[opendtv] Re: PBS National Datacast

Excuse me if I've been a llittle confused.  The below cited Moviebeam press 
release via Webwire says that Moviebeam is using National Datacasting 
technology.  And the National Datacasting website says that they employ PBS's 
DTV stations, with no mention of the older dotcast technology on NTSC PBS 
stations.  So I sent them an email:
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 4:58 PM 
To: Moviebeam Customer Care 
Subject: Impact of Analog Shutdown 
Question: 1. I have read conflicting reports that Moviebeam may or may not be 
multiplexing their signal onto existing Digital TV broadcasts: 
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?SESSIONID=&aId=9583

Can you confirm whether this is true and tell me which station(s) in San Diego, 
CA will carry the Moviebeam signal, since reception for several stations is 
blocked by intervening hills.

2. If Moviebeam is still using the original dotcast technology, which 
multiplexes Moviebeam's digital signal onto an existing analog (NTSC) broadcast 
carrier, what will be the impact when all analog stations are  required to be 
shut down by February 2009?  Will the current Moviebeam player become obsolete 
at that point????
---------------------------------------

Dear Potential Customer,
Thank you for your inquiry into MovieBeam services.  I am pleased to tell you 
that the link you provided in the message does include factual information 
about our service.  
     
"Through a long-term agreement with National Datacast, and its 
nationwide network of PBS stations, MovieBeam's exclusive over-the-air 
datacasting technology provides a low-cost content distribution solution and 
enables the efficient, secure and simultaneous delivery of hundreds of digital 
movie files to millions of customers' homes across the country. The MovieBeam 
datacasting signal rides on top of the existing PBS broadcasting infrastructure 
and National Datacast's 15 years of experience provides MovieBeam with a 
distribution solution including 
network coordination, management and monitoring."

We have mapped all addresses within the United States and the best way to see 
if your location can receive the MovieBeam signal is to log onto our website 
(www.moviebeam.com), click on get MovieBeam and enter your address.  It's that 
easy.  Alternatively you can call us at 1-800-MOVIEBEAM and our agents will run 
a coverage check for you.

In reply to your question about the shut down of analog signals, we very much 
doubt, as do many other authoritative sources, that the actual timing will be 
as soon as February 2009.  However, our hardware is  upgradeable to receive 
digital signals and our plan is to have an upgrade solution when required.
That's a wrap! 
MovieBeam Production Crew

--------------------------------------------------
So they've confirmed that Moviebeam is currentlly using PBS analog 
channels.....so the National Datacast website must have left off the dotcast 
analog capability???
Note that Moviebeam does not believe in the Feb2009 shut down date for 
analog.....cough, cough....
But they claim that the player hardware is upgradeable for DTV....if you want 
to believe their claim....
Unfortunately, whether or not Moviebeam will exist three years from now so that 
I could justify the high up front cost is anyone's guess....

                         <holl_ands>

===============================================
John Shutt <shuttj@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: I stand by what I said.  National Datacast 
is the arm of PBS that sells data 
time, and has been around for many years longer than ATSC.

As of this date National Datacast is not providing any data services via 
ATSC.  National Datacast does provide data services via NTSC, both for those 
few markets that have enabled Dotcast, and for almost every other PBS 
affiliate with vertical interval data for Gemstar/TV Guide EPGs.

And one of the sites listed also states that National Datacast provides data 
for Microsoft ActiMates toys.  That service was turned off 18 months ago, so 
you can see how up to date those web sites actually are.

John

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Albert Manfredi" 

> Well, this site:
>
> http://www.pbs.org/digitaltv/dataNS.html
>
> says that PBS either is, or soon will be, providing this datacast service
> over their DTT transmitter. It's called PBS National Datacast.

                
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