[mythtv-users] US Gov gives $80 credit towards purchase of HD equipment??

[Brian Wood]

On Mar 19, 2007, at 11:06 AM, CHRIS KOTTING wrote:

> A lot of the push here is for public safety reasons.  Not just the  
> set-top
> box program, but the transition to digital broadcast itself.  A big  
> chunk
> the spectrum that is being freed up is being dedicated to establishing
> wireless broadband for public safety and first responder  
> communications.

This is not the place to get into that discussion, suffice it to say  
that what you mention is the "excuse" not the "reason". There are  
plenty of other alternatives to get the spectrum required for the  
stated purposes that don't involve a good chunk of the cost falling  
on consumers and small stations, or massive profits to outfits like  
Sony.

>
> On the set-top box issue, this isn't new.  The reason US TVs use  
> NTSC color
> (rather than better designs that existed at the time) was than  
> existing B&W
> sets would still work with an NTSC color signal.

Also the reason for the present FM multiplex method, existing mono  
receivers would still receive the complete mono signal.

You wouldn't be talking about the Dumont "frame-sequential" method  
would you? I didn't think anyone remembered that :-)