----- Original Message ----- From: "johnwillkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
I did forget the wall wart, but they cost about $0.25 in volume. I'm not sure that the dongle doesn't have an MPEG-2 demux nor AC-3. I assume they covered the IP cost of both, so you're talking about one or two ICs.
Does your dongle (Diamond HDTV100?) have RCA jacks for video and audio output? Does your dongle have NTSC RF Channel 3/4 output suitable for an NTSC television? No? Then no MPEG to NTSC decoder, and no Dolby AC3 decoder, and no RF modulator. With most dongles, those tasks are done in software on the computer, the same way you watch video DVDs on your computer, and piggyback the MPEG and Dolby licenses to the computer's DVD playback license. Unless NTSC lives inside of your dongle on some chip's unterminated pin, you need to add more hardware than just repackaging your dongle in a larger plastic case, as you dismissively implied. Not a daunting task, but would most likely need to be housed in a cigarette pack sized case, both for the real estate needed on the back for the required inputs/outputs, and for the circuit board inside with it's additional 2-3 chips and associated discrete components.
I already included NTSC and S-video output, and I was not aware that HDMI was required on analog-only outputs. Is this in the NAB RFP or NTIA's requirements, or the law?
Did you read the part where I said you can delete the HDMI connector to be coupon eligible? And yes, the NTIA prohibits HDMI or any other HD output. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/DTVFinalRule_technical.htm Disqualifying features - Outputs: Digital Video Interface (DVI); Component video (YPbPr); High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI); Computer video (VGA); USB IEEE-1394 (iLink or Firewire) Ethernet (IEEE-802.3) Wireless (IEEE0802.11)
Did the NTIA mandate EPG? I thought they forbiade it. I said nothing about cheapening the dongle's parts.
They did not mandate EPG, but they did mandate PSIP, and permit EPG. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/DTVFinalRule_2e.htm 75. After reviewing the comments received on the NPRM, NTIA requires that the converter box receive, decode and display information contained in the PSIP broadcast pursuant to the A/65 standard. NTIA notes that television receivers must decode the PSIP in order to display the parental controls required by the FCC. The basic capability of decoding PSIP information, therefore, is already required of all converter boxes. Moreover, with PSIP functionality incorporated in ATSC tuner chips, it would be costly and impractical to require manufacturers to build converters without such functionality. 76. Further, NTIA will permit, but not require, a CECB to display other electronic program information. As noted by many of the commenters, this capability will assist the consumer in navigating through the many channels that will be provided by digital broadcasters. NTIA believes the means to achieve such electronic program information should be left to the judgment of individual receiver manufacturers who will be permitted to make hardware and software modifications necessary to display electronic program information. John ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org
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