[opendtv] Re: Digital TV: Brazil to Adopt Anything But the American System
- From: Bob Miller <bob@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:07:40 -0500
Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
>Tom Barry wrote:
>
>
>
>>Well, if most stations are not not still at low power
>>then that leaves only the 2nd half of the CEA's reason
>>for no OTA STB's. That is, there is only 11% (any x%
>>low number) of TV's using OTA anyway and thus the CEA
>>members have little interest in bothering with it.
>>
>>
>
>The number, even if as low as 15 percent, is still enough to "bother
>with." After all, DBS was at that level for quite some time, and no one
>claimed it was unnecessary.
>
>Besides which, the actual number of OTA users of channels that are
>offered OTA seems to come back in the 30-something percent in survey
>after survey. Some are OTA households, some are OTA sets in otherwise
>umbillically connected households.
>
>And also, I still think that the Accurian experience -- all the STBs
>selling out fast after the price was brought to under $100, the guy
>standing in line in front of me asking about them, the apparent large
>demand for them still -- says that it would not take any marketing
>genius to move these DTT products briskly. Just a decent price and
>decent performance. The same experience, incidentally, that they had in
>Berlin, where OTA usage was about half what it is here.
>
>
>
>>Moving on to conspiracy theories, it would also be
>>interesting to know if any pressure is being brought on
>>the CE companies by cable or satellite to stay out of the
>>OTA STB market.
>>
>>
>
>Or someone. It would be indeed. What about lawmakers? How can they be so
>blatantly unfair as to contemplate such an anti-competitive measure as
>the 8 Watt limit on OTA STBs only? Surely, you don't have to be a TV
>gadget freak to understand that STBs are STBs, when it comes to needing
>power, and that if one of them is stictly limited, the others should be
>as well? Never mind the power required by the rest of the A/V chain? Why
>should it take a deliberate lobbying effort to explain the obvious to
>these guys? Or do they know, but are made to pretend they don't get it?
>
>Bert
>
I take it you have never been to or watched a Congressional hearing on
the subject, actually any subject. They are or do a good job of acting
as if they are as dense as a rock. Their aides come in with questions
that have been written by lobbyist that they then read word for word
hardly waiting for an answer before departing. At anytime less than one
in five seats are occupied while in the audience every seat is taken and
many could not make it in.
If you want to attend a public hearing you would be wise to employ a
place holder in line or be there very early yourself if the meeting is
at all interesting. But don't expect many members of the Committee to
actually be there for all or even a few minutes of any hearing. Even if
it is on C-Span.
BTW Berlin is COFDM and I know you do not want to give any weight to
that but it is all about the modulation. Content, multiple offerings and
new ventures would magically appear if we had COFDM. Lately I have been
speculating on what you would say after COFDM is allowed in the US and
is wildly successful. I think I have a pretty good idea.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda have been done with 8-VSB.
But the simple answer is it is NOT being done with 8-VSB. There IS a
reason for that.
Do you think anything would be happening on channel 55 ala Qualcomm if
they were limited to 8-VSB? Same with Crown Castle, would they be doing
anything using 8-VSB? I don't think so. Neither would ever have made a
bid for the spectrum.
I see that US proponents of 8-VSB will meet with Brazil one more time.
Will they offer them the promise of a magical new chip on the horizon
and maybe only two years out or will they offer $10 billion? Japan is up
to $500 million. If I were Brazil I would take the $10 billion and do
nothing like Canada.
Bob Miller
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