only dilemma is that they can’t find enough high-def content to broadcast yet, but that will soon change.

I won’t get into the 480, 720, and 1080 lines format but I am sick and tired of having to deal with NTSC, PAL, SECAM, REGION 1 & REGION 2. When I put a DVD in the tray, I want it to play no matter what format it is and preferably in high definition. I just love high definition and I can’t wait for it to be available on video games where I can play Halo and kill aliens with plasma laser accuracy. Some of you might say that it's high def already - just look on the back cover where it say 720 or 1080 - but that’s component quality and not high definition. (I am rather disappointed with Halo2 by the way. It seems like Microsoft and Bungie focused more on the Xbox Live side of the game and spend two minutes on Cooperative play. Must be something to do with $$$.)

This is why I decided to shoot Blowing Smoke in high definition using the camera body of an HDW-F900 24p HD CineAlta Camcorder with a full complement of Panavision lenses from zooms to prime lenses. As a result, watching Blowing Smoke on DVD is really quite a joy and a pleasant experience. I look at the colors and I go, wow, this is really something. And things get better - we shot the movie back in February of 2004 and since then several new cutting edge high-def cameras have been introduced on the market.