[opendtv] Re: FCC rules for cable after the OTA TV digital transition
- From: "John Shutt" <shuttj@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:17:13 -0400
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eory Frank-p22212" <Frank.Eory@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
It seems that this order simply prolongs the completion of cable's DTV
transition, which seems rather odd, considering the FCC's supposed
interest in completing the broadcaster's DTV transition as quickly as is
practical.
Why would the FCC care if cable systems ever go digital? That's purely a
business decision for the cable systems, not any mandate from the
government.
The either/or option of maintaining an analog tier or going all-digital
only when all subs have the necessary equipment is also puzzling.
Not puzzling in the least. The stated intent is to ensure that all cable
viewers can continue to view at least the primary video program of every OTA
station after the analog shutdown. If all viewers already use digital STBs,
then the primary video can be carried in digital. If all viewers already
have HD STBs, then the primary must be in HD if so transmitted OTA. If some
viewers currently view OTAs in NTSC, then they must continue to be able to
view the OTA's primary video in NTSC. It's nothing more than a continuation
of the status quo.
Does
the order require MSOs to foot the bill for all those STBs if he is
anxious to eliminate analog sooner rather than later?
The MSOs would have to foot that bill regardless. If an MSO is anxious to
ditch analog, they have to provide their customers with something to view
programming with. It would be forcing the MSOs to foot the bill for all
those STBs only if the FCC mandated that the OTA's primary video must be
carried only in a digital format. This order does the exact opposite.
If so, how ironic
that this order comes on the heels of a previous order that requires
MSOs to spend a lot more money on each STB by forcing the CA separation
and the purchasing of CableCards.
That is not the same, because currently the MSO forces every single
subscriber that wants access to CA content to use an MSO provided STB. All
the CableCard order was meant to do was to allow viewers to bypass the MSO's
STB and use their own TV set tuners. Again, just the opposite financial
burden, because in the long run requiring CableCards would reduce the number
of STBs the MSO would have to maintain, not increase the number. Which
costs more, a CA card or a Digital STB?
The sum total of both orders looks
like a massive tax on cable MSOs with little or no improvement in
service to subscribers.
I disagree. The only tax I can see is the necessity of purchasing an ATSC
receiver for each OTA station in the market, for each head end that needs
one. At most, two thousand per channel per head end. Nothing more is
required to be purchased, and the spectrum is currently occupied with an
NTSC signal, so no additional spectrum is required.
Wonderful. Rather than allowing cable MSOs to follow their own business
plans to add more and more HD channels and to increase broadband speeds
-- in other words, their plans to increase the service offerings on the
digital tier while decreasing the offerings on the analog tier -- the
FCC has ORDERED that the MSOs change their plans and remain stuck in the
past for a few years longer. A fine example of an anti-progress ruling
by the government.
Every single system in the country today has an analog channel devoted to an
OTA broadcaster (or if the system is all digital and all subscribers have
STBs, then a single digital channel.) All this order says is that channel
will still be devoted to an OTA after 19 Feb 2009. Not a big deal at all.
The U.S. is already lagging other industrialized nations on broadband
penetration. This ruling will only make that worse, by prolonging
cable's digital spectrum shortage.
In one paragraph you demean the idea of forcing MSOs to buy digital STBs for
subscribers, then in the next you demean the idea of not letting MSOs buy
digital STBs for subscribers. You can't have it both ways. An MSO's
subscriber needs to have some way to view content, and not just OTA content,
but all content. If an MSO wants to kill all analog channels for more
digital channels, they are free to do so the moment all of their subs have
digital STBs in home. If the MSO doesn't want to purchase that many digital
STBs, they are free to continue to offer an analog tier. As a practical
matter, an MSO doesn't want to lose subscribers by dropping their analog
tier then telling subs that no STBs are available, so it is only common
sense that MSOs won't drop analog until all subs have digital capability.
No big deal.
John
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