[opendtv] Re: With TVs switching to digital, it's time to pay attention
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:36:38 -0500
John Shutt wrote:
> When did you buy your first ATSC tuner, Bert?
In 2005, after having given the CE companies over a year to get their
4th/5th gen products out in STB form, and *giving up* on that idea. The
same companies that were selling these receivers in integrated sets
since 4th quarter of 2003.
Yes, one can say that if retailers and CE companies weren't in bed with
the umbillical service providers, the transition could have been
happening a lot faster than it has been.
Not to mention that there were, still then, 6+ years after DTT
broadcasting had begun here, two DTT stations in our market that were
unreceivable. That shows a certain level of interest on the part of
broadcasters to get folks to switch over, eh?
Honestly, if I had to come up with the best way to prevent a quick
transition, I couldn't imagine anything more efficient than what was
done here in the US.
First, the broadcasters keep this whole DTT transition thing strictly
under wraps. Then, you make sure the STBs that early adopters would be
likely to buy initially were overpriced and very poor performers. Then
you make sure that after new technbology is available, you keep these
STBs performing badly, just so no one gets the idea that he can
transition easily.
Then you make sure that the DTT broadcast signals remain suboptimized
long enough that early adopters become discouraged.
Then you make sure that any low-cost and well performing product, such
as the newer Samsung STB, be seriously understocked in all retail
stores. (They got in 3 a month at Circuit City last I checked, and they
always sold out immediately.)
I don't think it makes a lot of sense to put this on the consumer, John.
Sorry. The entire TV industry wants it this way. If it weren't for the
FCC, we'd all be sucking up to umbillical systems by now.
Bert
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