Cable TV systems should be permitted to charge DTV subscribers an extra $10 per month for digital programming -- with half of that paid by systems to local TV stations -- Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research said last week. Speaking at the NAB Futures Summit in Monterey, Cal., he said a survey of digital set owners showed that 75% would be willing to pay an average of $110.20 per month for high-definition programming and that cable systems should “break precedent” and pay TV stations for digital content: “Why? Because the digital transition is profitless for the entire TV value chain.” He said networks now aired some HDTV programming “to make a positive impression on the FCC regulators… One TV executive told us confidentially that his network produces HDTV just to please the FCC.” If systems are allowed to charge for DTV, they should be required by the FCC to carry both analog and digital signals of local stations, Bernoff said. And, he said, cable payments to broadcasters would encourage the production of more high-definition programming and speed the overall transition to digital. Another benefit of charging subscribers for HDTV, Bernoff said: “Operators can slow or stop their basic cable rate increases, bringing down congressional and consumer blood pressure.” Mark Richer, pres. of the Advanced TV Systems Committee (ATSC), detailed to the Summit attendees efforts being made to develop new broadcast standards and the increased flexibility they would provide for broadcasters and set manufacturers. He said progress was being made with CableLabs to “harmonize” specifications for interactive TV.
The Advanced TV Systems Committee (ATSC) is expected to vote this spring on an enhanced VSB (E-VSB) modulation standard for DTV, nearly a year later than originally planned, Nat Ostroff, Sinclair Bcst. Group vp-new technology told our affiliate Consumer Electronics Daily at a Kagan seminar in N.Y.C., but key ATSC official said polling of full committee was unlikely before midsummer, at earliest. The committee vote would cap a 2-year process in which the field of 8 proposals for E-VSB was winnowed to 3 and ultimately one -- the version developed jointly by Zenith and NxtWave Communications, he said.
Industry negotiations on cable carriage of broadcast DTV programming have seen “only minimal progress” and cable carriage is vital for the DTV transition if most consumers continue to get their broadcast channels through cable, NAB Pres. Edward Fritts told the annual meeting of the Advanced TV Systems Committee (ATSC) Tues. NCTA Pres. Robert Sachs later said broadcast signals were an important part of “cable’s mix” of services, but he challenged broadcasters’ contentions that cable systems were “blocking access” to high-definition (HD) broadcast programming. It was Round 2 in the continuing rhetorical battle between Fritts and Sachs, one day after similar arguments at the Consumer Electronics Assn.’s HDTV Summit (CD March 11 p4).
FCC should encourage inclusion of broadcast flag in digital broadcast equipment but without imposing regulation, said DirecTV Fri. “The Commission should mandate support of the ATSC flag… only if market forces alone fail to produce the desirable result,” it said. Company also addressed concerns that broadcast flag could be hackable, saying future protection technologies can be layered with flag for increased protection. Reply comments concerning proposed rulemaking on digital broadcast copy protection are due Fri.
Advanced TV Systems Committee (ATSC) and CableLabs signed agreement to harmonize their technical specifications for interactive TV, organizations said. Harmonization is critical for advanced interactive services, they said. ATSC and CableLabs will work with other standards organizations to achieve global standardization, they said.
Scientific-Atlanta said it was shipping its Explorer 4200 set-top boxes this month. Box is designed to receive HDTV programming in any ATSC standard format and communicate with headend and Internet through DOCSIS cable modem, it said.
In decision delayed for more than year by broadcast economy and terrorist attacks, MSTV board is expected to cast favorable vote Oct. 21 on establishment of broadcast technology center, we're told. MSTV Pres. David Donovan, who developed plan along with Victor Tawil, senior vp- engineering, has been busy selling idea to major TV groups and consumer electronic manufacturers. Reaction has been generally “supportive,” including from at least 2 TV networks, Donovan said. We also have found wide support for lab from major TV groups, with some saying they would probably support project but haven’t been asked yet. Only one major group executive expressed disapproval. None have been asked for, or pledged, money.
Advanced TV Systems Committee said it approved new standard for enhanced and interactive DTV services. DTV Application Software Environment standard is to ensure that applications and data will run uniformly on all DTV receivers, ATSC Pres. Mark Richer said.
FCC Chmn. Powell will keynote MSTV’s 16th annual “DTV Update” Oct. 22, Park Hyatt Hotel, Washington. Scheduled panelists include Daniel Brenner of NCTA, Mike Petricone of CEA, Mark Richer of ATSC. Update will be proceeded by meetings of MSTV Engineering Committee Oct. 20 and Assn.’s board Oct. 21.
Sony isn’t barrier to DTV transition but believes it has been among its “stronger proponents and advocates,” said Sony spokesman responding to allegations by John Lawson, pres. of Assn. of Public TV Stations, that Sony was potential “barrier” to delivery of over-air DTV reception to consumers if it didn’t drop opposition to FCC’s DTV tuner mandate (CD Aug 21 p4). Without DTV content and distribution through cable and satellite compatibility, Sony spokesman said, “the majority of consumers would not be able to receive HDTV service or get the benefit of their ATSC television.” Like FCC, Sony is committed to “the quick acceptance and usage of high-definition DTV” by consumers. But he said company believes “the only true measure of success” in DTV transition is achieving cable and satellite compatibility, without which risks development of “an over-the-air market segmentation situation” that would benefit neither broadcasters nor consumers. Spokesman said Sony looks forward “to the FCC addressing -- as it said it would -- the key issues of cable compatibility and must-carry, which we think are very, very important.”