[BC] TV Set/Converter

[Scott Fybush]

Rich Wood wrote:

> I assume you mean the Samsung 451 and earlier and the H260F which are 
> actual tuners rather than converters. I recently replaced a 451 that was 
> having audio problems with one station. The H260F is disappointing, 
> being much less sensitive than the 451. I lost three stations when I 
> installed the H260F with the same antenna configuration. I'm curious how 
> sensitive these converters will be.

Very. NTIA set some pretty stringent technical guidelines for the new 
boxes, which pretty much mandate that they have to use the new 
sixth-generation chips. I haven't tested them yet, but early word is 
that they're significantly better performers than anything that's come 
before (he said, looking over his shoulder at the fairly mediocre 
Accurian DTV tuner in the rack...)

> The good news is a recently released study by the Consumer Electronics 
> Association. It claims 50% of US households already own a digital TV. 
> They also predict 32 million sets will be sold in 2008. 79% of those 
> will be HDTV.

The only way I'd believe that 50% statistic is if it includes viewers 
with digital cable boxes or DirecTV/Dish Network receivers, and even 
then it seems high.

> The web site is incomplete. I wonder if those with digital capability on 
> one set will be eligible for a converter for a second or is the two per 
> household limited to OTA households only.

Anyone can apply for up to two coupons in the first round. The second 
round will be limited to people without "pay TV service" (cable/satellite).

> For radio, the IBUZ folks have agreed to drop their opposition to the 
> XM/SIRIUS merger if IBUZ is included in new receivers. If the estimated 
> royalty is $40 per receiver, how can a manufacturer sell a receiver for 
> the current average of $49? I'm about to buy a SIRIUS tuner for my new 
> AV receiver for $39. At that price I'll deal with the artifacts.

That $40 number has been floating around the net for a long time now 
without any confirmation, and it's starting to sound a little fishy to 
me. I'm not an expert on Chinese manufacturing costs or 
electronics-industry retail profit margins, but I find it hard to 
believe that Radiosophy can sell me an HD radio for $100 (or Best Buy 
for $150) and be sending $40 of that to Ibiquity. In fact, I'd find it 
hard to believe that Best Buy's cost for that Insignia shelf unit it's 
selling is much more than $60 or $70, total, and probably even less than 
that.

As for the Sirius and XM receivers, aren't those costs subsidized by 
Sirius and XM, just as cellphone prices are "subsidized" by the carriers?

> Maybe the conversion from analog TV won't be as gutwrenching as we expect.

On that, I agree. I'm somewhat heartened by the large number of coupon 
applications that came in right away - it says that despite a 
less-than-perfect marketing campaign, the word is getting out there.

s