[opendtv] Re: News: DIRECTV Sued Over HDTV Picture Quality

Craig Birkmaier wrote:

>>> What is the relative cost of adding a computer and DVD
>>> drive to a display versus an ATSC/cable ready tuner?
>>
>> Something like 20:1.
>
> You've got to be kidding. Complete computers with LCD panel
> displays are selling for less than $500 today.
>
> A Mac mini retails for $599, and will connect directly to
> most HD displays via DVI (Apple is showed an HDMI connector
> on the iTV prototype that will retail for about $300).

Okay, so that $600 vs ~$30 for a built-in ATSC receiver, or 20:1 price
ratio.

> An HDTV capable iMAC (24" LCD panel) retails for $1,999,
> and it includes: a Superdrive that is capable of burning
> DVDs; a 250GB drive; 1 GB of memory; Wireless-G and
> Bluetooth; and a remote to run Apple's Front Row "lean back"
> interface. It has a 1920 x 1200 display resolution.

Subtract, what, $500 for the small display, and you're left with $1500
for the electronics. Compared with a built-in ATSC tuner, that's 50:1
price ratio.

Look at your question above. The answer is that all these admittedly
more potent options are far more expensive than the built-in
plug-and-play receiver. For the buck, the integrated TV gives you a lot
more than adding a computer, if what you're after is HDTV.

Bert
 
 
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