Ironlung,
You are comparing HD broadcasting availability with the rise of SD DVD's but they don't correlate to each other just because both of them have been around for almost the same amount of time.
The reason that HD broadcasting is so slow in developing is because there is a huge cost that must be laid down to develope the market. There was nowhere near this amount of cost to develope the SD DVD market. When SD DVD's came out it was a simple matter of paying a few extra dollars to purchase a DVD over a tape. In most rental stores it only cost a dollar to rent a DVD over a tape. Additionally, the cost of a DVD player was not that much more expensive than purchasing a Hifi VHS player. The total cost to the average joe consumer was only a few dollars over several purchases and they suddenly had a better quality product.
With HD there is a huge financial obligation on the consumer immediately. For people to immediately benefit from HD they have to purchase a brand new HD television which leaves most people hurting for money to purchase anything else, let alone the additional cost of subsribing to HD services. On top of that, many people don't want to buy an HD TV because there is nothing wrong with the set they just bought a year or two ago. Yeah, a lot of people have finally started purchasing HD sets but I wouldn't say a majority of people own one yet. Oh, and then you have to buy a new recorder if you want to record anything anymore too, because your old recorder can't handle HD either (another expensive investment for the consumer). Since that is the case, why would broadcasters lay down the cash to flood the airwaves with HD when it wont matter to large portion of their market. Instead, they have chosen to grow the HD services slowly with a smaller investment spread over time that grows at the same rate the market grows. I'm not saying it was the right plan but I certainly see why they would do it this way.
I don't know how fast it is going to happen but it will happen. This giant HD monster is moving forward and it is starting to pick up speed. I just don't think you can compare HD Broadcasting with the success of SD DVD's.
