[opendtv] Re: News: Reps. Barton, Stearns Offer Alternative DTV Bill

  • From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 12:00:04 -0500

John Shutt wrote:

> The UK is dealing with their issue by using H.264 compression for
> HD, something not available to the ATSC in 1994.

Yes, but en revanche, they have to simulcast the HD with an SD
equivalent, for legacy receivers, in France and the UK. And too, I'm
sure the HD quality is better when H.264 is used for HD, but the
practical effect in terms of forming the multiplexes is not that
obvious. I've done the comparison more than once.

And, with the M/H standard coming along, we have some sort of migration
path to H.264 now. Just a question of the ATSC being creative and
innovative.

> But I wonder if there would be anti-trust issues if all
> broadcasters in a market pooled their 'bits' for a 30 channel
> service?

Others have mentioned this, but honestly, I don't see how. The broadcast
networks now try to offer a variety of programs, just to compete against
one another. This would be just more of the same, done on a more local
scale.

For example, it's hard for me to accept that the CBS, ABC, and NBC
stations here can only muster up enough creative thinking to EACH offer
a weather channel on their -2 multicast. Surely, that can be improved.

Bert
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:

- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at 
FreeLists.org 

- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word 
unsubscribe in the subject line.

Other related posts: