[opendtv] 20050702 Schubin's Saturday Stuff (Mark's Monday Memo)
- From: Mark Schubin <tvmark@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: tvmark@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2005 11:57:30 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
Here are some very efficient (low-administrative-cost) relief
organizations (all have four-star ratings from CharityNavigator.org):
<http://www.americares.org/>
<http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html>
<http://www.directrelief.org/index.html>
<http://www.hopeww.org/>
<http://www.mercycorps.org/splash/>
I'm leaving the country for a few days, so I figured I'd send a short memo
early. I've been on the road this week, too, so the ads sections will be very
limited.
- Follow-ups:
- Broadcast Flag - Here's an interesting story on fallout from the
decision potentially affecting emergency-alert circuitry in receivers:
<http://www.cedmagazine.com/ced/2005/0705/07cc.htm>
- The Optoma MovieTime DV10 - Optoma's web site says nothing about the
air-cleaning capability described in TWICE:
<http://www.optomausa.com/optomausa/public/products_hproj_DV10.jsp>
- Post-transition DTT channel assignments - Despite the FCC's recent
release, BIA Financial Network reports that there 246 stations, 39 in the
top-10 markets, have not yet received their channel assignments. The full
Broadcasting & Cable story requires a paid subscription:
<http://tinyurl.com/d6ntd>
- DTT must-carry - The issue is to be reopened on the agenda of the next
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) meeting on July 14:
<http://www.tvtechnology.com/dailynews/one.php?id=3070>
FYI, retiring Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor opposed must-carry:
<http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8096>
- The Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union (CU) used the
same company the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) used (Opinion Research
Corporation) to determine the number of households and TVs relying on off-air
reception for some or all of their TV and came up with very different results.
They found 39% of TV households relying on 80 million TVs unconnected to either
cable or satellite:
<http://www.hearusnow.org/fileadmin/sitecontent/DTV_Survey_Report-_Final_6-29-05.pdf>
The figure is even larger than that of the National Association of
Broadcasters (NAB) and the Government Accountability Office (73 million), so
NAB applauded the work:
<http://tinyurl.com/8ukrn>
CEA, which came up with 33 million, of course, complained about it:
<http://www.ce.org/press_room/press_release_detail.asp?id=10779>
CEA's complaint is based on the fact that some TVs may be unconnected to
cable or satellite but still not used for watching broadcast TV. But the
survey specifically accounted for that. Respondents were specifically asked
not to include TVs that "are used ONLY for videogames, DVD players, or VCRs or
that are in storage."
I find the 39% figure remarkably close to the 38% of audience that KCSM
lost when it went DTT only (while retaining cable and satellite carriage).
Even if DTT set-top receiver/decoders drop to $50 each at retail, that
would be $4 billion to provide them to 80 million TVs. According to CU
public-policy director Gene Kimmelman, consumers shouldn't... have to fork over
$50 per set. Since Congress is expected to raise more than $10 billion from
the spectrum auction, why shouldn't that money first be used to help consumers
with the cost of keeping their TVs working? The first rule Congress must abide
by is: Do no harm to consumers":
<http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA622332.html?display=Breaking+News>
<http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8077>
- July 1 -
- Given the limited number of ads in this memo, I won't do any
analysis on them, but I will point out that, now that the 25-to-35-inch mandate
has kicked in, I'm including all sets in that category that I see advertised,
not just the inexpensive ones. FYI, of the 16 of them I list in this memo, not
one has DTT-reception capability.
- See also the ads section for inexpensive non-integrated sets that
are HD and/or widescreen.
- TV sets that required DTT-reception circuitry starting 2004:
- Sony Wega 36sf100 36-inch TV @ CEW $549
- Toshiba 36E60 36-inch TV @ CEW $269
- Toshiba 36E60 36-inch TV @ Royal $298
- Zenith ZA46 46-inch projection TV @ Royal $397
- Toshiba 50-inch projection TV @ CEW $449
- Toshiba 50A60 50-inch projection TV @ Royal $428
- Sony 53-inch projection TV @ CEW $498
- Sony 53S65 53-inch projection TV @ Royal $498
- Zenith 53-inch projection TV @ CEW $449
- RCA 61-inch projection TV @ CEW $649
- Sony 61-inch projection TV @ CEW $749
- Sony 61S75 61-inch projection TV @ Royal $598
- Toshiba 61H60 61-inch projection TV @ Royal $618
- Samsung 65-inch projection TV @ CEW $849
- Sony 65S65 65-inch projection TV @ Royal $739
- TV sets that required DTT-reception circuitry starting 2005:
- RCA 25-inch TV @ Royal $98
- Sony 27S45 27-inch TV @ CEW $159
- Sony 27S45 27-inch TV @ Royal $144
- Sony Wega 27FS10 27-inch TV @ Royal $229
- Sony Wega 27sf100 27-inch TV @ CEW $219
- Toshiba 27FA30 27-inch TV @ Royal $328
- Toshiba 27H50 27-inch TV @ Royal $139
- Sony 32S45 32-inch TV @ CEW $219
- Sony 32S45 32-inch TV @ Royal $244
- Sony Wega 32FS10 32-inch TV @ Royal $399
- Sony Wega 32sf100 32-inch TV @ CEW $349
- Sylvania 6432TFY 32-inch TV @ Sears $279.99
- Toshiba 32H50 32-inch TV @ Royal $244
- Sony 35S45 35-inch TV @ CEW $299
- Sony 35S45 35-inch TV @ Royal $329
- Devices that would require DTT-reception circuitry in 2007:
- "Famous Brand" 13-inch TV @ CEW $49
- "Famous Maker" 13-inch TV @ Royal $58
- "Famous Brand" 19-inch TV @ CEW $69
- "Famous Maker" 19-inch TV @ Royal $78
- "Famous Brand" VCR @ Royal $29.99
- Sylvania SRD4900 DVD/VCR combo @ Sears $79.99
- CyberHome CHDVR1600 DVD recorder @ Circuit City $96.99
- Philips DVDR77 DVD recorder @ J&R $179.99
- Sony computer w/TV tuner @ CEW $719
- Sony VGC-RB36G computer w/TV tuner @ J&R $899.99 AR
AR - price after mail-in rebate
- Devices that would require dual DTT-reception circuitry in 2007:
- Devices not covered by the mandate but using analog TV broadcasts:
- Readers have asked how to get hold of some of the non-national
retailers, so look for their phone numbers at the bottom of the memo.
- May 1 - Nothing I check has been updated since the last memo.
- DirecTV has filed an FCC program-access complaint saying that In Demand is
charging them more for its HD programming than it charges cable operators:
<http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA622427.html?display=Breaking+News>
<http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8076>
- International H/DTV news:
- Here's the latest on DTT in Ireland:
<http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single5021>
- The UK is planning to test DTT in 250-300 households with residents over
75 to see whether they have any difficulty with the service:
<http://tinyurl.com/9gul8>
- This story covers computer reception of HDTV in Japan:
<http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/neasia/001620>
- As of the end of June, there were 76 models of set-top DTT receivers in
Australia from 25 brands, starting at A$149 (US$112). Of those, 21 from 15
brands were HD, starting at A$399 (US$300):
<http://www.dba.org.au/index.asp?sectionID=18>
- The Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition has released "What you need to
know about the 'DTV Transition' -- A Dozen Questions & Answers," a four-page,
downloadable document. I could pick a few nits, but, by and large, it is
accurate and informative. One small caution: The last question, "What is
'EDTV'?" is answered in part by saying it "refers to the capability of displays
to show pictures at about the same quality level as DVDs....":
<http://www.ceretailers.org/dtv/DTVGuidelines-final.pdf>
- CEA's latest edition of Digital America has come out. It's highly
informative, but you still need to deal with the fact that what CEA counts as
DTV is not necessarily any more digital than what they exclude. Here's a URL
for the highly comprehensive video section:
<http://www.ce.org/publications/books_references/digital_america/PDF/10.video.pdf>
- I'm not permitted to release CEA's week-24 sales figures until Monday. There
are no big surprises.
- Ads for set-top DTT receivers: I saw none so far this week (but I haven't yet
seen the main Best Buy and Circuit City supplements).
- The ads - Readers have asked how to get hold of some of the non-national
retailers, so look for their phone numbers at the bottom of the memo.
- Circuit City (HD IDs only):
- Magnavox 15MF605T/1 15-inch 4:3 LCD TV $297.99
- Mystery brand 42-inch widescreen plasma TV $1499.99
- RCA D52W20 52-inch 16:9 projection TV $999.99
- Computers & Electronics Warehouse (am New York, no disclaimer):
- Panasonic 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $1499
- Samsung 42-inch widescreen plasma TV $1599
- J&R (New York Times, no disclaimer):
- Canon LV-7230 projector $1299.00
- Sharp LC-32D5U 32-inch 16:9 LCD TV $2199.99
- Sony KDF-42WE655 42-inch 16:9 integrated LCD projection DTV $1999.99
- Sears (Washington Post, no disclaimer):
- Magnavox 20MF605 20-inch LCD TV $499.99
- Sony KE42M1 42-inch 16:9 plasma TV $2799.99
- Sony KP51WS520 51-inch 16:9 projection TV $1299.88
- DVD news: Again, I'm not permitted to release CEA figures for 24th-week
sales until Monday.
- Upcoming Dates (DTV and non-DTV):
- July 5, Miami, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/27-Miami.htm>.
- July 6, West Palm Beach, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/28-West_Palm_Beach.htm>.
- July 11, Atlanta, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/29-Atlanta.htm>.
- *July 11, Hollywood Pacific Theater, digital screening of "Star Wars:
Episode 3" <http://www.etcenter.org/>.
- July 13, Huntsville, Alabama, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/30-Huntsville.htm>.
- *July 13, Kansas City, VSB seminar
<http://www.mswdtv.com/index_files/Page796.htm>.
- July 14, Shop at Home Network, Antioch (Nashville), Tennessee, Taste of
NAB Road Show <http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/31-Nashville.htm>.
- July 18, Knoxville, Tennessee, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/32-Knoxville.htm>.
- *July 18, Hollywood Pacific Theater, digital screening of "Madagascar"
<http://www.etcenter.org/>.
- July 19-21, Sydney Convention Centre, SMPTE 2005
<http://www.smpte.com.au/home.php>.
- July 20, Greenville, South Carolina, Taste of NAB Road Show,
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/33-Greenville.htm>.
- July 21, Columbia, South Carolina, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/34-Columbia.htm>.
- July 23, WDSU, New Orleans, VSB seminar
<http://www.mswdtv.com/index_files/Page796.htm>.
- July 25, Charlotte, North Carolina, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/35-Charlotte.htm>.
- July 25-29, JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek, CEA Summer Technology
and Standards Forum
<http://www.ce.org/events/event_info/default.asp?eventID=STSF05>.
- July 27, Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/36-Raleigh.htm>.
- July 29, WDBJ, Roanoke, Virginia, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/37-Roanoke.htm>.
- August 1, Charleston, West Virginia, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/38-WestVirginia.htm>.
- August 3, Richmond, Virginia, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/39-Richmond.htm>.
- August 4, central Pennsylvania, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/40-Central%20Pennsylvania.htm>.
- *August 4, KHUT, Honolulu, VSB seminar
<http://www.mswdtv.com/index_files/Page796.htm>.
- August 5, Philadelphia, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/41-Philadelphia.htm>.
- August 10, northeastern Pennsylvania, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/42-N.E.PA.htm>.
- August 13, Connecticut Valley, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/43-Connecticut%20Valley.htm>.
- August 15, Boston, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/44-Boston.htm>.
- August 17, New Hampshire, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/45-New_Hampshire.htm>.
- August 19, Albany, New York, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/46-Albany.htm>.
- August 22, Binghamton, New York, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/47-Binghamton.htm>.
- August 23-24, Beverly Hilton, DisplaySearch HDTV Conference 2005
<http://www.displaysearch.com/hdtvconference/>.
- August 24, Syracuse, New York, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/48-Syracuse.htm>.
- August 25, Rochester, New York, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/49-Rochester.htm>
- August 25-28, China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, BIRTV2005
<http://www.birtv.com/english/about.asp>.
- August 29, Buffalo, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/50-Buffalo.htm>.
- August 31, Clear Channel Radio, Youngstown, Ohio, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/51-Youngstown.htm>.
- September 6, Pittsburgh, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/52-Pittsburg.htm>.
- September 8, Evansville, Indiana, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/53-Evansville.htm>.
- September 8-13, RAI, Amsterdam, IBC 2005 <http://www.ibc.org/>.
- September 12, Indianapolis, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/54-Indy.htm>.
- September 14, Dayton, Ohio, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/55-Dayton.htm>.
- September 16, Detroit, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/56-Detroit.htm>.
- *September 16, WHRO, Norfolk, Virginia, VSB seminar
<http://www.mswdtv.com/index_files/Page796.htm>.
- September 19, Lansing, Michigan, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/57-Lansing.htm>.
- September 19-24, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film
Festival <http://www.jhfestival.org/>.
- September 21, WGVU, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/58-Grand%20Rapids.htm>.
- September 23, South Bend, Indiana, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/59-South_Bend.htm>.
- September 26, Rockford, Illinois, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/60-Rockford.htm>.
- September 28, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/61-Milwaukee.htm>.
- September 29-October 1, Vicenza Fair, Sat Expo
<http://www.satexpo.it/en/>.
- September 30, Fox Valley (Green Bay), Wisconsin, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/62-Fox%20Valley.htm>.
- October 3, western Wisconsin, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/63-Western%20Wisconsin.htm>.
- October 4-6, Hotel Fort Des Moines, Iowa DTV Symposium
<http://www.iptv.org/dtv/2005/feature_detail.cfm?i=2>.
- October 5, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/64-Minneapolis-St.%20Paul.htm>.
- October 7, Des Moines, Iowa, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/65-Des%20Moines.htm>.
- October 7-10, Javits Convention Center, New York, Audio Engineering
Society convention <http://www.aes.org/events/119/>.
- October 10, Kansas City, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/66-Kansas_City.htm>.
- October 11-13, Marriott, Madison, Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic
<http://www.wi-broadcasters.org/cgi-bin/wi-toc.pl>.
- October 12, Omaha, Nebraska, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/67-Omaha.htm>.
- October 12-14, Hotel Washington, Washington, D.C., IEEE Broadcast
Symposium <http://www.ieee.org/organizations/society/bt/symp.html>.
- October 14, Riverton, Wyoming, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/68-Riverton.htm>.
- October 17, Bozeman, Montana, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/69-Bozeman.htm>.
- October 19, Spokane, Washington, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/70-Spokane.htm>.
- October 19-20, Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, Broadcast
Engineering Expo 2005 <http://www.bee2005.org/>.
- October 20, Pullman, Washington, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/71-Pullman.htm>.
- October 24, KLSR/KEVU, Eugene, Oregon, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/72-Eugene.htm>.
- October 24-27, Orlando World Center Marriott, ShowEast
<http://www.vnufilmgroup.com/filmgroup/showeast/index.jsp>.
- October 25, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland, Taste of NAB Road Show
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2005/73-Portland.htm>.
- October 25-26, Best Western Royal Plaza, Marlborough, Massachusetts,
Bos-Con <http://www.bos-con.com/>.
- November 1-2, RDS Irish International Convention and Exhibition Centre,
Dublin, Video Ireland <http://www.videoireland.tv/>.
- November 9-12, New York Hilton, SMPTE Technical Conference & Exhibition
<http://www.smpte.org/conferences/>.
- November 16-18, Makuhari Messe, InterBEE 2005
<http://bee.jesa.or.jp/en/index.html>.
* - new or revised listing
- January 5-8, Las Vegas, Consumer Electronics Show
<http://www.cesweb.org/default_flash.asp>
TTFN,
Mark
PS Permission is granted to forward this or any other Monday Memo. Next
week's memo will likely be late.
Phone numbers of some retailers mentioned (the ones starting +1 will work from
outside the United States):
- Computers & Electronics Warehouse: +1-718-205-2288
Have a question about the memo? Before contacting me, please try the FAQs and
glossary in the second postscript to the January 10 memo:
<http://www.digitaltelevision.com/mondaymemo/mlist/frm02163.html>
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