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Manufacturers had argued that the 50 percent deadline did not work because
consumers would end up buying the cheaper analog sets, and retailers were less
willing to order the more expensive, digital sets.” The FCC rejected that request.
While Walt Disney, the NAB, and the Association for Maximum Service Television
(MSTV) urged the FCC to adopt the advanced deadline of Dec 2006, the CEA, the
CERC (Consumer Electronics Retailers’ Association), Sharp Electronics, and Philips
Electronics North America opposed and claimed not having enough time to
manufacture those receivers by the end of 2006.
The CEA and CERC issued the following statements: “the FCC should refrain from
making any rulings regarding the inclusion of digital tuners in new receivers with
screen sizes less than 13 inches until manufacturers, retailers and the commission
adequately are able to examine the impact of the small chassis products that
currently are subject to the commission's tuner requirements.” They opposed
accelerating the timetable claiming that no evidence justified the change.
Other comments from the CEA regarding the effect on manufacturing and consumers
of accelerating the mandate, were as follows:
“Some manufacturers could opt to market monitor-only models that remove both
digital and analog tuners, or stop manufacturing certain sets altogether. For smaller
sets, 13 to 26 inches, the requirement would double the development costs for
manufacturers, as well as double the price of a typical 13-inch television to
consumers,” Shapiro said, and he added: “If the product is rejected by lower income
and other consumers because the price exceeds their budget, it will not be carried by
retailers and, eventually, not produced by manufacturers.”
Shapiro said the “the unfortunate result of accelerating the tuner mandate deadlines
for all sets would be to decrease the number of DTV tuners in the marketplace,
which clearly does not serve the transition.”
On November 2005, the FCC voted for setting the new date as March 1, 2007 for all
sizes including those smaller than 13 inches, which received the support from the
NAB taking into consideration how important they are in times of emergency, and
that they are commonly used without STBs.
The revised mandate has been approved as follows:
Upon approval >=36 inches
Mar 1, 06 for >= 25 inches (was July 1, 06)
Mar 1, 07 for >= 13 inches (was July 1, 07, although the FCC proposed Dec 31, 06)
Mar 1, 07 for < 13 inches (was not required before)
The mandate does not apply to other small screen video capable devices that do not
receive OTA broadcasting, even when they might be used to watch TV shows, such
as PDAs, mobile phones, iPODs, etc.
Tuner-less DTVs
2007
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