Given these options:
a) perfect TV with three tuners: two OTA tuners (NTSC and ATSC) and one ATSC digital cable ready tuner.
b) same TV as a) but only the ATSC cable ready tuner and $100 cheaper than a).
c) same TV as a) but only the OTA tuners and $100 cheaper than a).
d) same TV with no tuners at all, just a monitor, $200 dollars cheaper.
what would you choose?
After a several months ATSC OTA experience I can tell you, OTA sucks. I'd choose b) if cable is available, d) otherwise.
I wonder if ATSC OTA would've been easier had they chose COFDM instead of 8VSB. I guess I'll never know.
Check the article below. It seems to me the broadcasters are in dreamland.
--------------------------------------
Broadcasters Doubt Cable's DTV Set Deal
April 17, 2003 12:00am
Source: Reed Business Information - US
Multichannel News: Las Vegas-- Broadcasters are profoundly suspicious
that the digital TV interoperability agreement between cable
operators and consumer-electronics manufacturers could be a bad deal
for consumers.
What TV stations fear is that the December agreement between major
cable companies and CE firms will mean that DTV sets labeled "cable
ready" would not include a tuner that can receive either analog or
digital programming from an off-air antenna.
"One could have a cable-viewing device that is not a TV set," said
Lynn Claudy, chief engineer of the National Association of
Broadcasters, during a panel discussion April 7 at the trade group's
annual convention here.
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission ordered TV set
makers to include off-air DTV tuners under a phase-in plan that
begins with the largest units in July 2004 and works down to 13-inch
screens in 2007.
But Tribune Broadcasting president Patrick J. Mullen said the FCC
rule appeared to require the inclusion of DTV tuners only in sets
that also have off-air analog tuners. That could leave the door open
for the manufacture of DTV sets that are considered "cable-ready",
but have no off-air tuner at all.
Added Claudy, "That's clearly a loophole that we want to see closed."
The cable and CE companies have asked the FCC to codify the
interoperability agreement into federal regulations. Rick Chessen,
who heads the FCC's DTV transition task force, said it was "not
clear" whether the tuner issue highlighted by NAB was "an oversight"
or something "intentional" in the cable-CE agreement.
The agreement was not deliberately drafted to exclude off-air tuners,
insisted Consumer Electronics Association president Gary Shapiro.
"We were totally surprised by their concerns. There is no grand
conspiracy," Shapiro said.
One broadcast industry leader indicated the agreement intentionally
allows for cable-ready sets with no off-air digital tuner because of
the CEA's strong opposition to the FCC's digital-tuner mandate.
NAB deputy general counsel Valerie Schulte suggested that DTV sets
under the cable-CE agreement should be marked "not ready for
broadcast," rather than "cable ready."
Meanwhile, FCC chairman Michael Powell warned NAB attendees last
Tuesday that political pressure is mounting for the return of the
broadcast analog spectrum, a move that would signify the end of their
transition to all-digital broadcasting.
Powell said Congress is eager to reallocate the analog spectrum to
other users -- most likely public-safety organizations and wireless
companies -- and will not tolerate a prolonged DTV transition.
"You don't have that much political room," Powell said at a breakfast
session where he fielded questions from ABC journalist Sam Donaldson.
"Let me tell you something: There is not a comfortable political
climate for this to go on unnecessarily long.
"There are other constituencies waiting for spectrum. Wireless issues
have grown in their significance and their political interests."
TV stations may retain both their analog and digital licenses until
Dec. 31, 2006 or until 85 percent of TV households in a market can
receive off-air DTV signals, whichever is later.
>
a) perfect TV with three tuners: two OTA tuners (NTSC and ATSC) and one ATSC digital cable ready tuner.
b) same TV as a) but only the ATSC cable ready tuner and $100 cheaper than a).
c) same TV as a) but only the OTA tuners and $100 cheaper than a).
d) same TV with no tuners at all, just a monitor, $200 dollars cheaper.
what would you choose?
After a several months ATSC OTA experience I can tell you, OTA sucks. I'd choose b) if cable is available, d) otherwise.
I wonder if ATSC OTA would've been easier had they chose COFDM instead of 8VSB. I guess I'll never know.
Check the article below. It seems to me the broadcasters are in dreamland.
--------------------------------------
Broadcasters Doubt Cable's DTV Set Deal
April 17, 2003 12:00am
Source: Reed Business Information - US
Multichannel News: Las Vegas-- Broadcasters are profoundly suspicious
that the digital TV interoperability agreement between cable
operators and consumer-electronics manufacturers could be a bad deal
for consumers.
What TV stations fear is that the December agreement between major
cable companies and CE firms will mean that DTV sets labeled "cable
ready" would not include a tuner that can receive either analog or
digital programming from an off-air antenna.
"One could have a cable-viewing device that is not a TV set," said
Lynn Claudy, chief engineer of the National Association of
Broadcasters, during a panel discussion April 7 at the trade group's
annual convention here.
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission ordered TV set
makers to include off-air DTV tuners under a phase-in plan that
begins with the largest units in July 2004 and works down to 13-inch
screens in 2007.
But Tribune Broadcasting president Patrick J. Mullen said the FCC
rule appeared to require the inclusion of DTV tuners only in sets
that also have off-air analog tuners. That could leave the door open
for the manufacture of DTV sets that are considered "cable-ready",
but have no off-air tuner at all.
Added Claudy, "That's clearly a loophole that we want to see closed."
The cable and CE companies have asked the FCC to codify the
interoperability agreement into federal regulations. Rick Chessen,
who heads the FCC's DTV transition task force, said it was "not
clear" whether the tuner issue highlighted by NAB was "an oversight"
or something "intentional" in the cable-CE agreement.
The agreement was not deliberately drafted to exclude off-air tuners,
insisted Consumer Electronics Association president Gary Shapiro.
"We were totally surprised by their concerns. There is no grand
conspiracy," Shapiro said.
One broadcast industry leader indicated the agreement intentionally
allows for cable-ready sets with no off-air digital tuner because of
the CEA's strong opposition to the FCC's digital-tuner mandate.
NAB deputy general counsel Valerie Schulte suggested that DTV sets
under the cable-CE agreement should be marked "not ready for
broadcast," rather than "cable ready."
Meanwhile, FCC chairman Michael Powell warned NAB attendees last
Tuesday that political pressure is mounting for the return of the
broadcast analog spectrum, a move that would signify the end of their
transition to all-digital broadcasting.
Powell said Congress is eager to reallocate the analog spectrum to
other users -- most likely public-safety organizations and wireless
companies -- and will not tolerate a prolonged DTV transition.
"You don't have that much political room," Powell said at a breakfast
session where he fielded questions from ABC journalist Sam Donaldson.
"Let me tell you something: There is not a comfortable political
climate for this to go on unnecessarily long.
"There are other constituencies waiting for spectrum. Wireless issues
have grown in their significance and their political interests."
TV stations may retain both their analog and digital licenses until
Dec. 31, 2006 or until 85 percent of TV households in a market can
receive off-air DTV signals, whichever is later.
>