DTV transition goal: no viewer should be left behind, Donovan says
Apr 11, 2007 3:41 PM
HDTU: Based on what you see, do you think the industry will be ready to make the analog switchoff in February 2009? Do you think viewers — especially OTA-only viewers — will be ready?
DD: There is a tremendous amount of work to be done, but, yes, we will be ready for the transition. The recent DTV hearings before the House Telecommunications Subcommittee made it very clear. The Feb. 17, 2009, date is not going to slip. Even though it will occur during a sweeps period, broadcasters must be ready to switch on that date. We will do everything in our power to meet this deadline. I would note, however, that the success of the transition depends in part on several issues, which are beyond our control.
First, cable systems, satellite operators and SMATV systems must also be ready to make the transition. These systems must be ready to carry the digital signal, and where appropriate, retransmit the signal to their analog customers that still have analog television sets. At the same time, the digital signals should also be carried on the digital tier as well. Finally, it would be highly inappropriate for cable to unilaterally downconvert our HDTV signals to SDTV. Such a policy that was proposed in legislation last year would undermine consumer acceptance of the transition.
Second, the NAB has committed to conducting an extensive public campaign to inform consumers about the digital transition. Working cooperatively with other industries, our goal is simple: no viewer should be left behind. We take this responsibility very seriously. Indeed, it’s in our own economic best interest to make sure consumers are ready. We do not want to lose viewers.
Finally, and this is extremely important, the government should not enact policies that will increase interference in the television band. We all know that the digital signal is terrific. Unlike analog, which degrades gracefully, digital signals are all or nothing. Interference causes a digital signal to become pixilated, freeze and the sound goes off.
I can think of nothing that would undermine the DTV transition more than to introduce millions of unlicensed, interfering devices into the final DTV band (channel 2-51) right at the time when you are trying to convince consumers to shift from analog to digital. Consumers will have no idea that their set is not working because someone is using an unlicensed device in the next apartment or down the street. A consumer’s first instinct will be to take the TV set, or the government subsidized converter box, back to the store. All the PSAs and public relations in the world cannot make up for sets that do not work properly due to interference from allowing unlicensed devices, especially personal and portable unlicensed devices, in the TV band.
I can spend hours going through all the studies we submitted into the record at the FCC. Suffice to say, that such devices will cause interference to television reception. In fact, the FCC just released its analysis of TV set reception. It demonstrates there is a problem if these devices operate on the first and other adjacent channels. The only response we hear from the proponents is that “our device will not cause interference.” Of course, we expect the FCC to test the device, but at this point, all the FCC has is a self-described development platform and not a device per se. Even if a purported device does surface, however, the sensing levels that are not proposed will not protect TV sets from on-channel interference.
Those of us who are committed to the DTV transition must watch this issue carefully. The government should not be working at cross-purposes.
Tell us what you think!
HDTU invites response from our readers. Please submit your comments to editor@broadcastengineering.com. We'll follow up with your comments in an upcoming issue.
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
