[opendtv] Re: Reading between the lines
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 15:15:09 -0500
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> Clearly, a TV broadcast system that works reliably for mobile devices,
> coupled with compatible receivers in these devices, would allow TV
> broadcasters to "stay in the game"
Yes, Craig, but you can't keep singing the same tune, after at least 10 years
of steady improvements.
Not long ago, I posted a column by Doug Lung, where he tested just the sort of
battery-operated TV receivers that would be helpful in cases like these. And
they work. They work not just for M/H transmissions, they also reportedly work
for regular ATSC, with the use of simple portable antennas. So that part is in
place already, or could be with no dramatic changes to anything.
The telco part of the solution is probably more fragile, since you rely on just
one or maybe two small towers that are closeby, as opposed to multiple towers
that can be much, much further away, and can in effect operate as redundant
alternates. Furthermore, the telco solution is infinitely more likely to
saturate, if many people try to get on at the same time, especially if multiple
small towers may be out of commission. But that can also play a part.
> Seems broadcasters don't want to give up valuable FREE spectrum, but
> they are more than willing to ask the politicians to mandate a
> technical solution to keep them in the game...
>
> Hence the conclusion of this article, that the government should
> mandate that every cellphone have an FM chip.
In fact, the TV broadcasters didn't weigh in at all.
As to FM, I'd much sooner see them going to HD Radio, getting that deployed,
rather than focusing on a transitional technology that only allows limited text
over the analog FM carrier, and only works with properly equipped radios
anyway. What's the advantage of mandating that transitional solution, as
opposed to far better solution that is already in place?
Bert
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