[opendtv] Microsoft Says Malfunctioning Device Led to Failed Interference Test
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:39:27 -0400
http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0015/t.7863.html
Microsoft Says Malfunctioning Device Led to Failed Interference Test
August 16, 2007
Microsoft wants a do-over after a device failed an FCC interference
test Aug. 9; the software giant says a faulty device is to blame.
The device ("Prototype A"), designed to operate on so-called White
Space in the DTV spectrum, failed to detect DTV signals as designed.
In a filing, Microsoft claims that in the presence of FCC engineers,
a further test revealed that a scanner in the device had been
damaged, making the device fail to detect-and thus avoid interfering
with-DTV signals. The company also complained that the FCC held a
spare, working Prototype A and did not use it for any testing.
NAB, vigilant against devices that might interfere with DTV, mocked
Microsoft's excuse, calling the company's statements "perplexing".
"Microsoft doesn't seem to get that the FCC process is not a game and
they cannot have a do-over," NAB Executive VP for Administration and
Agencies Douglas S. Wiley wrote in a letter to Microsoft. "On behalf
of the entire U.S. broadcasting industry, it is: 1) outrageous that
Microsoft now claims the device did not work, after the fact; 2)
unacceptable that the high tech industry spent immensely valuable FCC
and government time and engineering resources only to, in the end,
claim a faulty device was to blame for an undesirable result. With
the immense importance of the testing to innumerable stakeholders,
one would think that your industry would certainly ensure the good
working order of the prototype device(s), at the very least.
END of article
I'm not defending Microsoft here. In balance they have done more to
harm the DTV transition than helping it along.
BUT
The NAB response is "over-the-top."
Almost as if they are saying: "How dare they waste the time of the
bureaucrats that we have controlled for decades..."
I seem to remember some industry tests of COFDM versus 8-VSB, which
were followed by FCC tests. If the NAB statement above were applied
to these tests, the shoe would be on the other foot. to paraphrase
the statement above:
"With the immense importance of the testing to innumerable
stakeholders, one would think that broadcasters would certainly
ensure the good working order of the prototype device(s)used for the
COFDM/8VSB tests."
Instead these tests were meaningless, due to the use of COFDM
"receivers" without the proper filtering on the front ends. One might
even go so far as to suggest that these tests were purposely rigged.
Such is the reality of Washington politics as usual...
Craig
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