[opendtv] Re: News: Tuner Comments Fly

http://www.tvtechnology.com/dailynews/one.php?id=3D3131

Date posted: 2005-07-29

Tuner Comments Fly

The comments started rolling in this week on the
FCC action seeking more information on DTV tuners.
The commission has proposed moving up the date --
from the end of 2007 to the end of '06 -- when all
TVs with screens 13 inches and larger must include
digital over-the-air, or ATSC, tuners. The same
proposal seeks feedback on whether TVs smaller
than 13 inches should be included in the mandate.

...

The Consumer Electronics Association expressed a
marked lack of enthusiasm for moving up the
tuner-integration date because the time frame is
too tight. Manufacturers need at least 18 to 24
months to integrate tuners into the production
cycle, the CEA contends.

The organization also has a beef with a
13-and-under requirement, given the potential cost
add-on of an ATSC tuner. Using estimates provided
by the chip maker Zoran, the CEA in its filing
said integrating an ATSC tuner would add around
$65 to a small standalone device and between $80
and $120 to an existing one.

...

ATI, another chip maker, submitted a comment stating
that the cost of adding DTV reception capability to
a TV set would run around $40 by the fall of 2006.
-----------------------------------------

Hmmm. Getting pretty close to my $35 estimate from
several years ago, for 12/31/2006.

The real question the CEA should be asking itself is
whether they want to sub-13" TV category to survive
at all. It seems inconceivable to me that many of
these tiny sets are bought for anything OTHER THAN
OTA reception. The CEA should instead be pushing for
availability of really good tuners, that would
ensure that small portable TV sets can still be
produced.

I read a couple of weeks ago in EE Times that
there's a lot of research being conducted to reduce
the current demands of high speed CMOS devices,
specifically to reduce the power consuption of
electronics needed for this sort of application.
Until then, lap-top PC style rechargeable batteries
are going to have to do the trick. And sure, time
between charges might only be a couple of hours or
so, for reception of regular DTT.

Bert

 
 
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