The managing executive clearly finds HDTV broadcasting far from attractive. NBC has said much the same thing. From the viewpoint of those manufacturing broadcasting systems, digital TV broadcasting is at a commercial stage, whereas the broadcasters see it as being still at a trial stage. The broadcasters are attempting to determine whether HDTV or multichannel broadcasting promises the best returns. NBC's Jablonski calls even those forecasts wishful thinking.
Nobody seems to have much confidence in digital TV broadcasting yet.
Because Hi-Vision equipment can easily be modified to handle the 1080I standard, program production can start up faster, and inexpensive TV receivers can hit the streets quickly. The format 720P, on the other hand, offers more efficient image data compression. Given the same image data and transmission speed, the post-decoding image generated by 720P will deliver better image quality than that of 1080I. Unfortunately, production equipment development lags behind 1080I equipment considerably. When the pros and cons are considered from a technical standpoint, 720P offers a number of advantages, even though development of technology for 1080I started earlier. If program production equipment and inexpensive TV receivers were available for 720P, there is no doubt that most broadcasters would opt for it.