[opendtv] Aereo discussed in local NPR program

From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 00:15:47 +0000
Today at noon, Aereo was discussed by a panel on our local WETA Kojo Naambi 
show. But just like every other discussion/debate on this subject, Aereo was 
being inappropriately (IMO) compared with cable systems. Almost like there's no 
one left in the US who knows about OTA TV program choice, building antenna 
systems, or the old rural CATV systems.

Never mind that every panelist seemed to buy this nonsense about individual 
dime-sized antennas.

One panelist even remarked that sports would be a big draw, giving unfair 
competition to ESPN without having retrans consent! Does that sound clueless or 
what? What sports available OTA give any meaningful competition to ESPN? And 
why should it matter if they are streamed vs broadcast?

I think it's imperative to build a credible model of what's happening first. 
Comparison with MVPDs is not valid, unless Aereo starts broadcasting channels 
not available locally, OTA. I think the details of how one provides individual 
media streams over IP, compared with tuning an RF channel over a frequency 
divided medium, are irrelevant details of *a* solution. They should have no 
legal bearing whatever, but they do succeed in introducing enough noise in the 
circuit that people's eyes start glazing over.

Here's the truth: In a frequency divided medium like analog TV, you tune a 
circuit which passes only a single 6 MHz channel.

In DTV, you do the same thing, PLUS you also filter packets based on the packet 
header, and ignore those you aren't interested in.

In Internet TV, you may have to do almost exactly the same thing as broadcast 
DTV. First, if using cable broadband, the modem will have to select a 6 MHz 
DOCSIS channel, and then the TV STB or PC will be requesting either a unicast, 
or potentially a multicast, stream of packets, with a specific header as well. 
If multicast, this is so similar to regular broadcast DTV that the lawyers 
should not be bothered with the details!

I think that broadcasters should either embrace Aereo, and ensure that Aereo 
reception is reflected in Nielsen ratings, and/or broadcasters should be 
beating Aereo at its own game. Pester the networks until they let you provide 
live streams in your market, 24/7.

Bert

 
 
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[opendtv] Aereo discussed in local NPR program

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