High Definition is touted as the future of broadcasting, but if so, excepting Japan and Singapore, why has the rest of Asia been slow to adopt the format? Lack of satellite capacity and bandwith limits. Cable operators’ indecision on HD delivery. Expensive HD set-top boxes. The slow conversion from analogue to digital in some markets. Lack of sufficient content. Low consumer demand. Or all of the above? Theories abound among executives at various stages of the HD value chain, from creation through distribution, middleware, security providers and broadcasting, on the slow takeup of HD in much of Asia. Nonetheless, there’s a general consensus in the industry that the HD age is dawning. “As the international rollout of MPEG4 gathers pace, so does the demand for HD content,” says Glenn Oakley, VOOM HD Networks’ Senior Vice President, Global Operations and Business Development. “This year and next look to be watershed years for the growth and deployment of high-definition television. The Beijing Olympics next August are being seen as the ideal programming springboard for launching HD channels.