If one thing came into focus at the Playback Production Innovations Forum March 8 in Toronto, it’s that the time is now for a concerted push on the part of the TV industry, government, and the regulator to accelerate the take-up of high definition in this country. If not, the consequences will be severe.

Neither the CRTC nor the federal government has yet to come forward with a shutdown date for analog TV transmission. South of the border, meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission has ordered U.S. broadcasters to cease their analog signals and go completely digital – HD being the flavor most desired by consumers – by February 2009. The notion here was that we would follow whatever the Americans did on HD by about two years.

The two-year lag theory has had its benefits. Being early adopters of new technology is expensive for all concerned. With some passage of time, more is known about said technology, and prices come down. Canada has saved a bundle on capital costs.

Trouble is, we’re now about four years behind, according to Michael McEwen, former president of the defunct Canadian Digital Television group. And without significant investment from broadcasters and BDUs to ramp up HD offerings, we may never catch up.

The U.S. numbers are impressive. In anticipation of the February 2009 deadline, some 1,550 stations in 211 American markets, representing 99.7% coverage of 106 million U.S. TV households, are broadcasting digitally. In Canada, full digital system coverage is limited to Toronto and surrounding areas.

It is estimated that 10% to 15% of TV programming here is produced in HD – frightening when you consider that non-HD material will have little foreign sales potential as viewers around the world increasingly insist on HD product.

Consumer interest in Canada is somewhat on the rise. According to McEwen, three million HD sets have sold here, but only one-quarter of those have been hooked up to receive an HD signal. It’s troubling to think that an overwhelming majority of those who have spent a thousand dollars or more on their HD sets are not even watching an HD picture. Have you ever seen what they get? A stretched image that is inferior to a properly presented standard definition picture.

Consumers need to be educated. Broadcasters such as CTV and sports sister TSN – both HD leaders in this country – certainly tout the HD availability of primetime dramas and hockey games, but to many viewers this means little because the whole notion of HD remains abstract. Many don’t understand how HD is superior to what they already have. Some don’t even know it is a widescreen format.

Either the CRTC or the government should prod broadcasters to increase consumer awareness. The main reason Canada is so far behind in the HD rollout is that many producers, broadcasters and BDUs have shortsightedly said there is no financial advantage in investing in HD. But greater consumer education will stimulate more demand, forcing quicker overall movement in the industry. In the long run, this will help Canadian broadcasters keep eyeballs from pointing south – or to the Internet, where HD over broadband is looking increasingly feasible. It will also keep the fruits of producers’ labors from becoming obsolete in the very near future.

Why can’t we have, say, CTV dedicate some ad time to a promo that has Brent Butt giving viewers a crash course in picture resolution and aspect ratios? CBC could do the same with Don Cherry, and people would pay attention. Perhaps the CRTC could toss in an incentive to make it worth the casters’ while. This is just one little idea to help give HD a necessary boost.

Some insiders think the CRTC is on the verge of ‘suggesting’ a digital switchover date, or will push government to make the call. Either way, one or the other must step forward and show some leadership very soon, or Canada will forever be a third-rate player in an increasingly high-definition world.