[opendtv] Re: New Thread: What becomes of Legacy Analog Equipment

At 9:09 PM -0500 11/30/07, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:


DVB-T, as it is **in fact** being used in all of Europe, is to fixed
home receivers. If anything, less than what ATSC can do here (no HDTV
there, and very low power transmitters requiring outdoor antennas more
regularly). The difference here is that we have a much more aggressive
pay-TV industry, and a conflict of interest for broadcasters, caused by
must-carry and retransmission consent.
Transmitter power levels have nothing to do with this. What is important is the network of transmitters and how that network is "tuned" for different applications. Europe started their DTV transition by picking the low hanging fruit, just as they did with the build out of their analog TV infrastructure. Over time - and when analog spectrum is recovered - they will build out their DTV networks to provide better coverage with MUCH HIGHER spectral efficiency that what we are building in the U.S.
Europe is using the spectrum to provide real competitive TV services. It is true that the multi-channel systems are not as well entrenched in Europe, but what is more important is that broadcasters actually want people to use their service. On the other hand, the spectrum is just a resource that is controlled by broadcasters in the U.S. in order to keep it out of play in terms of competition, while they rely on competitors to deliver their programming and those nice retransmission consent payments.
This is NOT a conflict of interest situation. It is a carefully crafted strategy developed by the broadcasters and the politicians over decades for two main purposes:
1. To create and maintain a promotional/propaganda vehicle for the politicians to advance their agenda and to maintain control by incumbents;
2. To help a handful of companies maintain competitive control of an important global industry that accounts for a huge portion of U.S. economic exports.
It is worth noting that the second part is also a promotional/propaganda tool for the U.S. government. It was blue jeans and American TV that ultimately caused the downfall of the Soviet empire. It is also important to consider the role of content produce in America in the current global conflict being fueled by petro dollars and radical Muslims. There are good reasons why satellite TV dishes are outlawed in many Mid Eastern countries. 



You keep suggesting some sort of difference that does not exist, Craig.
Those countries in Europe that want to offer mobile service are talking
in terms of DVB-H. Their DVB-T transmitters are way too low power, for
one thing, to provide a credible mobile service. Even if it might work
in certain small areas.
As I said, power levels have nothing to do with this. It is the structure of the network that is important for mobile services; a distributed network provides better spectral efficiency and more uniform power levels across the market(s) being served. Yes, some countries are talking DVB-H, just as we are talking about A-VSB and other MPH proposals. In the end however, it is unlikely that Europe will need DVB-H, as DVB-T has all of the tools needed for MPH services and smart people will figure out how to deal with the battery issues, just as smart people helped overcome the problems with multipath with 8-VSB. 



I understand your desire to grab the TV spectrum for mobile service. It
would affect European DTT exactly the same as US DTT. They would go to
DVB-H, we could do likewise, or go to one of the new VSB variants.
I have no desire to grab the TV spectrum for mobile service. The TV spectrum is a WIRELESS service in a world where wireless communications is becoming a major part of a nation's economic infrastructure with a huge impact on the way people work and share information.
It is simply absurd, given the importance of wireless communications, for broadcasters to waste a huge chunk of prime beach front spectrum to deliver their content to fixed receivers via competitors wired and satellite distribution infrastructures. A wireless service by definition should be able to serve FIXED, PORTABLE, HANDHELD and MOBILE receivers.
The design of the U.S. DTV system is fundamentally flawed - VBS is only a small part of the problem. Politics and spectral efficiency are the real problems.
Do you think that Google, Apple, et al are ONLY interested in handheld and mobile applications for the 700 MHz spectrum. Not a chance. They want to create ubiquitous data networks that can be used by anyone, virtually anywhere, with any kind of transceiver.
Note that i did not say RECEIVER. This is where U.S. broadcasters are really stuck in the past. They think that they can keep pushing ads separated by a little content to people who are growing accustomed to pulling the information and entertainment they want from an interconnected network of networks. 

Keep this in mind as you read my response about " the pending death of radio."

Regards
Craig



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