[opendtv] Re: PR: Majority of New HDTVs Powered By ATI
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2004 09:33:35 -0500
At 12:47 PM -0800 11/17/04, Dale Kelly wrote:
> >>Will that (two way plug and play) not then completely negate the need for
>>>an STB?
>Craig wrote:
>> Only if you are buying a new TV with integrated receivers.
>
> True, wonder what the percentage mix between monitors and receivers will be
>in the future? Anyone purchasing a set to connect to cable or for OTA would
>likely opt for the cable ready receiver, but it's hard to say.
I'm not too sure this is going to be true. Based on recent
information I have seen, it looks like the CE retailers have stocked
up heavily on monitors for this Christmas buying season. At least two
thirds are monitors, possibly as high as 90%.
Given the volatility of the DTV marketplace, I suspect that most
consumers will opt for monitors, if for no other reason than to
future proof their purchases. The cable industry still has the upper
hand in the STB box market, based on their ability to buy in volume
and finance the purchase via a monthly "rental" fee. As Tom
indicated, these fees are low enough to make buying an integrated
receiver a questionable decision; Even at $10 month, it would take
nearly three years to recover the cost of the cable ready tuner in an
integrated TV. And then there's the issue with two-way interactivity
and PVRs. And don't forget, that the DBS guys got screwed in the
cable ready agreement; you'll still need a STB if you want DBS rather
than cable.
I'm getting ready to replace my first generation CRT-based HD
monitor, with a DLP-based monitor. I have no incentive to receive
off-air signals, and the monthly cable rental fee for the SA HD/PVR
STB is low enough, should I actually want to watch HD signals.
Frankly, HD is not all that important at the moment. A sharp picture
on a big screen is what we need, and most of what we watch is still
SDTV. With a monitor I can add HD when I am ready to start paying the
premium.
Regards
Craig
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