IMO Bert pretty much has it right. > -----Original Message----- > From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Albert Manfredi > Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 1:19 PM > To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [opendtv] Re: DTT tuner design > > > Tom Barry wrote: > > >Worse, even if broadcasters offered lots of good HD content > >most any cable broadband customer can get the same stations > >with any QAM cable ready HDTV or PC card for an incremental > >fee of maybe -$5 to $5. If you don't need the cable HD box > >then the network stations are usually offered in unencrypted > >QAM on the lifeline cable package and bundled with broadband > >for practically nothing (or less). And if you like the cable PVR > >deal then HD is usually bundled that way too. > > > >And I'm not sure whether broadcasters prefer their viewers > >use antennas vs the above. In many ways it is simpler and > >more profitable to just let cable support them, especially if you > >can get paid for it. > > > >Of course in the long run this is likely to devalue the OTA > >franchise politically and cause some more encroachments on > >the spectrum, relative interference worries, exclusive local > >rights, net affiliate contract renegotiations, etc. > > I think it's actually simpler than this. In the end, it is at worst a "no > change" from where we were a few years ago. The new TV standard > has simply > shifted upward to HDTV. Just as it was meant to be doing. Whether > you're one > of the stubborn OTA users, like me, or whether you're someone who gladly > rationalizes additional monthly bills, makes no difference, on > average. The > median TV viewer is pushing the demanded quality to HD. > > I disagree with the idea that anyone who likes HD will just > naturally go to > an umbillical system. > > Look, does anyone who want A/C in his car just naturally go to > Cadillac or > Mercedes? Of course not. The median car buyer simply expects A/C > in his car, > whereas 30 years ago he probably did not. > > And to prove this point, in last weekend's visit to Best Buy, I > saw a brand > new trend. Gone are those 20" 4:3 LCD SDTVs. None left. Now you > will find a > large assortment of 19", 22", and bigger 16:9 LCD HDTVs, built-in ATSC > receiver, for prices starting at the high $200s and up into the > $300s. They > are typically 1366 X 768, which certainly qualifies as HDTV. > People who buy > these sets *will* often use the OTA receiver, is my bet. And strangely > enough, my own nephew just did buy one, and is using the OTA receiver, > without making a big deal about it. > > So broadcasters should take their ATSC transmitters as seriously as they > have been taking their NTSC transmitters, and I think this will be true > after 2/17/2009 as well. > > Bert > > _________________________________________________________________ > http://liveearth.msn.com > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: > > - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration > settings at FreeLists.org > > - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the > word unsubscribe in the subject line. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.