[opendtv] Re: White paper from CEA
- From: Richard Hollandsworth <holl_ands@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 16:35:08 -0800 (PST)
The proposed OTA STB voucher program as well as the so-called low-cost STB RFP
from MSTV are undoubtedly putting the OTA STB market into never-never land....
Why should any OTA STB manufacturer bother developing a new STB, given the
uncertainity of the market place?
What rules would eventually be hammered out on the alledged voucher use?
Does MSTV intend to be the primary provider of qualifiying STBs? Will gov't
follow this plan?
When could vouchers be used (only the final year before shutdown was in one
draft)?
Would the voucher only be available towards an STB with only analog (CH3/4
type) outputs?
[Or could the qualifying STB's also support Video/S-Video?]
Could the voucher be applied towards an STB with Component Video and/or HDMI
outputs?
Some (but certainly not all) of this uncertainty will be resolved when Congress
passes reconciled bills.
//////////////////////////////////////////////
Since the vouchers will PROBABLY only be valid towards a CH3/4 bare bones STB,
there is PROBABLY still a retail market for fully functional HD capable,
OTA-STBs.
But the market can't be very big. DCR and other HDTVs with built-in ATSC don't
need them.
Most HD-SAT Receivers have ATSC built-in and in the future will offer LIL HD.
Most current HDTV Monitor owners probably already bought OTA STBs if that was
their preference, although most of them watch HD via Cable or SAT.
///////////////////////////////////////////
I still believe that there is a niche market for hi-end OTA STBs for use in
difficult signal environments.
They should support Dual or Quad Antenna Diversity for ANY user supplied mix of
antennas, as well as Smart Antenna control for Preamp AGC, which should include
a mast mounted tuned RF front end.
Oh....almost forgot....HD-DVR capability....and a CableCard slot....
<holl_ands>
//////////////////////////////////////////
John Willkie <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Short answer: no.
I believe they're "bargaining" like (RCA DTC-100/200, the new DirecTV/LG box,
HiSense, etc) to get a piece of continuing revenues (called royalties in the
business) and getting paid by DirecTV and others to include the new receivers
in their systems that have multiple revenue streams.
Broadcasters., with very few exceptions, have just one revenue stream, and it
doesn't come through the sale of reception equipment.
It's called cream-skimming. Bob lacked the financial resources to spark their
interest, other than a demo or two. I suspect they took his measure, and
thought more of DirecTV. I note that the NAB/MSTV had many responses to their
RFQ, and MSTV isn't known for buying much other than engineering, legal and
office space. Both represent the "tv establishment."
I seem to remember that IBM only rented their computers until they were forced
to sell at least a few, pursuant to the terms of the 1956 consent decree with
the feds. Or, was it the 1962 consent decree? Why were they focused on leases
and rentals and not cash sales? (Sales show up on a single quarter, and you
have to find another sale of similar or greater size the next ime; leases help
many quarters.
John Willkie
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Barry
Sent: Oct 30, 2005 6:13 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: White paper from CEA
John Willkie wrote:
> You need to employ's Occams razor. You've skipped over many more logical
> reasons to get to what you claim is obvious.
>
I did not give any reasons, only made an observation I think is fairly
hard to challenge. CE companies are very obviously NOT marketing 8vsb
STB's.
Do you really believe CE companies CURRENTLY feel it is economically a
good idea for them to produce 8vsb STB's but for some reason are still
not doing it?
- Tom
> John Willkie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Tom Barry
> Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2005 3:53 PM
> To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [opendtv] Re: White paper from CEA
>
> I think it is fairly obvious by now that no company feels they can make
> 8vsb STB's or PVR's profitably, since no one seems to be doing it and
> any possible start-up time has long since passed. Mark's Memo this week
> could find NO advertisements for same.
>
> This may hopefully change after a forced transition, if that ever
> happens, but there is no good reason to think it will soon change otherwise.
>
> - Tom
>
>
> Bob Miller wrote:
>
>>Let me add one note.
>>
>>If the US switched to DVB-T, presumably LG would be able to make DVB-T
>>receivers profitably for the US market. Something they say they cannot
>>do now with 8-VSB.
>>
>>They can do it now in OZ which is only 1/16 the size of the US. So the
>>US would be a slam dunk.
>>
>>They must have the answer that Bert is so baffled about.
>>
>>After all they are at the center of 8-VSB. If they can't make it happen
>>who can?
>>
>>Bob Miller
>>
>>John Shutt wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Bert,
>>>
>>>Let me walk you through it:
>>>
>>>If the US Switched to DVB-T, then all of those boxes made today for sale
>
> in
>
>>>Australia could be easily modified to work in the US 6 MHz bandwidth and
>>>frequency spacing. Europe uses 8 MHz and Australia uses 7 MHz, so all
>
> DVB-T
>
>>>chipsets sold today worldwide are 6-7-8 MHz capable. Only the RF front
>
> end
>
>>>needs to be tweaked for the appropriate bandwidth. (And I recall one
>>>company that actually did make a "worldwide box" that had all three front
>>>ends included.)
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Manfredi, Albert E"
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>I am baffled by the implication, yours and others, that
>>>>somehow DVB-T would change this state of affairs.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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