[opendtv] If OTA TV goes away

From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:49:52 -0500
If all of the TV OTA spectrum is reassigned, e.g. by compensating broadcasters 
for their respective slices, what are some possible repercussions?

How will politicians get access to the TV media? Would MVPDs be under more 
direct government control?

What will happen to MVPD tiers and pricing if there's no FOTA TV anymore? Will 
MVPDs be required to offer a basic tier at some nominal rate (e.g. the hookup 
monthly fee only), or will they just be able to jack up their prices at will, 
with no FOTA competition at all?

What will happen to broadcasters? The congloms obviously continue to do their 
thing, but how short-sighted is it for broadcasters to just walk away with a 
lumped sum?

Broadcasters, those affiliated with the major networks, are just now starting 
to show some tiny amount of interest in their multicast spectrum. If this 
chopping of TV spectrum happens quickly enough, before these major affiliates 
figure out what to do, I can see an easy way to cut down on TV spectrum. You 
simply limit OTA TV to something like 704 X 480p (which is already in A/53, so 
why not use it), and you force broadcasters to share their spectrum. That would 
permit maybe three broadcasters with 480p streams in each multiplex, and more 
streams if they are satisfied with SD quality. This could cut down the required 
spectrum to 1/3 of what is used now, and most viewers would not lose much of 
their current OTA choice.

And maybe, for special occasions, the broadcasters on one multiplex can team up 
and offer HD as well. Maybe 2 of the 3, for example, join together for one HD 
stream, for special occasions.

Too bad for the independent stations and PBS. They had understood how to use 
their spectrum in interesting ways. At least, in this market.

Or, like Tom describes of his Sprint service, a totally different two-way 
system can be built, in which perhaps some TV streams are also offered, just 
like they are over the Internet.

Bert
 
 
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[opendtv] If OTA TV goes away

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