[old_tv_nut]

The RCA compatible system basically could not be made to work. It was the most technically competent proposal for a compatible system. It depended on adding additional resolution components in the "Fukinuki hole," as well as other places in the spectrum. The Fukinuki (Takahiko Fukinuki, at Hitachi) frequencies are interlaced with the luma similar to NTSC chroma, but with an opposite phase sequence. The result is flickering interference in both color and luminance on edges in existing sets, that supposedly could be integrated out by the eye - but they could never find an amplitude level that would both make the added resolution noise-free and keep the interference in existing sets to tolerable levels.

Once successful and superior digital picture quality was demonstrated, RCA and other analog proponents either dropped out of the running, or in the case of the Japanese 6 MHz MUSE system, were rejected even by the inexperienced viewers in subjective testing, who could plainly see the poor quality compared to digital coding.

Multiple organizations had put their best efforts into analog or hybrid systems (23 were proposed at the start!), but none of them turned out to be feasible - either they weren't compatible or they didn't provide sufficient quality HD pictures, or both. One or two from less-than-competent proponents tried to defy the laws of physics in some way, and of course failed completely.