[mythtv-users] MythTV and HDTV future

[Brian Wood]

On Mar 3, 2007, at 6:06 PM, David Brodbeck wrote:

> Michael T. Dean wrote:
>> So, I wouldn't be surprised if the regs are not amended until  
>> standard
>> definition broadcasts cease to exist.
>>
>
> Which is some time in 2009, if I remember right.
>
> Just read recently that a requirement for all TVs sold in the U.S. to
> have digital tuners is going to take effect soon.  I imagine the price
> of small TV sets will increase significantly.

They really shouldn't, as those devices are really nothing once you  
are tuning the VHF/UHF bands anyway. The main cost of a standalone  
card is the board itself and the power regulators, capacitors etc,  
all of which is already there on a TV receiver main board. Really all  
they have to do is add a chip, the real cost is probably the design  
and documentation, as well as the FCC certification.

The addition of closed caption decoders and V chips didn't really  
seem to increase the cost, and both of those are more complex than a  
digital tuner as they need hooks into the menu system etc.

But the manufacturers will almost certainly take advantage of the  
opportunity to gouge the public deeper and blame it on the government.

It's like when they used to remove the expensive RF and IF components  
and replace them with a 75 cent BNC jack (or even a 3 cent RCA jack).  
Somehow this seemed to increase the cost by hundreds of dollars.