[opendtv] Re: My Jax clear QAM HD went away
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:13:31 -0500
James Cole wrote:
> Most O&O's would never allow the native feed to be encrypted, and
> most affiliates wouldn't want to give up that right, if the network
> even gave them the option too.
>
> I would enquire with the stations if they know this is happening.
Somehow, what Tom reported didn't surprise me at all. I don't think the FCC
requires cable companies to send ANYTHING unencrypted, not even the FOTA
channels they carry, and we've seen news reports that cable companies were
going to start encrypting everything. Not to mention moving to switched video,
which makes any hope of standard solutions even more remote.
I agree that it *would seem* to make sense that cable companies would want to
benefit from the built-in clearQAM tuners in sets, so as not to have to provide
STBS for everyone. But it also makes sense that these same companies would
instead prefer to force everyone to rent their proprietary STBs, just as the
DBS, FiOS, and IPTV companies are doing so gleefully.
As far as I know, cable companies are still transmitting FOTA channels in
clearQAM in the DC market, but without a clear FCC mandate, I'm quite positive
this won't last. And this Genachowski FCC is hardly the one to issue any such
mandate.
Unlike all other TV markets in the world, this one operates on the basis of
promoting proprietary, non-standard solutions. Except for OTA. By the way, the
same applies to the cell phone business here. Proprietary is the rule, with
separate slices of spectrum for each scheme, even while the FCC is screaming
for more spectrum.
Bert
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