[opendtv] Re: New Thread: What becomes of Legacy Analog Equipment

  • From: "Bob Miller" <robmxa@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 18:01:07 -0500

On Nov 30, 2007 10:37 PM, John Willkie <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>  You are missing much.
>
>
>
> I don't see how you can use a different form of modulation within a single
> 6 Mhz channel and be backwards-compatible.  Indeed, your friend Richard
> Bogner was told in a face-to-face meeting with the FCC this week that he
> cannot use FM modulation in the same channel as 8-VSB because no
> interference studies have been made.  (Richard told me this in a series of
> private email messages, which I summarized in a message this week on my PSIP
> list.)
>

Said no to his doing interference studies, they do not intend to do
interference studies themselves so a total no.

>
>
> Also, I don't see how you could save bits by transmitting black and white
> images, since chroma and luma are needed to make pictures, even if the
> source is black and white.
>
>
>
> The chroma formats permitted by MPEG-2 are 4:2:0, 4:2:2 and 4:4:4.  They
> are *component*: A matrix, block or single sample from one of the three
> matrices (luminance and two chrominance) that make up a picture.
>

Shows you what I know. Thought b&W would save something.

>
>
> I note that one of the m/p/h proposals is from Qualcomm, which has spent
> mightily – perhaps a billion dollars – on the MediaFlo demo infrastructure
> in the U.S.  It would be the height of "creative destruction" if their
> proposal to the ATSC resulted in destroying that infrastructure or wasn't
> compatible with it, nor wasn't backwards compatible with 8-VSB.  I think
> that trying to integrate a single-carrier system and a multiple-carrier
> system into the same 6-Mhz channel is "mightily difficult" if not simply
> impossible.
>
"Demo" infrastructure? You can buy a cell phone that receives their MediaFlo
in NYC. They may lose money on it but it would seem to be beyond demo.

>
>
> Perhaps you haven't thought much about it.  I also note the news today
> that Google has decided to bid in the next auction round.  Perhaps that is
> behind your newly-resurected interest in bashing 8-VSB and the parties that
> have to make a business around it?
>
I didn't think anyone actually had to make money with 8-VSB. I thought they
just held the spectrum to justify must carry. Is it possible that any
business could show less interest in a valued asset than broadcasters have
shown in their OTA spectrum?? Not including Sinclair and a few others there.

If Google is bidding on using the spectrum for the Internet their own
spokesman has rightly addressed the limited potential of that as a business
model on the Communicators a couple of months ago. Broadcasting would be a
better use IMO. AT&T may be buying for broadcasting like Aloha demonstrated
to them in Las Vegas which is close to what we have been proposing since
1999.

It will be interesting to see how much Google will spend. Remember that this
same spectrum, but including 54, 55 and 59, was supposed to generate $100
Billion in 2000. Such an estimate rested on the UK's $35 Billion and
Germany's $45 Billion auctions of the same year.

Less 54, 55 and 59 but with 8 more years of inflation that $100 Billion
would be more like $130 Billion today, a far cry from the $15 Billion I have
seen in print lately. And  in 2000 you did not have Yahoo, Google, Apple and
who knows how many other players who had not the faintest clue about what
could be done with this spectrum or why they should do it in 2000. I know
Qualcomm had not a clue 10 minutes after our company became confirmed
bidders in Auction 44 because I was on the phone asking them to work with us
as soon as I got the news. Had a list of those who should be bidding but had
not signed up for whatever insane reason and as soon as I saw that they were
not on the list was calling them.

I am just wound up because it has been a long time of working on this since
2000 and I can't play in a $100 Billion auction. Could have in 2000 though.
Money wise will do just fine but it was never about the money.

Bob Miller



>
> Hope this helps
>
>
>
> John Willkie
>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> *De:* opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *En
> nombre de *Bob Miller
> *Enviado el:* Friday, November 30, 2007 6:50 PM
> *Para:* opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> *Asunto:* [opendtv] Re: New Thread: What becomes of Legacy Analog
> Equipment
>
>
>
> Sort of lets change the modulation and say we didn't by letting a
> completely different modulation use all but a small part of the 6 MHz? Or am
> I missing something?
>
> Maybe it wasn't a joke when I was talking about doing an SD weather type
> information channel in black and white to minimize bits used for SD and use
> the rest with what, DTMB or some clone with a different name to disguise it
> and MPEG3?
>
> Bob Miller
>

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