[opendtv] Re: How one couple beat the cable company
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 09:13:47 -0400
On Oct 16, 2014, at 3:46 AM, Albert Manfredi <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
>
> Craig Birkmaier wrote:
>
>> Why do you think building translators is any cheaper that buying
>> space on existing cell towers?
>
> You would be deploying transmitters as well as "buying space on cell towers."
> Hundreds of these aren't free. Whereas when you use translators, the numbers
> are way, way smaller.
You are deploying transmitters in either case, and you still need a physical
location and tower for the translator. And it is not at all clear the numbers
would be smaller. There is not much spectrum available for translators in the
large urban markets, and this will shrink again after the TV spectrum auction.
>
>> They do not work in urban areas where the spectrum is crowded.
>
> They can be used in either rural or urban settings. When you use translators
> in urban areas, you're simply creating a somewhat denser checkerboard, is
> all. Low power translators only used to fill in gaps of coverage from the
> main tall stick can easily use the same frequency as that tall stick in the
> adjacent market. That's the easy and safe way of working the problem, and it
> can be used also with 8T-VSB..
Where do you get the spectrum for the dense checkerboard in urban areas? And
why is the signal from the big stick covering the market not sufficient?
>
>>> At a price, which no doubt makes FOTA TV impossible.
>>
>> Your opinion.
>
> Do you know of any cell network that operates only ad supported, Craig? I
> may not have all the figures, but at least I'm not just saying things with
> absolutely no justification.
Transmitters are not free Bert. Big sticks are expensive to build, use a lot of
electricity, and are an insurance nightmare. These costs are paid for by the ad
supported ZtV service. Changing the transmission infrastructure is just a cost
trade-off, and it is far from clear that the Broadcast LTE approach is more
expensive than the big stick. It COULD be a cost benefit if more people watch
the station on mobile screens.
>
>> Big sticks cost a fortune to build and operate.
>
> Sure, but everything is relative. Big sticks are used around the world, even
> in the poorest countries, for both radio and TV. There is a very good reason
> why this is so. Translators are a compromise, between the big stick and the
> tiny towers, that are practical and cost effective. SFNs are also a
> compromise, and they are especially difficult for mobile service.
Big sticks will continue to be the most efficient way to reach many audiences,
especially in the third world and rural markets. Broadcast LTE networks are not
difficult, nor are they cost prohibitive.
>
>> Actually the density of an LTE broadcast mesh should be
>> significantly less than for two way data/voice.
>
> The distance between towers in SFNs is totally dependent on the spectral
> efficiency you are aiming for, as well as the number of subcarriers you use.
> For mobile service, you need to keep that number of subcarrieres low, because
> you need to keep the symbols short duration. This works against you. If the
> FCC wants to make another spectrum grab, and if you are contemplating using
> this LTE net in broadcast mode, then you cannot afford to lose spectral
> efficiency, or the OTA service will revert back to the bad old days of a
> dozen choices in the biggest markets.
Bad old days?
You mean when people actually used the FOTA service?
I think you are misrepresenting the difficulty AND the limits on how many
programs can be delivered. The real issue is not the transmission
infrastructure, but the viability of the service from a marketing perspective.
I thought everything was moving to OTT anyway?
Regards
Craig
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