Dubrovnik impasse puts high-definition TV on hold: A report on the turmoil in setting program standards concludes with a scenario for future developments

A report is presented on the turmoil in setting high-definition television (HDTV) program standards at the 16th Plenary Session of the Comite Consultatif International de Radiodiffusion (CCIR) in May 1986 at Dubrovnic, Yugoslavia. The HDTV system at issue was developed by NHK Research Laboratories in Tokyo, Japan, with a 5.3 aspect ratio that was later changed to 16.9 by the CCIR. It uses 1125 lines, 650 fields, and 2:1 interlace. The delegates unanimously decided to postpone the taking of a decision on a standard at the meeting. Technical, socioeconomic, and even philosophical objections, raised first by a few European countries, led by France, and then accepted by others are discussed. The status of and markets for HDTV systems and improved or enhanced National Television System Committee (NTSC) systems are reviewed.