[opendtv] Re: Performance Report: Zenith DTT900
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 07:30:49 -0500
At 4:56 PM -0500 2/5/08, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> And as i recall, you can get 30 channels of free OTA TV in
Germany.
Whatever the number, I'll bet I can beat it already today. And that's
without any concerted effort from the broadcasters. Although on a
brighter note, I finally saw my very first 2/18/2009 PSA just last
weekend! Yoohoo! I think it was on Fox. It's only been just under one
decade since DTT began here.
Give it up Bert, you're not even close.
You have duplicate channels because you are between two markets that
are close together. In terms of high value content you get less tan
10 choices. At "some" times of day you get more syndicated programs,
but even these are duplicated in the two markets, perhaps at
different times.
You do not have access to any cable networks.
In Germany the DTV system carries the same channels as the cable
systems. They had 27 DIFFERENT channels at launch,
The reality is that cable and DBS STBs dominate the market in
the U.S.
And again, in Germany, the cable/DBS subscription accounted for a
whopping 91 percent of households before DTT was even introduced. And
yet, you didn't see CE vendors shying away from the market, did you?
No, because there IS a viable market in Germany, where you can get
virtually the same channels on cable, satellite AND DTV.
What I'm saying, Craig, is that your analysis is lacking in some very
key elements. Vendors do not develop markets by shying away timidly, or
by pricing their product way above what the market will bear. Retail
stores do not promote sales by hiding product categories.
Retail stores shy away from products that have a very limited market
and the potential for a high rate of returns. You bought you Acurian
at a Firesale- it had been on the market for a year and these boxes
were NOT selling at Radio Shack.
The main reason why, Bert, is that the vast majority of viewers in
the U.S. gave up on free OTA TV by 1990. DTV offers little more than
analog, just a prettier picture. People are interested in content
Bert - stuff they cannot get from the broadcasters.
You can't market an OTA PVR for $1000, completely fail to promote it,
and then use that as an excuse that there are "no customers." These are
the tactics used by those with a secret agenda.
Once again Bert, there is not conspiracy here. The vast majority of
those who still rely on OTA are in lower income groups that would not
be in the market for a PVR. This is exacerbated by the terrible job
that U.S. broadcasters are doing with PSIP. It is difficult to
program a PVR when stations offer no more than 24 hours of
programming info. And there is no unified program guide with ATSC -
you ave to tune to each station to get IT'S guide. With cable and
DBS you get a unified program guide that typically goes out a full
week - but more important, you get networks that you might actually
want to watch.
So, I don't buy your explanations.
Nothing new there. You rarely if ever have...
been right.
Regards
Craig
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