Hiram, The analog channel will be used for present analog TV transmissions and with digital VSBi transmission, the digital channel will be used.
The cable modems selected for the 21st Century system to be deployed in Chicago are Zeniths. Zenith also has 40 Mbps cable modems but apparently 21st Century believes the less expensive 4 Mbps models offer sufficient bandwidth.
Also noticed today that PBS will be driving digital content (along with the major broadcasters and HBO, Turner Group and the Discovery Group).
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Newsrelease October 9, 1997 "Public broadcasters are developing a digital transition strategy, designed to ensure universal access to new educational services and programs when digital television (DTV) becomes the norm.
The digital transition strategy, announced today, is based on four broad goals for public broadcasters, including making early childhood
programming and services universally available and more effective;
expanding the accessibility and impact of K-12 classroom services;
making post-secondary telecourses and related materials universally
available to all adult learners; and ensuring that top-quality public
service programming and services remain accessible to all audiences.
The strategy was developed by the Digital Broadcasting Strategic
Planning Steering Committee, a group of industry leaders representing
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Public Broadcasting
Service, America's Public Television Stations, National Public Radio,
and local public broadcasters. All were assisted by Andersen Consulting.
"Digital technology will enable public broadcasters to deliver
extraordinary new services to enhance American education, culture, and
citizenship," public broadcasting spokesperson David B. Liroff said in
announcing the strategy.
Liroff, who is vice president and chief technology officer at WGBH in
Boston, said that public broadcasters estimate the total cost for
transforming America's public television and radio stations to transmit digitally will exceed $1.7 billion. This cost, he said, includes the costs of the basic transmission package, master control, production equipment, DTV operation and radio.
Despite lacking the same access to capital as commercial broadcasters,
Liroff said that public television and radio stations propose raising
nearly $1 billion of the costs themselves, which will include local
business funding, viewer donations and other sources.
Liroff added that the public broadcasters also have submitted a request for $771 million to the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) "to help local public stations deliver more and better services to every US home, business, and school." The request is for a three-year investment with about half the total request, or $386 million in fiscal year 1999; $231 million in FY 2000 and $154 million in FY 2001.
"While we're eager to devote our local resources and energy to the
digital transition, we ask the federal government to reaffirm its
historic partnership with us to help meet this challenge," Liroff said. "If digital technology is developed primarily to serve the demands of the commercial marketplace, its full public service potential will not be realized."
Liroff said that "absent extenuating circumstances," all public
television stations are required to begin digital broadcasting by 2003
or risk losing their channel assignments.
While public broadcasters today are limited by a single analog signal,
Liroff said that digital compression will allow public broadcasters to
carry simultaneously a dedicated children's instructional channel, an
adult lifelong learning channel, a public affairs service, and a local
programming channel. All these channels could be accompanied by data
"that enhances the broadcast experience," Liroff said. "
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Convergence is upon us and finally the cable industry is acting. When more demand is created by PBS and the other broadcasters, stocks like HLIT and ZE will be market leaders. HLIT is a potential 10 bagger, too. |
