CEA Encourages a Hard Analog Cut-off Date

[Audioholics]

<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><A href="http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/CEAAnalogTVCutoffDate.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 125px; HEIGHT: 46px" alt=[CEAlogo1] hspace=10 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/thumbs/CEAlogo1_th.gif" align=left border=0></A>Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), sent a very thorough letter to Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) regarding the state of the digital television (DTV) transition. Among his points are the fact that less than 13% of the population of 110 million TV households would not have access to a broadcast signal through cable or satellite (though they could certainly start subscribing).&nbsp;He makes many good arguments, even stating that it is remarkable that the organizations of local broadcasters seeking to delay an analog cut off are the same organizations that have refused to educate the public on the existence, much less the value, of free over the air service. In short, while PBS and some local broadcasters have been exemplary in their educational efforts, the national broadcaster organizations have done almost nothing to promote to the public the value of free over the air broadcasting. Instead, they have used a "Washington only" strategy of delaying the cut off date and seeking restrictions on cable, satellite and TV set makers.</FONT></P><P><FONT face=Arial size=2>[Read the CEA Letter]</FONT></P>

 

[jcrobso]

Analog to DTV

I am wondering how the Court rulling aganist the FCC on the broadcast flag will affect this.
Even now if you were to shopping For a HDTV with OTA digital reciver thay are not easy to find. The set top OTA digital reciver boxes are even harder to find.
I feel that the FCC broadcast flag ground everything to just about a stand still, and now that it's gone this process wil speed up.
I agree that the network promotion of HDTV is very poor, I think they were holding out untill the broadcast flag was in effect. Now that it's gone what will they do?? John

 

[Audioholics]

They are sheep. Now that cable TV providers are rushing to add HD and the "leading" networks are presenting most of their prime time content in HD there should be a strong inclination to not want to be the odd man out.

 

[aarond]

NAB response

Here is the NAB's response http://www.nab.org/newsroom/pressrel/statements/051205NAB_Letter_Chmn_Barton.htm

 

[Audioholics]

What the heck was their point? "They are a bunch of idiots and their numbers are wrong. By the way, we want you to get it done as well - just don't blame us."

Yeah, Amber alerts and emergency broadcasts will cripple this nation if DTV moves forward and knocks off analogue stations next year... ever heard of the radio? In emergency situations I think people are covered.

They completely disregard the homes who don't want cableTV and lump them in with everyone else.

The broadcasters don't want to put up the cash to make it happen. The consumer electronics manufacturers already have - for years now.

PS. Thanks for the link.

 

[aarond]

The broadcasters don't want to put up the cash to make it happen. The consumer electronics manufacturers already have - for years now.

PS. Thanks for the link.

If they had been doing it for years every tv would now have an ATSC tuner

Its been an ongoing battle between the CEA and NAB

CEA:we don't wan't to put atsc tuners in hdtv's because there is no hd signals

NAB:we don't want to broadcast because no one can receive the signals

EVERY LARGE SCREEN HDTV SOLD SHOULD INCLUDE AN ATSC TUNER
EVERY TV SOLD SHOULD HAVE A OBSOLETE WARNING LABEL
But, the FCC keeps changing the dates. Its a lose , lose situation for consumers

 

[Audioholics]

Seems like it's because the industry is fighting each other over who has to flip the bill. Don't they know it's the consumer?