HDTV: Television of the future here now Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : HDTV: Television of the future here now

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: Dennis Roth who wrote (48)	8/5/2002 9:49:31 PM
From: Ron	of 152

A Decision on Digital Television Expected this Week By AMY HARMON New York Times The federal government's languishing effort to provide the nation's couch potatoes with digital TV signals is expected to lurch forward this week, as the Federal Communications Commission prepares to vote on two contentious issues that are seen as crucial to igniting a market for digital broadcasts and the TV sets to watch them on. At the urging of several members of Congress, the F.C.C. is set to decide on Thursday on a regulation proposed in January 2001 that would require consumer electronics makers to include digital tuners in all new TV sets by 2006. The idea is that if enough sets are sold with the proper receivers, broadcasters will have more incentive to provide programs to watch on them — giving people more reason to buy the televisions. But the measure is opposed by the Consumer Electronics Association, which argues that the rule would add as much as $250 to the average price of a TV set. Besides, opponents argue, the ruling would be meaningful only for the approximately 15 percent of Americans who receive their TV signal via over-the-air broadcasts, rather than through cable or satellite providers. Many consumer electronics executives instead favor a regulation that would require cable companies to carry all local digital TV broadcast signals on their systems. But cable companies complain that such a rule would unfairly restrict their capacity to carry more varied programming. The F.C.C. also plans to address the explanation that major Hollywood studios give for why they have declined to release their most valuable movies and television shows in digital broadcast format: the lack of technology to prevent viewers from recording and copying the material onto the Internet. The agency will open a debate over whether manufacturers should be required to embed antipiracy technology into their products. Representatives from Hollywood, Silicon Valley and the consumer electronics industry failed to reach consensus on that question during negotiations held over the last year. Technology executives argue that any such protective technology measure could be easily broken by pirates, and therefore is not worth the added expense that manufacturers would presumably pass on to consumers.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next