AfterDawn: News

CEA says news is good for American DTV adoption

Despite the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticizing the federal government, and especially the FCC, for lack of preparation for the digital transition coming in just over a year, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) says more than 50% of American households have at least one digital TV (DTV).

The GAO report criticized the FCC for lacking any sort of benchmarks to measure their progress in preparing Americans for the day when their analog TVs will no longer be able to receive Over The Air (OTA) TV broadcasts without a converter box of some kind. Cable and satellite customers are already prepared, with cable companies being required to support analog TVs past the February 17, 2009 cutover and satellite services already using digital streams that require special receivers.



The real concern among many in Washington isn't so much the general public as a particular segment of the population who are mostly spectators in the digital video revolution. By and large older Americans haven't seen a need to buy digital TVs just for the technology, and unless they're educated about either purchasing a new DTV or getting a voucher for a converter there's likely to be repurcussions on Capitol Hill as legislators get complaints from angry constituents.

Source: PC Magazine

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 28 Dec 2007 18:45

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• 4 comments

• 2colors

  Why aren't the cable companies required to improve the quality of what they broadcast? So all the stations look good on a plasma/lcd.

  28.12.2007 21:58 #1

• tleewade

  Originally posted by 2colors: Why aren't the cable companies required to improve the quality of what they broadcast? So all the stations look good on a plasma/lcd.because hd a small number have it not the majority and you dont have to have hd for the transiation to digiatal tv . maybe when hd get main stream for most people then they will haf to. unless something better comes along thats better and cheaper. a possible fact.
  hd pretty good but not required.

  29.12.2007 08:32 #2

• ali2007

  Why aren't the cable companies required to improve the quality of what they broadcast? So all the stations look good on a plasma/lcd.
  
  your is money x money x greed = money
  calculate the above equation

  29.12.2007 13:33 #3

• borhan9

  The fact is that the DTV is going to happen whether we like it or not and this change is good and prices are dropping but people are forced to change too keep up because the current analog signal is going to be obselte. Just the way it is.

  29.12.2007 19:15 #4