[opendtv] Re: 20050810 Wolfsson's Wednesday Words (Mark's Monday Memo)
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 17:35:44 -0400
Frank Eory wrote:
> Case in point, the DTV tuner mandate. Except that
> manufacturer A isn't being too greedy -- it is the U.S.
> government that is trying to "force the public to buy
> something they really had not intended to buy."
You mean, sort of like seat belts, catalytic converters,
5 mph bumpers, air bags, third brake light, etc. etc.
The public would very likely opt out of most of those
extra cost bennies too, especially when they were first
introduced. They have since come to appreciate them, of
course.
> The only sets that will be replaced by integrated
> sets are in the homes of the relatively few consumers
> who insist on having DTT reception capability. Everyone
> else will refuse to "buy something they really had not
> intended to buy."
First, let me point out that you changed the subject. We
were talking about providing transitional STBs for ATSC,
vs only integrated sets, at first. However, to continue
on this new subject:
"Relatively few," meaning some 22 million households, or
about 44 million sets at the very least. These owners
will be looking for STBs at first, then integrated sets.
But you forget the most clever aspect of this: the
digital cable tuner. It will be another ~90 million
households that will consider the possibility of
ditching their enforced cable company STB.
No one is prohibiting the manufacture of monitors. It is
entirely possible that some manufacturers will decide to
sell only monitors and separate STBs. Then people will
look at the delta price and discover, lo and behold,
manufacturer A's monitor sells for the same as
manufacturer B's integrated set, which includes *digital
cable* and DTT receiver.
For more expensive sets, this will certainly happen.
Who the heck cares whether the new Plasma or LCD TV
costs (say) $800 or $835? Or $2000 vs $2035? And the
more expensive ones include cable tuner too?
Remember the original Sony Profeel monitor? It was on
the market only about one year.
For the small and cheap portable, the question will be
whether you want the set at all. I doubt anyone would be
looking too hard for portable monitors to lug around to
the ball game, with separate STB. So the additional $35
(on 1/1/2007) will be well worth the price, if you
really want that portable set.
> Except for the fact that consumers don't really "buy"
> STBs -- they either rent them (the cable MSO model) or
> pay a nominal fee for a heavily subsidized unit (the
> DBS model).
Ask John Shutt whether PBS will "rent" or "subsidize"
ATSC STBs for 22 million OTA households + portables.
Bert
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