News and Reviews....
The End of Analog TV- Part 2 ....... May 2005
By Robert Lieto
This is an update on the issue of the shut-off of analog TV as we know it. To begin with, Congress is going to give the TV makers a bit more time for the inclusion of Digital tuners in all sets larger then 13 inches. It was first set to be 50% quota by July 2005 for 25 - 36 inch sets, that will be pushed up. The problem is that the 100% mark is set for July 1, 2006, so it doesn't give them much room for delay. The new date for 50% mid-sized sets will probably be extended to March 2006. The FCC reinstated that the July 2007 deadline for DTV tuners in all sets larger then 13 inches will not be changed.
The government is very concerned that the shut off date will lead to a mass confusion of the consumers with analog sets that do not work. Added to the mix, the FCC has stated that they do not have the authority to fund and operate a set-top subsidy program to bring the black boxes to consumers with remaining analog sets. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) chairman of the House Commerce Committee, claims that he's "got the votes in the House" to cut off analog TV signals by the end of 2006. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon) just a week earlier acknowledged that such an urgent cutoff would be like "We're (dropping) a hammer on consumers." And fretted that, "They will rightly drop a sledgehammer on us."
Last month Chairman of the FCC, Michael Powell resigned. No successor has been named or confirmed. Kenneth Ferree, the chief of the FCC Media Bureau, also retired last month. The two men were key to many issues on the transition.
Ongoing is the study of how many converter boxes are going to be needed. Congress expects that millions of homes will need the devices. Total cost as predicted could be $340 Million to $7.6 billion. The GAO (Government Accountability Office) is in the midst of its own study if the Decoder Giveaway comes to be.
A number of still pending issues are remaining, the Broadcast Flag, to limit recording the digital information is now in the court circuit and expected to take months for a ruling. Cable Card security is another hot issue still being debated and again, can impact timetable.
Comment ..... More to come, I am SURE.
For Past Articles on the Subject
End of Analog TV January 2005
Plug & Play April 2003
The H in HDTV July 2002
HDTV.....As I See It October 2001
