NTCA's The New Edge » DTV

Mobile DTV Standard Approved

Jesse Ward — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:45:21 +0000

A fast-track effort by broadcasters, transmission vendors and consumer electronics manufacturers to create a technical standard for transmitting digital TV signals to cellphones and other mobile devices has come to fruition, with the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) announcing October 16 that it has approved the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard.

The ATSC Mobile DTV Standard defines the technical specifications necessary for broadcasters to provide new services to mobile and handheld devices using their digital television (DTV) transmissions.

ATSC Mobile DTV can support a variety of services, including free (advertiser-supported) television and interactive services delivered in real-time, subscription-based TV, and content downloads for playback at a later time. The services could operate on a wide array of wireless devices including mobile phones, small handheld DTVs, laptop computers and in-vehicle entertainment systems.

The formal approval of the standard, which has been circulating in preliminary form since last November, paves the way for mobile DTV receivers to hit retail shelves next year.

“Development and adoption of the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard is a major milestone in the ongoing evolution of digital television,” said ATSC President Mark Richer. “We have been fortunate to have strong and active industry support, including thousands of person-hours of technical volunteers, for this work which enabled us to develop the standard in an efficient manner.”

View the release.

DTV Transition: No Surprises

Jesse Ward — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:00:00 +0000

For the majority of broadcast television stations across the nation, the digital TV transition took place last Friday, June 12, without major difficulty.

Most broadcast stations did not receive the flood of calls they had expected, a sign that the transition was smoother than predicted.

As anticipated, the FCC’s call center was inundated on Friday with 317,000 calls, but Saturday saw a drop-off to just north of 145,000 calls, and 63,000 calls were reported on Sunday. The most common questions were about the coupon program (which continues through July 31) and box installations. Many of the calls concerned the rescanning of TV sets. The FCC says that over-the-air viewers must rescan their sets to pick up the new digital signals that were powered on throughout the day on Friday. In fact, the commission is suggesting that consumers now perform a “double-re-scan.” The process ensures that consumers clear out their boxes’ memories before re-scanning.

Some viewers in rural areas said they could see fewer stations than before, due to a host of reception issues inherent in the digital format. Digital signals are more apt to be affected by interference, including topography issues. Digital signals also suffer from the “cliff effect”; with digital TV you can either see the signal or not, as opposed to analog transmission where a user at the far limits of the signal area, or even beyond the area, might have been able to receive a snowy signal.

Two big-city stations, ABC affiliates, reported significant reception problems. WLS Chicago reported difficulty reaching high-rise and downtown buildings, while WPVI Philadelphia viewers complained they couldn’t find WPVI’s new digital VHF signal.

The FCC says that 971 stations ended analog broadcasts June 12; another 220 stations ended analog broadcasts before the original February 17 hard date, which they were allowed to do with prior approval from the commission; 421 stations pulled the plug on February 17, the original DTV deadline; and 161 stations transitioned between February 17 and June 12.

Also of note, 118 stations in 85 markets have volunteered to continue “nightlight service,” broadcasting an analog signal with only emergency and DTV transition information for up to 30 days after June 12.

For more information, visit www.dtv.gov or www.fcc.gov.
Broadcasting & Cable has complete DTV coverage.

In Prep for DTV, 5% Switch to Pay-TV

Jesse Ward — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:36:09 +0000

The transition to digital television (DTV) has directly impacted one-out-of-four (26%) U.S. TV households during the past year, as they bought a digital converter, a new television set or a pay-TV subscription, according to a recent survey conducted by research firm Knowledge Networks.

Knowledge Networks has been tracking reaction to the digital transition since 2006. The new data, collected from February-April of this year, shows that, among TV households:

18% said they had bought a digital converter to adapt a standard definition set to receive digital signals;

8% bought a digital or HDTV set specifically in preparation for the transition; and

5% started a new subscription to a pay television service such as cable or satellite TV, also specifically in anticipation of the switch to digital.

(The numbers do not add up to 26% because there is some overlap among the groups.)

Also of note, awareness of the transition has increased to 91% of all TV homes, up from 85% in 2008, and 45% in 2007.

According to Nielsen, there are about 114 million U.S. TV households. Knowledge Networks surveyed 2,498 TV households nationwide via telephone, with a margin of error of 2% for questions asked of the total sample.

DTV Transition: Four Days and Counting

Jesse Ward — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:32:23 +0000

The FCC’s monthly open meeting took place in early June, and focused on the impending digital television (DTV) transition, slated for this Friday, June 12.

During the meeting, experts from inside the commission and from other groups including NTIA, the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association reviewed the status of the transition and efforts to educate consumers.

Despite expansive education programs, the commission remains concerned that there will be problems associated with the transition, including procrastinators who are not yet DTV ready, viewers who have had trouble making the switch for reasons of language or finances, and a myriad of reception problems due to the propagation techniques of DTV signals. There also are a host of unexpected issues which might arise, for example extreme weather conditions and unlicensed wireless devices which might affect a digital signal more prone to interference than its analog predecessor.

According to the FCC, 756 stations already have made the switch, which, as of late last week, leaves approximately 1,030 stations left to transition before June 12.

Of note, at least 100 stations will maintain analog service for up to 30 days past the June 12 date. The FCC is strongly requesting that additional stations provide an analog “nightlight” in each designated market area (DMA). The drawback for the broadcasters is the cost required to provide a signal and information for an additional 30 days.

Despite concerns voiced at the meeting, the FCC remains convinced that the public interest is well served by the DTV transition. Consumers will benefit from sharper pictures and more channels, while public safety and advanced wireless offerings will be made possible through spectrum reclamation.

For more information, visit www.dtv.gov or www.fcc.gov.