High definition?

[Lasix67]

How long or if ever will it take before TVG or HRTV goes hi-def? I know a few tracks broadcast in HDTV like Churchill and Fair Grounds. TVG broadcast Woodbine harness and the picture is fantastic even in just digital.

[redshift1]

There are multiple hurdles to overcome, first the production cost alone can be 20% higher including cameras, video switchers and processing equipment.

Each track would need the above equipment.

Then you need a video provider like Direct TV, Cox Cable or a local TV affiliate to allocate bandwidth for your HD signal these signals are huge compared to SD signals. There is only so much bandwidth available and horse racing is near the bottom of the bandwidth food chain.

Cox Cable occasionally up-converts the SD TVG signal and broadcasts it on one of Its HD channels but its no where near HD quality.

I don't see it in the foreseeable future maybe someone on the board who's associated with TVG or HRTV knows of their future HD plans.

[Lasix67]

Yes, I understand the bandwidth issues presently, but satellite providers such as dishnetwork who just launched a new satellite the other day should eventually see the possibilities when they have channels such as Speed, NHLnetwork, Fashiontv, etc. presently in hd.

[redshift1]

Signal providers base their programming on viewer preference and horse racing does not generate the viewership as Speed, NHLnetwork and Fashiontv at least within the HD realm.

In fact Cox Cable has a bloc of infrequently viewed channels in Orange County where they employ Switched Digital Video this reduces the bandwidth based on an electronic sampling of viewership guess which two channels had the most inconsistent bandwidth .... TVG and HRTV.