I Was Wrong!

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

And I freely admit it!!

I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in
the UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.

Sales up until December 11th came in at 1.3 million that that does not
include the critical last two shopping weeks before Christmas. It may
hit 1.6 or 7 million in the final count.

1.6 million in the US which is SIX times the size of Merry Old England
would have been 9.6 million and I believe that because of the dynamics
of the US the number would have been even larger.

I have stated that sales of COFDM receivers would continue to accelerate
from already very high numbers contrary to the pundits in the UK who
have consistently said that a leveling off or actual decline was just
around the corner. These same pundits also said that the digital
transition in the UK would fail from the beginning.

My nerve failed and I have underestimated the power of a good product
with a proper modulation.

How is this, in the first quarter they will sell over a million
receivers and for the year 2005 they will sell 5.5 million on top of the
6 million they have already sold.

In the US that would be 6 + 5.5 = 11.5 times 6 or 69 million receivers
sold in the same three years. IF however you go back to when we started
7 years ago we would have had sales to date of close to the 85% of home
in the US to qualify for the analog turnoff by the end of this year
2005, a full year before the original 2006 deadline. There are 109
million homes in the US. 85% equals 92.5 million.

Incredible as it may seem with COFDM we would be approaching that number
right now.

Bob Miller

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

"Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:mOBEd.3509$Ii4.3223@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> And I freely admit it!!
>
> I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in the
> UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.
>
> Sales up until December 11th came in at 1.3 million that that does not
> include the critical last two shopping weeks before Christmas. It may hit
> 1.6 or 7 million in the final count.

Hey Bob,

You're beginning to sound like a second-rate detergent
commercial now.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

Wow!!! You finally admit that COFDM has no future. That is truly a step to
recovery. How are those therapy sessions going? Seems like they are
helping. I really hope things get better for you this year.

Jeff


"Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:mOBEd.3509$Ii4.3223@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> And I freely admit it!!
>
> Bob Miller

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:44:02 GMT, Bob Miller <robmx@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>And I freely admit it!!
>
>I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in
>the UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.
>

UK == ZERO Hidef broadcasts.

But, that didn't stop Bob from posting his spew to the
"alt.tv.tech.hdtv " newsgroup.

FYI.. Last weekend(1/8 - 1/9), I enjoyed watching several playoff
football games and BattleStar Galactica 2003 all in Hi-Definition.
It's such a shame that poor bob missed it, since he doesn't own a
HDTV receiver.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

Perhaps Bob Miller would like to explain why, in Tokyo:

.. just a mile from the broadcasting tower, COFDM terrestrial digital HDTV
still pixellates at times (I witnessed it first-hand)

.. five miles from the broadcasting tower, you can't get COFDM terrestrial
digital HDTV at all

.. within the COFDM terrestrial digital HDTV service area, you must have a
rooftop directional yagi to receive the signal

.. the programming schedule for terrestrial digital TV isn't printed in the
newspapers (but cable and satellite are) because there's not enough demand
for it yet

Bob Miller has utterly misrepresented the situation in Japan. I know this
now from first-hand experience. When confronted with first-hand
information, he puts his fingers in his ears and screams "you're wrong,
you're wrong, you're wrong!"

The membership of these newsgroups knows that he has misrepresented the
situation in the US.

He has probably also misrepresented the situation in the UK, Berlin
Germany, and Australia.

-- Mark --

http/staff.washington.edu/mrc
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Tim Keating" <NotForJunkEmail@directinternet11.com1> wrote in message
news:3i26u0hcicjt46h33cu2afrcgvmmj25h30@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:44:02 GMT, Bob Miller <robmx@earthlink.net>
> wrote:
>
>>And I freely admit it!!
>>
>>I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in
>>the UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.
>>
>
> UK == ZERO Hidef broadcasts.
>
> But, that didn't stop Bob from posting his spew to the
> "alt.tv.tech.hdtv " newsgroup.
>
> FYI.. Last weekend(1/8 - 1/9), I enjoyed watching several playoff
> football games and BattleStar Galactica 2003 all in Hi-Definition.
> It's such a shame that poor bob missed it, since he doesn't own a
> HDTV receiver.

That's the problem, you can name all the HD programs from memory,
which shows the lack of programming. Can you name all the SD programs
from last weekend?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:mOBEd.3509$Ii4.3223@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> And I freely admit it!!
>
> I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in the
> UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.
>
> Sales up until December 11th came in at 1.3 million that that does not
> include the critical last two shopping weeks before Christmas. It may hit
> 1.6 or 7 million in the final count.
>
> 1.6 million in the US which is SIX times the size of Merry Old England
> would have been 9.6 million and I believe that because of the dynamics of
> the US the number would have been even larger.
>
> I have stated that sales of COFDM receivers would continue to accelerate
> from already very high numbers contrary to the pundits in the UK who have
> consistently said that a leveling off or actual decline was just around
> the corner. These same pundits also said that the digital transition in
> the UK would fail from the beginning.
>
> My nerve failed and I have underestimated the power of a good product with
> a proper modulation.
>
> How is this, in the first quarter they will sell over a million receivers
> and for the year 2005 they will sell 5.5 million on top of the 6 million
> they have already sold.
>
> In the US that would be 6 + 5.5 = 11.5 times 6 or 69 million receivers
> sold in the same three years. IF however you go back to when we started 7
> years ago we would have had sales to date of close to the 85% of home in
> the US to qualify for the analog turnoff by the end of this year 2005, a
> full year before the original 2006 deadline. There are 109 million homes
> in the US. 85% equals 92.5 million.
>
> Incredible as it may seem with COFDM we would be approaching that number
> right now.
>
> Bob Miller

I still don't get what this has to do with HDTV? Do Americans really care
when they are comfortably hooked up to their cable or sat boxes?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

>
> I still don't get what this has to do with HDTV? Do Americans really care
> when they are comfortably hooked up to their cable or sat boxes?
>
>

Bob cares because his business model depends on mobile HDTV. He's
losing a lot of money because the US didn't go with COFDM. Oh well!
Bob, it's time to either 1) move to a different country, or 2) find
another business model.

In both cases, please stop spamming this list.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Gomer Jones wrote:
> "Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:mOBEd.3509$Ii4.3223@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
>>And I freely admit it!!
>>
>>I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in the
>>UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.
>>
>>Sales up until December 11th came in at 1.3 million that that does not
>>include the critical last two shopping weeks before Christmas. It may hit
>>1.6 or 7 million in the final count.
>>
>>1.6 million in the US which is SIX times the size of Merry Old England
>>would have been 9.6 million and I believe that because of the dynamics of
>>the US the number would have been even larger.
>>
>>I have stated that sales of COFDM receivers would continue to accelerate
>>from already very high numbers contrary to the pundits in the UK who have
>>consistently said that a leveling off or actual decline was just around
>>the corner. These same pundits also said that the digital transition in
>>the UK would fail from the beginning.
>>
>>My nerve failed and I have underestimated the power of a good product with
>>a proper modulation.
>>
>>How is this, in the first quarter they will sell over a million receivers
>>and for the year 2005 they will sell 5.5 million on top of the 6 million
>>they have already sold.
>>
>>In the US that would be 6 + 5.5 = 11.5 times 6 or 69 million receivers
>>sold in the same three years. IF however you go back to when we started 7
>>years ago we would have had sales to date of close to the 85% of home in
>>the US to qualify for the analog turnoff by the end of this year 2005, a
>>full year before the original 2006 deadline. There are 109 million homes
>>in the US. 85% equals 92.5 million.
>>
>>Incredible as it may seem with COFDM we would be approaching that number
>>right now.
>>
>>Bob Miller
>
>
> I still don't get what this has to do with HDTV? Do Americans really care
> when they are comfortably hooked up to their cable or sat boxes?
>
>
In this part of the country satellite drops out during rain squalls.
Enough time so that my wife demanded that we cancel it.

Not so comfortable with sat.

And they charge a lot for these services when with the $50 receiver in
the UK you get 30 channels of widescreen DTV and a bunch of digital
radio for ZERO. Of course they do pay a tax for TV there to support such
as the BBC. Expect to see 50 channel OTA cable type offerings on top of
being able to receive all the FREE DTV channels there are already there
in the US.

Polls show that from 30% to over 50% of American homes would switch to a
free service like the one offered in the UK and drop cable and or
satellite. I think a combo service of free and subscription plus access
to all the normally free channels will be a killer when offered.

When offered these OTA services customers will benefit from the FREEness
and be able to subscribe to OTA cable like programming also. Coupled
with Internet delivery via broadband of premium PPV content for niche
services I think a OTA service in the US will kill cable and satellite
sooner than most think possible. In the UK satellite has seen new
customer sales dry up in the last 20 months as Freeview grew. In 20
months they have 6 million customers and will have 11.5 million by the
end of this year. SKY satellite has only 7 million. And now they are
offering a OTA subscription service as well, TopUp. Who needs cable and
satellite.

The use of the PVR will also multiply the perceived number of channels
that OTA can deliver by making 3 am prime time for any prerecorded content.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Move to the UK Bob! Maybe we can collect enough money to provide you a one
way ticket. I am sure your wife would appreciate it also. She must get
very tired of your COFDM ramblings.

Jeff


"Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:LhDEd.3676$pZ4.3049@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Gomer Jones wrote:
>> "Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
>> news:mOBEd.3509$Ii4.3223@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>>
>>>And I freely admit it!!
>>>
>>>I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in
>>>the UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.
>>>
>>>Sales up until December 11th came in at 1.3 million that that does not
>>>include the critical last two shopping weeks before Christmas. It may hit
>>>1.6 or 7 million in the final count.
>>>
>>>1.6 million in the US which is SIX times the size of Merry Old England
>>>would have been 9.6 million and I believe that because of the dynamics of
>>>the US the number would have been even larger.
>>>
>>>I have stated that sales of COFDM receivers would continue to accelerate
>>>from already very high numbers contrary to the pundits in the UK who have
>>>consistently said that a leveling off or actual decline was just around
>>>the corner. These same pundits also said that the digital transition in
>>>the UK would fail from the beginning.
>>>
>>>My nerve failed and I have underestimated the power of a good product
>>>with a proper modulation.
>>>
>>>How is this, in the first quarter they will sell over a million receivers
>>>and for the year 2005 they will sell 5.5 million on top of the 6 million
>>>they have already sold.
>>>
>>>In the US that would be 6 + 5.5 = 11.5 times 6 or 69 million receivers
>>>sold in the same three years. IF however you go back to when we started 7
>>>years ago we would have had sales to date of close to the 85% of home in
>>>the US to qualify for the analog turnoff by the end of this year 2005, a
>>>full year before the original 2006 deadline. There are 109 million homes
>>>in the US. 85% equals 92.5 million.
>>>
>>>Incredible as it may seem with COFDM we would be approaching that number
>>>right now.
>>>
>>>Bob Miller
>>
>>
>> I still don't get what this has to do with HDTV? Do Americans really
>> care when they are comfortably hooked up to their cable or sat boxes?
> In this part of the country satellite drops out during rain squalls.
> Enough time so that my wife demanded that we cancel it.
>
> Not so comfortable with sat.
>
> And they charge a lot for these services when with the $50 receiver in the
> UK you get 30 channels of widescreen DTV and a bunch of digital radio for
> ZERO. Of course they do pay a tax for TV there to support such as the BBC.
> Expect to see 50 channel OTA cable type offerings on top of being able to
> receive all the FREE DTV channels there are already there in the US.
>
> Polls show that from 30% to over 50% of American homes would switch to a
> free service like the one offered in the UK and drop cable and or
> satellite. I think a combo service of free and subscription plus access to
> all the normally free channels will be a killer when offered.
>
> When offered these OTA services customers will benefit from the FREEness
> and be able to subscribe to OTA cable like programming also. Coupled with
> Internet delivery via broadband of premium PPV content for niche services
> I think a OTA service in the US will kill cable and satellite sooner than
> most think possible. In the UK satellite has seen new customer sales dry
> up in the last 20 months as Freeview grew. In 20 months they have 6
> million customers and will have 11.5 million by the end of this year. SKY
> satellite has only 7 million. And now they are offering a OTA subscription
> service as well, TopUp. Who needs cable and satellite.
>
> The use of the PVR will also multiply the perceived number of channels
> that OTA can deliver by making 3 am prime time for any prerecorded
> content.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Bob Miller <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote:

> In this part of the country satellite drops out during rain squalls.
> Enough time so that my wife demanded that we cancel it.
>
> Not so comfortable with sat.
>
> And they charge a lot for these services when with the $50 receiver in
> the UK you get 30 channels of widescreen DTV and a bunch of digital
> radio for ZERO. Of course they do pay a tax for TV there to support such
> as the BBC. Expect to see 50 channel OTA cable type offerings on top of
> being able to receive all the FREE DTV channels there are already there
> in the US.
>
> Polls show that from 30% to over 50% of American homes would switch to a
> free service like the one offered in the UK and drop cable and or
> satellite. I think a combo service of free and subscription plus access
> to all the normally free channels will be a killer when offered.
>
> When offered these OTA services customers will benefit from the FREEness
> and be able to subscribe to OTA cable like programming also. Coupled
> with Internet delivery via broadband of premium PPV content for niche
> services I think a OTA service in the US will kill cable and satellite
> sooner than most think possible. In the UK satellite has seen new
> customer sales dry up in the last 20 months as Freeview grew. In 20
> months they have 6 million customers and will have 11.5 million by the
> end of this year. SKY satellite has only 7 million. And now they are
> offering a OTA subscription service as well, TopUp. Who needs cable and
> satellite.
>
> The use of the PVR will also multiply the perceived number of channels
> that OTA can deliver by making 3 am prime time for any prerecorded
> content.

Notice that there is NO mention of HD content. Bob, GO AWAY!!!!!
No one here wants to hear your rantings about how you got screwed!
We don't care how the system is modulated. We want to watch HD!
Chip

--
-------------------- http/NewsReader.Com/ --------------------
Usenet Newsgroup Service $9.95/Month 30GB

 

[aztech]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

"Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:HyXEd.4427
<
> Well my source says 1.3 million from October 1st thru December 11th. Your
> November sales of 500k does not dispute that. They had to sell some number
> between December 11th and 25th. So if you are right that would make is
> something south of 1.6 like 1.5 million? We will see. Whatever the number it
> is far higher than most predicted including me.

Well, problem is the sale of analogue equipment still exceeds these figures,
what's the point of 500k digital boxes if 700k new analogue TV's and VCR's have
just been added to the pile?

In sheer numbers there's more equipment dependent on the analogue signals now
than when digital started in 1998.


Az.

 

[Ivan]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

"Aztech" <az@tech.com> wrote in message
news:I06Fd.620157$O24.89706@news.easynews.com...
> "Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:HyXEd.4427
> <
> > Well my source says 1.3 million from October 1st thru December 11th.
Your
> > November sales of 500k does not dispute that. They had to sell some
number
> > between December 11th and 25th. So if you are right that would make is
> > something south of 1.6 like 1.5 million? We will see. Whatever the
number it
> > is far higher than most predicted including me.
>
> Well, problem is the sale of analogue equipment still exceeds these
figures,
> what's the point of 500k digital boxes if 700k new analogue TV's and VCR's
have
> just been added to the pile?
>
> In sheer numbers there's more equipment dependent on the analogue signals
now
> than when digital started in 1998.
>

But as virtually every TV receiver and VCR manufactured during the last 15
years is equipped with at least one Scart socket, and digital receivers can
now be purchased for under £40, this is hardly the problem you would have us
believe.


>
> Az.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

ivan wrote:

>
> But as virtually every TV receiver and VCR manufactured during the last 15
> years is equipped with at least one Scart socket, and digital receivers can
> now be purchased for under £40, this is hardly the problem you would have us
> believe.
>

The fact that DTV in the US does not have that natural backwards
compatibility explains exactly why the DTV rollout in the US is on a
different time scale than DTV in Europe.

Matthew (no, it's not the modulation scheme)

--
Thermodynamics and/or Golf for dummies: There is a game
You can't win
You can't break even
You can't get out of the game

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

Matthew L. Martin wrote:
> ivan wrote:
>
>>
>> But as virtually every TV receiver and VCR manufactured during the
>> last 15
>> years is equipped with at least one Scart socket, and digital
>> receivers can
>> now be purchased for under £40, this is hardly the problem you would
>> have us
>> believe.
>>
>
> The fact that DTV in the US does not have that natural backwards
> compatibility explains exactly why the DTV rollout in the US is on a
> different time scale than DTV in Europe.
>
> Matthew (no, it's not the modulation scheme)
>

Any digital receiver should be able to connect to an analog TV in the
US. That is not the problem. In the US no one has offered a similar
service to the UK's Freeview. USDTV is the closest but offers only 12
subscription channels while in the UK you have 30 free channels.

The combination of inexpensive receivers and 30 free channels is a
powerful combo. Expect 50 subscription channels plus the regular free
OTA broadcast channels to start being offered in larger markets in the
US once 5th gen receivers appear.

Bob Miller
(its all about modulation which will become apparent with 5th gen 8-VSB
receivers and COFDM networks) The first rule is that you have to have
something that works before it can be successful.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

Bob Miller wrote:

> Matthew L. Martin wrote:
>
>> ivan wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> But as virtually every TV receiver and VCR manufactured during the
>>> last 15
>>> years is equipped with at least one Scart socket, and digital
>>> receivers can
>>> now be purchased for under £40, this is hardly the problem you would
>>> have us
>>> believe.
>>>
>>
>> The fact that DTV in the US does not have that natural backwards
>> compatibility explains exactly why the DTV rollout in the US is on a
>> different time scale than DTV in Europe.
>>
>> Matthew (no, it's not the modulation scheme)
>>
>
> Any digital receiver should be able to connect to an analog TV in the
> US. That is not the problem. In the US no one has offered a similar
> service to the UK's Freeview. USDTV is the closest but offers only 12
> subscription channels while in the UK you have 30 free channels.

Which has nothing to do with the modulation scheme.

> The combination of inexpensive receivers and 30 free channels is a
> powerful combo. Expect 50 subscription channels plus the regular free
> OTA broadcast channels to start being offered in larger markets in the
> US once 5th gen receivers appear.

Right! Like that's going to happen. The business model for that really
hasn't been proven.

> Bob Miller
> (its all about modulation which will become apparent with 5th gen 8-VSB
> receivers and COFDM networks) The first rule is that you have to have
> something that works before it can be successful.

8-VSB does work now. There are only a few locations where multipath is
severe enough to warrant waiting for a fifth generation receiver.

Matthew

--
Thermodynamics and/or Golf for dummies: There is a game
You can't win
You can't break even
You can't get out of the game

 

[Ivan]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

"Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:IMbFd.5369$Ii4.4892@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Matthew L. Martin wrote:
> > ivan wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> But as virtually every TV receiver and VCR manufactured during the
> >> last 15
> >> years is equipped with at least one Scart socket, and digital
> >> receivers can
> >> now be purchased for under £40, this is hardly the problem you would
> >> have us
> >> believe.
> >>
> >
> > The fact that DTV in the US does not have that natural backwards
> > compatibility explains exactly why the DTV rollout in the US is on a
> > different time scale than DTV in Europe.
> >
> > Matthew (no, it's not the modulation scheme)
> >
>
> Any digital receiver should be able to connect to an analog TV in the
> US. That is not the problem. In the US no one has offered a similar
> service to the UK's Freeview. USDTV is the closest but offers only 12
> subscription channels while in the UK you have 30 free channels.
>
> The combination of inexpensive receivers and 30 free channels is a
> powerful combo. Expect 50 subscription channels plus the regular free
> OTA broadcast channels to start being offered in larger markets in the
> US once 5th gen receivers appear.
>
> Bob Miller
> (its all about modulation which will become apparent with 5th gen 8-VSB
> receivers and COFDM networks) The first rule is that you have to have
> something that works before it can be successful.
>
>
I have to agree with Matthew on this one Bob.

A single universal Scart lead carries component (RGB) composite video,
stereo sound, auto w\s switching etc, which means that the majority of even
quite elderly receivers can make ideal monitors for digital TV.

Also virtually every home in the UK has a rooftop UHF antenna, in which case
if the customer is receiving reasonable quality analogue from a transmitter
equipped for digital transmissions, then in the majority of cases it's
usually merely a question of plugging in the antenna and the Scart lead to
the DTT receiver and away they go, although in some areas (due to limited
spectrum) they may have to upgrade their antenna to one of a different
group.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:LhDEd.3676$pZ4.3049@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Gomer Jones wrote:
>> "Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
>> news:mOBEd.3509$Ii4.3223@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>>
>>>And I freely admit it!!
>>>
>>>I said that in the last quarter of 2004 the sale of COFDM receivers in
>>>the UK would come close to a million. I even said a million at times.
>>>
>>>Sales up until December 11th came in at 1.3 million that that does not
>>>include the critical last two shopping weeks before Christmas. It may hit
>>>1.6 or 7 million in the final count.
>>>
>>>1.6 million in the US which is SIX times the size of Merry Old England
>>>would have been 9.6 million and I believe that because of the dynamics of
>>>the US the number would have been even larger.
>>>
>>>I have stated that sales of COFDM receivers would continue to accelerate
>>>from already very high numbers contrary to the pundits in the UK who have
>>>consistently said that a leveling off or actual decline was just around
>>>the corner. These same pundits also said that the digital transition in
>>>the UK would fail from the beginning.
>>>
>>>My nerve failed and I have underestimated the power of a good product
>>>with a proper modulation.
>>>
>>>How is this, in the first quarter they will sell over a million receivers
>>>and for the year 2005 they will sell 5.5 million on top of the 6 million
>>>they have already sold.
>>>
>>>In the US that would be 6 + 5.5 = 11.5 times 6 or 69 million receivers
>>>sold in the same three years. IF however you go back to when we started 7
>>>years ago we would have had sales to date of close to the 85% of home in
>>>the US to qualify for the analog turnoff by the end of this year 2005, a
>>>full year before the original 2006 deadline. There are 109 million homes
>>>in the US. 85% equals 92.5 million.
>>>
>>>Incredible as it may seem with COFDM we would be approaching that number
>>>right now.
>>>
>>>Bob Miller
>>
>>
>> I still don't get what this has to do with HDTV? Do Americans really
>> care when they are comfortably hooked up to their cable or sat boxes?
> In this part of the country satellite drops out during rain squalls.
> Enough time so that my wife demanded that we cancel it.
>
> Not so comfortable with sat.
>
> And they charge a lot for these services when with the $50 receiver in the
> UK you get 30 channels of widescreen DTV and a bunch of digital radio for
> ZERO. Of course they do pay a tax for TV there to support such as the BBC.
> Expect to see 50 channel OTA cable type offerings on top of being able to
> receive all the FREE DTV channels there are already there in the US.
>
> Polls show that from 30% to over 50% of American homes would switch to a
> free service like the one offered in the UK and drop cable and or
> satellite. I think a combo service of free and subscription plus access to
> all the normally free channels will be a killer when offered.


I too would agree that free is good, but then again there isn't a lot of
motivation in the US to provide something for free. The most telling part of
this post is subscription (see you have to pay after all).

> When offered these OTA services customers will benefit from the FREEness
> and be able to subscribe to OTA cable like programming also. Coupled with
> Internet delivery via broadband of premium PPV content for niche services
> I think a OTA service in the US will kill cable and satellite sooner than
> most think possible. In the UK satellite has seen new customer sales dry
> up in the last 20 months as Freeview grew. In 20 months they have 6
> million customers and will have 11.5 million by the end of this year. SKY
> satellite has only 7 million. And now they are offering a OTA subscription
> service as well, TopUp. Who needs cable and satellite.
>
> The use of the PVR will also multiply the perceived number of channels
> that OTA can deliver by making 3 am prime time for any prerecorded
> content.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv,alt.video.digital-tv (More info?)

ivan wrote:
> "Bob Miller" <robmx@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:IMbFd.5369$Ii4.4892@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
>>Matthew L. Martin wrote:
>>
>>>ivan wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>But as virtually every TV receiver and VCR manufactured during the
>>>>last 15
>>>>years is equipped with at least one Scart socket, and digital
>>>>receivers can
>>>>now be purchased for under £40, this is hardly the problem you would
>>>>have us
>>>>believe.
>>>>
>>>
>>>The fact that DTV in the US does not have that natural backwards
>>>compatibility explains exactly why the DTV rollout in the US is on a
>>>different time scale than DTV in Europe.
>>>
>>>Matthew (no, it's not the modulation scheme)
>>>
>>
>>Any digital receiver should be able to connect to an analog TV in the
>>US. That is not the problem. In the US no one has offered a similar
>>service to the UK's Freeview. USDTV is the closest but offers only 12
>>subscription channels while in the UK you have 30 free channels.
>>
>>The combination of inexpensive receivers and 30 free channels is a
>>powerful combo. Expect 50 subscription channels plus the regular free
>>OTA broadcast channels to start being offered in larger markets in the
>>US once 5th gen receivers appear.
>>
>>Bob Miller
>>(its all about modulation which will become apparent with 5th gen 8-VSB
>>receivers and COFDM networks) The first rule is that you have to have
>>something that works before it can be successful.
>>
>>
>
> I have to agree with Matthew on this one Bob.
>
> A single universal Scart lead carries component (RGB) composite video,
> stereo sound, auto w\s switching etc, which means that the majority of even
> quite elderly receivers can make ideal monitors for digital TV.
>
> Also virtually every home in the UK has a rooftop UHF antenna, in which case
> if the customer is receiving reasonable quality analogue from a transmitter
> equipped for digital transmissions, then in the majority of cases it's
> usually merely a question of plugging in the antenna and the Scart lead to
> the DTT receiver and away they go, although in some areas (due to limited
> spectrum) they may have to upgrade their antenna to one of a different
> group.
>
>
In the UK you have very low power levels and an older version of COFDM
that does not allow for SFNs.

Here in the US there is little need for rooftop antennas for much of the
coverage area of a typical DTV station since they are operating at as
much as 1,000,000 Watts. I think the highest powered transmitter in the
UK is 20,000 Watts with the average being in the 1000 Watts or less.

From test we did with 5th gen 8-VSB receivers I would think 90% of
homes in the US will be able to receive 8-VSB plug and play without a
rooftop antenna. This makes for an even more interesting market in the
US than in the UK where as you say with 1000 Watt transmitters and no
SFN capability rooftop antennas are needed by many.

Recent polls show that 30 to 50% of US cable and satellite customers
would switch to such as service if offered. That is a 50 channel PVR
supported OTA service. I doubt if cable and satellite can survive even
that initial attack. Long term cable and satellite stand no chance
against the combined OTA fixed broadcast (8-VSB), mobile broadcast
(COFDM) and wireless Internet ala carte delivery of content IMO.

The UK is showing the way and you are NOT some special case. Similar
offerings will work virtually everywhere.

Bob Miller

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Gomer Jones wrote:
>
> I too would agree that free is good, but then again there isn't a lot of
> motivation in the US to provide something for free. The most telling part of
> this post is subscription (see you have to pay after all).

The combo of free and subscription is the key IMO. Free meaning
advertiser supported and the "motivation" is the $50 billion in ad
revenue per year. In the UK you now have a OTA subscription service,
TopUp TV, offered alongside Freeview.

USDTV is such a combo offer in the US but they still have the wrong
receiver and wrong compression MPEG2. By the end of the year they may
have 5th gen receivers, more programming, MPEG4 and be in Los Angeles.

Bob Miller
>
>
>>When offered these OTA services customers will benefit from the FREEness
>>and be able to subscribe to OTA cable like programming also. Coupled with
>>Internet delivery via broadband of premium PPV content for niche services
>>I think a OTA service in the US will kill cable and satellite sooner than
>>most think possible. In the UK satellite has seen new customer sales dry
>>up in the last 20 months as Freeview grew. In 20 months they have 6
>>million customers and will have 11.5 million by the end of this year. SKY
>>satellite has only 7 million. And now they are offering a OTA subscription
>>service as well, TopUp. Who needs cable and satellite.
>>
>>The use of the PVR will also multiply the perceived number of channels
>>that OTA can deliver by making 3 am prime time for any prerecorded
>>content.
>
>
>