Quote:
Originally Posted by Kat Manton
That falls neatly in between the two HD formats. So 819-line is HD. Case closed?
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Not quite. There are plenty of people who will argue that the current 720p standards are not really HD. Also don't forget interlace. Research done by Kell et al many years ago showed that the perceived vertical resolution for a given number of lines was lower in interlaced systems than in progressive systems. This is the infamous Kell factor. If you take this into account then the 819 system (738 active, interlaced) falls below 720 progressive.
Despite this nit picking, I still believe that the French set out to create a real HD system at a time when even 405 was still regarded as HD. Remember that HD is a moveable goal. In 1935, anything over 200 lines was called HD. Now it's over 720.
The 819 system was a brave attempt which ultimately failed due to technology limitations. For once I don't think it was political considerations that led to its downfall. Assuming that improving technology would have allowed it to give its full performance, it was already crippled in Belgium due to narrow channels. The argument of more channels versus better pictures would have been overwhelming in the 1950s and 1960s.