[opendtv] White paper from CEA
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:26:46 -0400
http://www.ce.org/PDF/DTVWhitePaperV2FINAL.pdf
(The link should work witout alteratons.)
Interesting stuff. Specifically, here are some excerpts
that refer to discussions we've had.
In general, the CEA supports a hard date for analog
cutoff and opposes the broadcast flag concept, or any
talk of abridging "fair use."
They oppose the "tuner mandate," but don't seem to
oppose the plug and play agreement.
-----------------Begin quote----------------------------
Barely 12 percent of American homes rely solely on
over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting, which they pick up via
an antenna.
Substantial research shows that nearly half of this
"broadcast-only" group can afford multichannel service,
but their TV viewing is so limited that they opt not to
sign up for such subscription services. In other words,
the price of service is not a barrier to many of those
homes that do not subscribe to multichannel TV systems.
.....
DTV Tuner Requirements - In 2002, the FCC set a timetable
for manufacturers to include digital tuners in all new
television sets. CEA believes Congress and the FCC should
continue to encourage and support policies that enable broad
consumer choice in the DTV selection process. The "tuner
mandate" requires continual review, given the reality that
barely 12 percent of all U.S. households actually tune in to
overthe-air broadcast reception only.
It is counter-productive to force manufacturers to install
features or functions that consumers do not want and will
not pay extra to have if they aren't needed. The popularity
of "monitor-only" HDTV equipment underscores the marketplace
reality that viewers are hooking up HD equipment to their
cable, satellite and other reception/playback devices.
.....
The plug-and-play agreement between the consumer electronics
and cable industries allows 65.7 million analog households
who receive their primary TV signals via cable to transition
seamlessly to HDTV without the need for a cable set-top box.
Meanwhile, more than 100 companies, including programmers
and software providers as well as cable and broadcast
companies and electronics manufacturers, are hammering out
the "bidirectional" phase of the plug-and-play agreement. As
expected, this second round, dealing with interactive media
and its vast promise for twoway digital services, poses even
greater complexity.
.....
Consumer electronics companies, through technology and
competitive developments, are enabling millions of viewers
to equip themselves with HDTV reception equipment. Consumers
now can choose from 200-plus "integrated" models that include
over-the-air digital (ATSC) tuners.
Manufacturers are developing and selling early models of the
DTV converters that broadcasters propose to build for
themselves.
-----------------End quote------------------
A few comments, in order of quote:
1. Some consumers might actually think that with recording
devices, what's available OTA is plenty TV, and could even
be far more, if broadcasters would not waste time with
infomercials. Never mind multicasting available with DTT,
which of course makes this even more true.
2. The cost to consumers of the tuner mandate is virtually
no higher than the cost of the plug and play agreement.
The two are essentially available for the price of one,
as far as price to the consumer goes, in practice. If
anything, the additional cost of the evolving two-way plug
and play might drive the pricew higher in the future. Or at
least, might keep the price fo the built-in receiver from
eroding to near insignificance. This is not mentioned.
3. So in fact, if anyone should have a beef in any of this,
it ought to be the 24 percent who use DBS. Although even
they now have the advantage of being able to receive local
broadcaster HDTV, which satellites do not often carry.
If there are any losers, I'd say it was the CE companies
making the proprietary boxes for the umbillical service
providers, right? Not consumers per se.
4. That last point about broacasters building converters
must be a dig at the NAB RFQ. But I never heard that
broadcasters would build their own boxes.
5. The CEA has a point, though, which they didn't make
explicitly. If the Accurian HTS 6000 has been languishing
on Radio Shack shelves for many months, and is as good as
people now claim it is, how come broadcasters had not
discovered it sooner and advertized its capabilities to
consumers? Maybe it could have taken some of the need for
the RFQ away?
Bert
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