Fox Network policy against H/DTV broadcasts

WE, the undersigned, are concerned with the current policy of the Fox Network that sidesteps the spirit of an agreement Fox made with the FCC in regards to high definition broadcasts.

Fox recently broadcast the Superbowl and mounted an extensive campaign to describe to the press its new "Widescreen" technology that would be used for the Superbowl broadcast.

Sadly, the picture quality of the broadcast left much to be desired. Although the picture was presented in a widescreen format, the resolution was little better than standard NTSC. Fox promised DVD quality or better, but we later discovered that Fox used standard NTSC cameras for the broadcast. As for regular programming, Fox does broadcast some of its shows in the 480p format, but this is far from the resolution and picture quality that the 720p or 1080i format (true H/DTV) provides.

For those taxpayers who have invested considerable dollars in H/DTV installations, Fox's Superbowl broadcast was a slap in the face. Of greater concern is the fact that the Fox Network will use the high ratings of the broadcast as a validation of their "Widescreen" technology, but this would be very misleading.

We want to protect our sizable investment in H/DTV equipment, and expect that all networks support and implement regular H/DTV broadcast. Fox needs to change its policies concerning H/DTV that could seriously affect the rollout of H/DTV.