[opendtv] 20040712 Mark's Monday Memo

  • From: Mark Schubin <tvmark@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Multiple Addresses Suppressed <tvmark@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 20:24:42 -0400

- Follow-ups:

    - Mexico's DTT standard - It's that of the Advanced Television 
Systems Committee (ATSC):
<http://www.atscforum.org/pr/PR-040707-ATSC-Mexico.pdf>

    - South Korea's DTT standard - After much debate, they also 
reaffirmed the choice of ATSC, though they are considering DVB for 
mobile applications:
<http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200407/200407080021.html>
    Ministry of Information and Communications official Rha Bong-ha said 
analog shut down would be in 2010, when 95% of households are expected 
to be DTT-equipped:
<http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200407/kt2004070817121610230.htm>

    - CableCARDs and IEEE-1394 - It may be apocryphal, but one 
correspondent says a friend of his found incomprehension at a cable 
system but kept insisting that they were required by law to provide 
Firewire outputs and was rewarded by receiving a fire extinguisher.
    After repeatedly getting blank responses from my cable company, Time 
Warner Cable of New York City, today I got a response to my question, 
"How much does Time Warner get for a CableCARD?"  It's $1.75/month here 
(where a digital set-top box is $6.75).

    - Other cable and H/DTV -
         - On its HD-on-demand service, Comcast is reportedly offering 
only two movies, "Antarctica HD" and "India: Kingdom of the Tiger":
<http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcasthd070704.html>
         - The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) 
mid-year report lists just 382 U.S. DTT stations being carried on any 
U.S. cable systems but 17 HD cable networks.  It divides the U.S. total 
multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) universe (97 million 
households out of Nielsen's 108.4 million TV households) as of April as 
follows:
              - 73.3% - Cable
              - 23.5% - DBS satellite
              -  1.1% - Satellite master-antenna TV (SMATV)
              -  0.4% - C-band satellite
              -  0.2% - Multichannel multipoint distribution service (MMDS)
              -  1.4% - Other:
<http://www.ncta.com/pdf_files/Overview.pdf>

    - July 1 -
         - According to a story in This Week in Consumer Electronics 
(TWICE), sales of TV sets with integrated DTT reception had no growth 
(or even negative growth) in the first quarter:
<http://www.twice.com/article/CA435342.html?verticalid=820&industry=Video&industryid=23099&pubdate=07/12/2004>
 

         - For the second week, I saw no ads for inexpensive 36-inch TVs.
         - In this week's ads, there were (if I counted right) 50 TVs 
36-inch or larger, 12 of which were integrated with DTT reception.
         - Here are the ads for inexpensive non-H/DTV sets.  See also 
the ads section for inexpensive non-integrated sets:
      - TV sets that would require DTT-reception circuitry starting 2005:
        - Apex AT2708 27-inch TV @ Circuit City $189.99
        - Apex AT2708S 27-inch TV @ Ultimate $168.95
        - Sansui TVS2746 27-inch TV @ Best Buy $169.99
        - Sharp/Jensen 27-inch home-theater system @ Ultimate $297.90**
      - Devices that would require DTT-reception circuitry in 2007:
        - Daewoo DTQ13V5FC 13-inch TV @ Best Buy $59.99
        - RCA E13320 13-inch TV @ Circuit City $89.99
        - Symphonic ST419E 19-inch TV @ Best Buy $89.99
        - Magnavox 20MS3442 20-inch flat-screen TV @ Circuit City $149.99
        - Sylvania 20-inch flat-screen TV @ Sears $119.99
        - Samsung DVDV4600 DVD/VCR combo @ Circuit City $119.99
        - Sensory Science SC104 DVD/VCR combo @ Ultimate $88.95
        - Toshiba SDV392 DVD/VCR combo @ J&R $119.99
        - GoVideo R6640 DVD+RW recorder @ J&R $279.99
        - Magnavox MRV64017 DVD+RW recorder @ Circuit City $249.99
      - Devices that would require dual DTT-reception circuitry in 2007:
        - SuperScan 19-inch TV/VCR/DVD combo @ Sears $199.99
        - Magnavox 27MDTR20/17 27-inch TV/VCR/DVD combo @ Home Depot $279
      ** price after rebate

    - May 1 - Only the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 
updated its list this week.  As of the 9th, they said there were 1233 
U.S. DTT stations in operation in 207 markets.  That's considerably less 
than the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 1424 (as of June 30) 
reported here last week:
<http://www.nab.org/newsroom/issues/digitaltv/dtvstations.asp>

- There are no H/DTV items on the agenda of the FCC's Technological 
Advisory Council meeting on the 28th:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-04-2064A1.pdf

- The FCC is proposing that broadcasters retain recordings of their 
broadcasts between 6 am and 10 pm for as long as 90 days to be checked 
for obscenity, indecency, and profanity:
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-145A1.pdf>
At 19.4 Mbps for U.S. DTT stations, that comes to close to 13 terabytes 
of storage -- or a bunch of D-VHS tapes; if it's 24 hours, make that 
more like 20 TB.

- The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) has 
joined the Digital Transition Coalition (of which EchoStar was already a 
member).
<http://www.twice.com/article/CA434777.html?display=Breaking+News>
    The Coalition has promoted the satellite industry plan to carry 
broadcast HD programming to places where they can't currently do so:
<http://www.digitaltransitioncoalition.com/digital/>

- International H/DTV news: 
    - NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation) reports shipments of over 
a million DTT receivers in seven months:
<http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=4&id=304882>
    I haven't seen a recent Consumer Electronics Association report on 
similar shipments here, but the time frame will be more like seven years.

    - Hong Kong DTT has been delayed by a year (to 2007) to give China a 
chance to pick a standard.  If they don't by the end of 2006, Hong Kong 
will go DVB-T:
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200407/10/eng20040710_149123.html>
    China has reportedly tested five standards but wants to launch DTT 
before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing:
<http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail_frame.cfm?articleid=49200&intcatid=1>
 


    - Australia's latest list of set-top DTT receivers shows 19 
manufacturers offering 41 models, eight of them HDTV-capable.  The least 
expensive SD model is A$199 (about US$144).  The least-expensive HD 
model is A$599 (about US$435):
<http://www.dba.org.au/index.asp?sectionID=18>

- Based on figures from CEA, sales of VCRs to U.S. dealers were down 64% 
for the first 25 weeks of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003.  
Non-H/DTV direct-view TV sets were down 0.2%.  My ten-week running 
average for them was down 7.6%.  Interestingly, for the 25th week alone, 
sales of TV/VCR combos were actually UP 7.9% over last year's 25th week.
    So-called "Digital Television" sales to U.S. dealers for the 25th 
week were 97,666 units.  For the first 25 weeks of the year, there were 
1,836,801 units.  "Digital Televisions" (most of which are HDTV displays 
without DTT-reception capability) accounted for about 15% of the TVs 
(not counting plasma or direct-view LCD) sold to U.S. dealers so far 
this year.  It may be worth noting here what that means.  About 85% of 
the non-plasma, non-direct-view-LCD TVs sold through the 25th week this 
year were still plain non-H/DTV direct-view TVs with picture tubes.
    I've been saying that for a while, so some of you may be wondering 
how much of the market plasma and LCD represent.  Here are CEA figures 
for unit TV sales to U.S. dealers this year through April:
    - Non-H/DTV direct-view CRT - 6,274,842
    - "Digital" direct-view CRT -   232,995
    - CRT-based projection      - 1,051,415
    - Microdisplay projection   -   172,047
    - Plasma TVs                -   158,324
    - "Digital" LCD TVs*        -   370,505
    * - differentiated primarily from hand-held LCD TVs
    For global shipments, here, again, is iSupply/Stanford Resources for 
the first quarter of 2004 in thousands:
    - Direct-view CRT TVs        - 11,186
    - CRT rear projection        -  1,001
    - Direct-view LCD TV         -    365
    - Plasma TV                  -    356
    - Microdisplay projection TV -    265
    - Home front projector       -    106
<http://www.twice.com/article/CA428356.html?verticalid=820&industry=Video&industryid=23099&pubdate=06/21/2004>
 

    To qualify as a "Digital Television," a display need only be capable 
of dealing with at least 480p; it need not be capable of either 
receiving digital signals or displaying them.  Devices actually capable 
of receiving DTT signals were still a small fraction of those numbers.

- Ads for set-top DTT receivers:  I saw none this week.

- The ads - Best Buy introduced a "Reward Zone" program with points and 
certificates ($95 on a $2500 item), but, because they don't mention 
certificate values for all items, I haven't included them.  Ultimate 
called the Mitsubishi WS55613 a monitor.
 - Best Buy (appropriate disclaimers):
   - Daewoo DP-42SM 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $2499.99
   - JVC LT17X475 17-inch widescreen direct-view LCD TV $999.99
   - Mitsubishi WS-65315 65-inch 16:9 projection TV $2499.99
   - RCA D52W15 52-inch 16:9 projection TV $1299.99
   - Samsung HL-P5063W 50-inch 16:9 DLP projection TV $3499.99
   - Samsung SP-P4251 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $3799.99
   - Samsung TX-P2670WH 26-inch 16:9 integrated direct-view CRT DTV $699.99
   - Sony KLV26HG2 26-inch widescreen direct-view LCD TV $2999.99
   - Sony KP46WT510 46-inch 16:9 projection TV $1499.99
   - Sony KV32FS100 32-inch 4:3 direct-view CRT TV $599.99
   - Sony KV36FS210 36-inch 4:3 direct-view CRT TV $999.99
   - Toshiba 42HP83P 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $5499.99
 - Circuit City (appropriate disclaimers):
   - Akai PDP4249G 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $3199.99
   - Akai PT4298HD 42-inch 16:9 projection TV $899.99
   - Audiovox FP1500 15-inch 4:3 LCD TV $399.99
   - Hitachi 50V500 50-inch 16:9 LCD projection TV $3099.99
   - Hitachi 51F500A 51-inch 16:9 CRT projection TV $1699.99
   - Hitachi 57F500A 57-inch 16:9 CRT projection TV $1999.99
   - Panasonic PT50LC13/PT50LC14 50-inch LCD projection TV $2999.99
   - Philips 26PW8402 26-inch 16:9 direct-view CRT TV $599.99
   - RCA D52W20 52-inch 16:9 projection TV $1499.99
   - Samsung HLP5063W 50-inch 16:9 DLP projection TV $3499.99
   - Samsung LTN1535 15-inch 4:3 direct-view LCD TV $599.99
   - Samsung LTP1545 15-inch 4:3 direct-view LCD TV $649.99
   - Samsung LTP2045 20-inch 4:3 direct-view LCD TV $999.99
   - Samsung SPP4251 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $3999.99***
   - Samsung TXN3075WHF 30-inch 16:9 direct-view CRT TV $799.99
   - Sharp LC20B4US/LC20B6US 20-inch 4:3 LCD direct-view TV $11998.99
   - Sharp LC22SV2U 22-inch 16:9 LCD direct-view TV $1499.99
   - Sony KE42M1 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $3999.99***
   - Sony KP51WS510 51-inch 16:9 projection TV $1699.99
   - Sony KV30HS420 30-inch 16:9 direct-view CRT TV $999.99
   - Sony KV34HS510 34-inch 16:9 direct-view CRT TV $1999.99
   *** price includes basic installation
 - Fry's (Los Angeles Times, no disclaimer):
   - "Major Brand" 51-inch 16:9 integrated projection DTV $1499
   - Philips 42FD9954 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $3999
   - Sony KDP-57WS550 57-inch 16:9 integrated projection DTV $2199
 - Howard's (Los Angeles Times, no disclaimer):
   - Panasonic PT47WX34 47-inch 16:9 projection TV $1299
   - Panasonic PT53X54 53-inch 16:9 CRT projection TV $1599
   - Panasonic PT56TW53 56-inch 16:9 CRT projection TV $1799
   - Panasonic TH37PD25UP 37-inch integrated 16:9 plasma DTV $3299
   - Panasonic TH42PD25UP 42-inch 16:9 integrated plasma DTV $3799
 - J&R (New York Times, no disclaimer):
   - JVC PD-42WX84 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $4099.99
   - Philips 23PF9945 23-inch 16:9 LCD TV $1499.99
   - Philips 37FD9954 37-inch 16:9 plasma TV $2999.99
   - Samsung TX-P2745P 27-inch 4:3 direct-view CRT TV $399.99
   - Toshiba 32AF44 32-inch direct-view CRT TV $499.99
   - Toshiba 42HP83P 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $3999.99
 - Sears (Minneapolis Star Tribune, no disclaimer):
   - Mitsubishi 55-inch 16:9 projection TV, Sears #54124 $1804.99
 - Ultimate Electronics (Minneapolis Star Tribune, one disclaimer):
   - LG RU17LZ22 17-inch widescreen direct-view LCD TV $809.95
   - LG RU44SZ61D 44-inch 16:9 projection TV $2519.95
   - Magnavox 42MF7000 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $2498.95
   - Magnavox 51MP392H 51-inch 16:9 projection TV $1199.95
   - Mitsubishi WS55315 55-inch 16:9 projection TV $1709.95
   - Mitsubishi WS55513 55-inch 16:9 integrated projection DTV $1979.95
   - Mitsubishi WS55613 55-inch 16:9 integr. projection DTV - part of pkg.
   - Mitsubishi WS65513 65-inch 16:9 integrated projection DTV $2519.95
   - Mitsubishi WS65813 65-inch 16:9 integrated projection DTV $3999.95
   - Mitsubishi WT42315 42-inch 16:9 CRT projection TV $1349.95
   - Panasonic PT47WX34/WX53 47-inch 16:9 projection TV - part of package
   - Panasonic PT50LC13 50-inch LCD projection TV $2499.95
   - Panasonic TC22LH1 22-inch 16:9 LCD TV $1799.95
   - Panasonic TH42PD25 42-inch 16:9 integrated plasma DTV $3419.95
   - Pioneer PDP4340HD 43-inch 16:9 integrated plasma DTV $5399.95**
   - Samsung HLN567W 56-inch 16:9 DLP projection TV $3599.95
   - Samsung LTP1545 15-inch 4:3 direct-view LCD TV $539.95
   - Samsung SPP4251 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $3479.95
   - Sharp LC30HV4U 30-inch 16:9 LCD direct-view TV $2999.95
   - Sony KDP57WS550 57-inch 16:9 integrated projection DTV $1999.95
   - Sony KE42TS2 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $4949.95
   - Sony KF50WE610 50-inch 16:9 LCD projection TV $2969.95
   - Sony KP46WT510 46-inch 16:9 projection TV $1349.95
   - Sony KV32HS420 32-inch 4:3 direct-view CRT TV $899.95
   - Zenith C32V37 32-inch 4:3 integrated direct-view CRT DTV $899.95
   - Zenith L15V26C 15-inch 4:3 LCD TV $498.95
   ** price after rebate

- DVD news: 
    - According to CEA, sales of DVD players to U.S. dealers for the 
first 25 weeks of 2004 were DOWN 1.2% from the same period in 2003.  My 
ten-week running average was down 12.3%.

    - Next year's Academy Awards "screeners" may be encrypted DVDs 
requiring a special player:
<http://audiotechnologyupdate.broadcastengineering.com/july_9/#oscar>

- Upcoming Dates (DTV and non-DTV):

    - July 14, Boston, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/33_Boston.htm>.
    - July 16, Eastern New York, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/34_Up_State_NY.htm>.
    - July 19, Binghamton, New York, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/35_Binghamton.htm>.
    - July 19-23, Seattle, MPEG meetings.
    - July 21, Cleveland, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/36_Cleveland.htm>.
    - July 22, Columbus, Ohio, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/37_Columbus.htm>.
    - July 22, Todd-AO Studios, Studio City, California, Entertainment 
Technology Center demo of Fraunhofer Institute's Wave Field Synthesis 
spatial audio technology, RSVP +1-213-743-1600 <http://www.etcenter.org>.
    - *July 23-24, Raleigh Studios, Hollywood, HPA Summer School 
<http://www.hpaonline.com/i4a/forms/form.cfm?id=88>.
    - July 26, Indianapolis, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/38_Indianapolis.htm>.
    - July 28, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" 
(not NAB affiliated) 
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/39_Urbana-Champaign.htm>.
    - July 29, Madison, Wisconsin, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/40_Madison.htm>.
    - August 2, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/41_Minn-StP.htm>.
    - August 6, Riverton, Wyoming, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/43_Riverton.htm>.
    - August 9, Salt Lake City, Utah, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/44_SLC.htm>.
    - August 11, Bozeman, Montana, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/45_Bozeman.htm>.
    - August 13, Boise, Idaho, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/46_Boise.htm>.
    - August 16, Spokane, Washington, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/47_Spokane.htm>.
    - August 18, Washington State University, Road Show -- "A Taste of 
NAB" (not NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/48_WSU.htm>.
    - August 20, Seattle, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/49_Seattle.htm>.
    - August 24, Portland, Oregon, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not 
NAB affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/50_Portland.htm>.
    - August 24-26, Westin Century Plaza, Los Angeles, DisplaySearch 
HDTV Forum 2004 <http://www.displaysearch.com/hdtvforum/>.
    - August 25, Eugene, Oregon, Road Show -- "A Taste of NAB" (not NAB 
affiliated) <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2004/51_Eugene.htm>.
    - August 30-September 1, Hollywood Renaissance Hotel, Entertainment 
Media Expo <http://www.media-tech.net/news/New_A.htm>.
    - September 1-3, Reading, UK, International Symposium on Consumer 
Electronics <http://www.isce.reading.ac.uk>.
    - September 9-14, RAI, Amsterdam, International Broadcasting 
Convention <http://www.ibc.org>.
    - September 16-19, Sony, Basingstoke, England, SMPTE Engineering 
Committee meetings <http://www.fibush.net/smpte/Sept2004/Sept2004.htm>.
    - October 6-7, Washington (D.C.) Convention Center, Government Video 
Technology Expo <http://www.GVExpo.com>.
    - October 13-15, Hotel Washington, Washington, D.C., IEEE Broadcast 
Symposium <http://www.ieee.org/organizations/society/bt/symposium.html>.
    - November 4, Los Angeles Center Studios, HD Expo 
<http://www.hdexpo.net/>.
    - November 4-7, W
estin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, Home Entertainment 2004 West 
<http://www.homeentertainment-expo.com/>.
    - November 17-19, Makuhari Messe (Tokyo area), InterBEE 
<http://bee.jesa.or.jp>.
    - January 3-6, Las Vegas, IEEE Consumer Communications and 
Networking Conference <http://www.ieee-ccnc.org/>.
    - January 6-9, Las Vegas, Consumer Electronics Show 
<http://www.cesweb.org/>.
    - January 8-12, Las Vegas Convention Center, International 
Conference on Consumer Electronics <http://www.icce.org/>.
    - ***January 26-28, Rancho Las Palmas Marriott, California, ***The 
Technology Retreat*** <http://www.hpaonline.com>.
* - new or revised listing

TTFN,
Mark

PS  Permission is granted to forward this or any other Monday Memo.  
Next week's memo might be late and could be without ads.  There will be 
some loss of memos in August, but I'm not yet sure when that will be.

Confused about something in the memo?  Please first check out the second 
post-script to the January 5 memo here:
<http://www.digitaltelevision.com/mondaymemo/mlist/frm02052.html>






 
 
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