[opendtv] Re: With TVs switching to digital, it's time to pay attention
- From: "Bob Miller" <robmxa@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:45:48 -0500
On Nov 21, 2007 5:09 PM, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Bob Miller wrote:
>
> > Transitions don't always wait until the last moment. It
> > didn't happen in the UK or any other country I know of.
>
> It happened in Germany and it's happening now in Italy.
>
> In Germany, local governments simply forced it through. We could do the
> same here. There was no transition going until until the authorities
> took it upon themselves to shut off half of the analog stations on a
> given date, then the other half 6 months later.
>
> In Italy, they recently pushed it back *again*, to 2011 or 2012. So far,
> they have only shut down four analog stations in certain provinces of
> two regions (Sardegna and Valle d'Aosta). Everyone else is happily
> oblivious of this DTT transition.
>
> > Only the US where broadcasters have a basic conflict of
> > interest with their own OTA spectrum and cable carriage.
>
> I certainly agree with this comment, however.
>
> > And decent receivers have not shown up yet.
>
> Nonsense.
>
> > When they do they will be capable of mobile reception
>
> This has always sounded like you're trying to create a moving target.
> 8-VSB receivers are much improved, so you focus on whether or not the
> rabbit ears antenna can sit on top of the TV set, rather than somewhere
> else close by. Then that too is also shown to work, so you focus on
> mobility. A-VSB is shown to work for mobility, so you make up this new
> "problem" about it being a "data hog." It just goes on and on.
No moving target. I have consistently since 1999 said that the proper role
use of the broadcast OTA spectrum was to deliver ubiquitous TV. That means
mobile fixed and portable. In reality it just means you can receive the
signal easily because you are using the BEST possible modulation. Any
argument for using ANYTHING but the best modulation is lame IMO. You should
be using the best modulation and codec and a lot of thought should go into
making your modulation and codec upgradeable. NONE of that was done in the
US. Everything in the US was done to hinder each of those goals.
>
>
> I've never had a lot of faith in the whole TV-to-cell-phone idea, but I
> was happy to see if it became a raging success where offered. Apparently
> no, not yet.
I have not either. From the beginning I have said that I thought the TV to
cell phone business would end up being just another part of the cell phone
bill. Something offered in the standard package.
>
>
> In any event, even in DVB-T countries, they are dedicating different
> transmitters and different frequency channels to the DVB-H channels, so
> this mobility market, should it ever materialize, will not affect DTT in
> any way. I would be more interested in seeing portable and/or mobile
> devices receiving regular DTT. Which is a doable do.
Again I have been against DVB-H from the beginning. Not so much against but
not planning on using it ourselves. Always have seen it as a clunky way to
solve a battery problem.
>
>
> The annoying thing about the persistent pessimism is, of course, that it
> can only discourage the uninformed, and ensure that they remain
> unmotivated. I don't think anyone needs to work on that so hard, in the
> US. The conflict of interest reason you mentioned is already bad enough.
One man's pessimism is another mans reality. Your support of 8-VSB is truly
stubborness in the face of reality of monumental proportions to me. I am
very proud of every person I have influenced away from the use of 8-VSB. If
I had or could convince the US to change now to a better codec and
modulation would make me very proud. On the other hand I can't even imagine
your defending 8-VSB and the mandate in the US that has at least 85% of TV
buyers buying something they don't need and don't even have any knowledge.
Defending a failed modulation that also keeps US citizens from getting at
least 60% of the content that their spectrum could deliver if it used a
better codec. I could go on.
The waste is truly monumental. We could by now have a very decent competitor
to cable and satellite in OTA instead of a fading free OTA experience.
Bob Miller
>
>
> Bert
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:
>
> - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at
> FreeLists.org
>
> - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
> unsubscribe in the subject line.
>
>
Other related posts: