[opendtv] Re: Let the games begin

  • From: John Willkie <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2006 18:26:03 -0800 (GMT-08:00)

Tom;

I'm all in favor of a hard shutoff date for analog.  We now have one for full 
service tv, and I've always told chief engineers that they needed to plan that 
the analog cutoff would come at the end of this year.

I disagree that "once faced with the reality of ATSC and nothing but ATSC" that 
any change is likely, at least starting over.

The predicate just won't happen.  Already, we have IPTV, QAM, 8-VSB, E-VSB, 
soon A-VSB (I suspect), QPSK and in short order, OFDM on at least some 
"recovered" channels.  NTSC will be around for a while, if only so that cable 
customers can continue to "enjoy" analog, and provided that the cable firm 
obtains "ATSC to NTSC" rights from broadcasters through retrans consent.  

And, not to slight 8-VSB, the reception situation is getting better and better 
and will only continue to progress, irregardless of new modulation/coding/FEC 
schemes.

One of my customers was surprised a few weeks ago to talk to an antenna seller 
in the upper midwest.  This customer is somewhat unsure if there will be a 
future for over the air after analog shutoff.  The antenna seller is reporting 
land office business, as cable customers are forsaking digital cable (where the 
HDTV is down-rezzed and otherwise bit-starved) in favor of roof, attic or 
set-top antenna to get HDTV.

It's funny how so much attention has been spent here on "full transport stream 
carriage" by cable while the reality, at least for most cable systems, will be 
to supply the legacy NTSC market for some years to come, even as cablers 
continue to divert analog channels to digital services.

Indeed, many of the cable deals announced with network owned and operated 
stations include not only full transport stream carriage, but ATSC to NTSC 
rights.  It's not out of the realm of possibility that cable firms will 
eventually petition the FCC for mandatory ATSC to NTSC rights.  In which case, 
their fighting against full transport stream carriage might hang heavily in the 
air.

John Willkie

-----Original Message-----
>From: Tom Barry <trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Nov 8, 2006 5:19 PM
>To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [opendtv] Re: Let the games begin
>
>John -
>
>I'm not sure whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with me.
>
>But even if we call it "being permissive about OFDM" and the FCC has 
>agreed to consider it "once Hell freezes over" then it still seems quite 
>likely we will do that once faced with the reality of ATSC, and nothing 
>but ATSC.
>
>I guess we are both at least in agreement we should get on with the 
>transition and get out of limbo.  I think most of us want to do that 
>now, regardless of our other predictions.
>
>- Tom
>
>John Willkie wrote:
>> There is NOT A CHANCE of starting over.  The clock is ticking www.mstv.com.  
>> It would take about two years -- minimum to do the studies and the 
>> proceeding at the FCC to begin the process, if the FCC was so disposed. 
>> 
>> Your post-cutoff analysis is somewhat flawed, since the FCC has previously 
>> said that permitting OFDM on broadcast bands won't even be considered until 
>> after analog sunsets.  So, sometime after analog is off (I suspect we're 
>> talking about the sunset of LPTV analog, by the way, not full service 
>> analog), the FCC may open a proceeding that will take years, to permit OFDM.
>> 
>> That ain't starting over; it's just being permissive about OFDM.
>> 
>> May you live so long.
>> 
>> John Willkie
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> 
>>>From: Tom Barry <trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>Sent: Nov 8, 2006 8:21 AM
>>>To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>Subject: [opendtv] Re: Let the games begin
>>>
>>>There is still a good chance of starting over.  But I don't think we 
>>>will call it that and I'm fairly certain it cannot happen until we 
>>>actually turn of analog and everybody gets to use ATSC for awhile.  So 
>>>we should just get on with it.  ;-)
>>>
>>>- Tom
>>>
>>>
>>>John Shutt wrote:
>>>
>>>>Craig,
>>>>
>>>>I was all for this option in 1999, and 2000, and 2001, and even today, 
>>>>but any realistic chance of starting over was killed with the tuner 
>>>>mandate.
>>>>
>>>>John
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig Birkmaier" <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>>
>>>>>And there is still another alternative.
>>>>>
>>>>>START OVER
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>-- 
>>>Tom Barry                       trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx  
>>>Find my resume and video filters at www.trbarry.com
>>>
>>>
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>> 
>> 
>>  
>>  
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>> 
>
>-- 
>Tom Barry                       trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx    
>Find my resume and video filters at www.trbarry.com
> 
> 
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