[opendtv] Re: The Transition Up North

  • From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:45:54 -0400

At 4:21 PM -0500 8/26/10, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
Why don't Canadian stores just sell the decent and cheap STBs that were subsidized here? Even without subsidies, they went for $50 to $60 or so. There must be some left over, no?

What makes you think they don't?

Products available in the U.S. are ALSO available in Canada, not to mention that about half of the homes in Canada have access to U.S. TV signals. I suspect that most Canadians who still use FOTA signals have already converted, likely by buying a new TV with an ATSC tuner.

You can buy ATSC to analog convertor boxes for $40 at Amazon.com.

By waiting a bit, Canadian broadcasters have been able to leverage the CE industry investment in ATSC. In essence, the mandate for ATSC tuners in the U.S. had made ATSC tuners a standard feature of new TVs in Canada.

Makes one wonder what would have happened in the U.S. if the government simply stood back and let the marketplace work this out. As you often point out, the cost for an ATSC tuner is no longer a significant factor when buying a big screen TV.

Regards
Craig

P.S. While looking for ATSC tuners in Canada I noticed that all of the retailers sell cable/DBS STBs. Apparently Canada has had more success in opening up the market for these boxes, although it looks like the market is dominated by the same manufacturers who make boxes for the U.S. cable market.


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