Hey Woodman..the man who plan to live forever!

[Smokey]

Hey Wood

I had a question for you.

Given that deadline for all the TV stations to switch to HDTV digital signal-and stop broadcasting analog signal-is fast approaching (end of 2006), do you thing the deadline will be extended?

The way it looks right now (analog TVs are still selling like hot cakes and slow pace of "smaller" local stations' HD capacity), my answer would be that FCC would probably extend the deadline :)

[woodman]

Hey Wood

I had a question for you.

Given that deadline for all the TV stations to switch to HDTV digital signal-and stop broadcasting analog signal-is fast approaching (end of 2006), do you thing the deadline will be extended?

The way it looks right now (analog TVs are still selling like hot cakes and slow pace of "smaller" local stations' HD capacity), my answer would be that FCC would probably extend the deadline :)

Well, what I (or anyone else) thinks about the matter is completely irrelevant! The FCC, along with the U.S. Congress already decided a year or two ago that the Dec.31st, 2006 deadline to cutoff all analog television transmissions was unrealistic to put it mildly. Instead of establishing a new date for the cutoff, they instead chose to make it conditional upon 85% of the nation's homes being equipped to receive the digital transmissions. Then a cutoff date to end all analog signals will be mandated.

One other point that needs to be clarified for you ... there has NEVER been a mandate for HDTV programming - only a mandate to transition to DTV (all Digital TeleVision broadcasting). HiDef programming has always been and will continue to be an option for each broadcaster. This is a common misconception among those that are desirous of more HiDef programs being broadcast, but is little more than wishful thinking on their part.

You asked for it - you got it - Toyota

Regards,

[Smokey]

Instead of establishing a new date for the cutoff, they instead chose to make it conditional upon 85% of the nation's homes being equipped to receive the digital transmissions. Then a cutoff date to end all analog signals will be mandated.

Thanks Wood

So FCC is depending on consumers to implement its mandated date. I guess that is smart since the 'digital transmission" ball will be in consumer corner. But the question is will FCC still goes along with that notion if consumer's 85% capability will not be reached in foreseeable future? How about if it keep dragging on for next 5-7 years?

Thanks for clearing up HD transmission vs digital transmission :)

[kelsci]

Hi Woodman; Your comment on DTV and HDTV is extremely interesting because things like this has happened so many times in all kinds of consumer matters. I think the one that I remember reading years ago was: so many doctors recommented aspirin for pain. BAYER ASPIRIN............... and the psychology behind this statement is quite clever since your psyche has become twisted to think that the doctors were all recommending BAYER ASPIRIN. Sometimes I catch a commercial using this type of psychology. I am sure that many assume that DTV means HDTV. Note that on some of the tv sets sold that while they can handle a hdtv signal, their resolution falls into that classification called EDTV; the E for Extended. This also reminds me when I used to live in NYC and during the 1960s I would pass these so called 42nd street shops that sold a piece of vinyl that one stuck over the tv screen that had the color blue on the top l/3rd of the vinyl, brown on the middle l/3rd and green on the bottom l/3rd and were pushed as black and white into color tv converters. Kelsci.

[Smokey]

This also reminds me when I used to live in NYC and during the 1960s I would pass these so called 42nd street shops that sold a piece of vinyl that one stuck over the tv screen that had the color blue on the top l/3rd of the vinyl, brown on the middle l/3rd and green on the bottom l/3rd and were pushed as black and white into color tv converters.


Are you serious? Who would be naive enough to buy that?

[woodman]

Are you serious? Who would be naive enough to buy that?

Oh yeah - Kelsci is quite serious Smokester. I remember laughing myself silly over the sight of one of those things back in the late '50s or early '60s. I have no idea of how many were actually sold, but it all goes to show just how stupid some of the American public actually is - and they still are some 50 years later! Just look at the chimpanzee they elected to sit in our White House to verify that fact! God help us all.

[topspeed]

This is slightly off topic so apologies to Smokey...

I just read in Stereophile that Reuters reported the CEA analysts predicted up to a 30% drop in flat-panel tv's (lcd, plasma, dlp, et al) due to market saturation. You're in the industry so I wanted your take on this. If it's true, I'll hold off my purchase for a while.

Thanks for your insight

[woodman]

This is slightly off topic so apologies to Smokey...

I just read in Stereophile that Reuters reported the CEA analysts predicted up to a 30% drop in flat-panel tv's (lcd, plasma, dlp, et al) due to market saturation. You're in the industry so I wanted your take on this. If it's true, I'll hold off my purchase for a while.

Thanks for your insight

Well for starters, I'm no longer "in the industry" (since I retired in January,2000) and even if I was I wouldn't be privy to what the TV mfgs. might or might not do. I do however have a well-polished crystal ball that gives me remarkably accurate answers to such questions as what you're asking - which is (if I interpret your question correctly) "will there be a 30% drop in the pricing of flat-panel displays this year?"

My crystal ball says that there will most likely be a 20-30% drop in the pricing of most all video displays this year - flat panel or otherwise. Whether or not this is a GOOD thing for consumers is a debatable topic however!

By the way, DLP is not a flat-panel display ... it's only used for projection - both RPTVs and front projectors.

Hope this helps you

[topspeed]

Muchas Gracias Senor Woodman!

Does your crystal ball say why will there be a drop in ALL video equipment in the coming year? Also, how is a price drop not a good thing for consumers? Is quality suffering due to cut-throat pricing? Just curious...

Thanks again

[woodman]

Muchas Gracias Senor Woodman!

Does your crystal ball say why will there be a drop in ALL video equipment in the coming year? Also, how is a price drop not a good thing for consumers? Is quality suffering due to cut-throat pricing? Just curious...

Thanks again

The fact that there will be a drop in video display pricing in the coming year is based upon my experience with the history of the biz. A wise man once said: "the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior" and the past behavior of consumer electronics mfg. (especially the mfg. of TV sets) has been to produce bigger, better, more featured sets at lower prices year after year ... somehow. In the early years, economies of scale in mfg. and technological innovation allowed this to take place without sacrificing much of anything in product reliability and support. In recent years however, the realities of the situation have started to become a factor, and as a result both reliability and customer support have begun to become affected by this insane obsession to keep reducing prices year after year - in direct opposition to the forces of inflation. Although inflation in recent years could be characterized as modest, the reduction of prices in spite of it can only result in some sacrifices being made somewhere along the line. One BIG reduction that has come about has been the reduction in product warranties which have now gone so far as to only provide 90 friggin' days on $2K TV sets (by Sony)! This to me is ferking obscene! I personally would not consider for even a N.Y. second the purchase of such a set, and anyone who asks me about them I give the same advice. The tired old mantra that any problems that might exist in a set will most likely show themselves within the first 90 days or so is not only total bullsh*t ... it's flat out WRONG!

Another area that has been sacrificed has been customer support (including technical support). It has deteriorated to the point of being nearly non-existent in recent years! All of this is NOT in the consumer's best interests at all IMO.

Does this answer your question(s)?

[topspeed]

Absolutely. Thanks again for the insight. As always, you da man!