[opendtv] Re: US DTV Patent Royalties Range From $24 to $40
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 11:02:24 -0400
Tom Barry wrote:
> It does not matter if something in the chain is still causing you
> to pay royalties for each item. You pay the duplicate $24-40
> royalties for those items in your TV. You don't get a two (or
> more)for one discount for all the other places you have paid the
> same royalties. Maybe you should, but you don't.
>
> Though I'm otherwise not really against having tuners in displays,
> even though I mostly don't use mine.
So let's look at the alternatives. The alternatives, simplified here
because obviously there are a zillion, are to put the "tuners" in the
displays, or force everyone to ALWAYS have to deal with a separate STB,
or even more complex solution.
The separate STB pays the same royalties as the built-in tuner, plus you
pay for the separate power supply, the controls, the remote, packaging,
shipping, instructions, etc., etc., all duplicated costs.
Note: the "tuner in display" alternative includes tru2way, for example.
So it's not just for OTA reception.
There is absolutely no way one can categorically claim that forcing the
separate STB model on everyone ends up saving money. If the STB has to
be rented from an MVPD, we don't even need to discuss this. If the STB
is bought and owned outright, it will inevitably cost more than having
the "tuner" built in.
Even if the standard changes eventually, and you need to buy that STB
after all (until you buy a new display), over the long haul, you've
saved money. The alternative was that you bought the display AND the STB
originally, then bought a new STB when the standard changed. Adding up
the costs over the years, you come out with higher costs if you always
needed that separate STB.
Okay, so let's say that you do prefer to rent the STB from the cable
company anyway. Fine, that's your choice. If you choose to pay rent each
month, does this make it okay to force the more expensive model on
everyone else?
Bert
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