IP: 8VSB: You are the weakest link

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>To: OpenDTV Mail List <openDTV@topica.com>
>Subject: [OpenDTV] 8VSB: You are the weakest link
>
>Sender: <openDTV@topica.com>
>
>I received this rather scathing assessment of the NAB conference cutting
>through the usual spin and hype from a well known journalist. Enjoy.
>
>
>As our Annie,  now adopted by NBC,  would say....
>
>DN
>
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>
>8-VSB - YOU ARE THE WEAKEST LINK
>
>I am sitting on the plane having endured another NAB full of promise, and
>very much full of hype! However much I have tried to feel enthusiastic
>about this major broadcast event, I leave with a hollow feeling and a great
>deal of disappointment. Perhaps I was expecting too much! Had I more
>closely analysed the recent 'state of affairs' in the USA and the state of
>the economy I would have realised that I should have been more prepared.
>Big issues are all about the spin and nothing to do with the actual reality
>of any given scenario. But who cares? Are we all just a little jaded with
>it all to care too much anymore?
>
>Just to give you a flavour of this year's event and the spin-doctors:
>Sunday kicked-off with a press conference at the 'DTV Store' (The CEA and
>NAB + ATSC created a Digital TV Store). A press conference invite with the
>tantalising phrase, "An important announcement concerning digital
>television"; definitely not to be missed. As it turned out it was merely a
>publicity stunt by the aforementioned 'gang-of-three' as an attempt to
>repair the damaged reputation of the DTV in the USA. Timed very neatly, no
>doubt, to mask the recent bad press concerning the debacle of testing
>carried out by the MSTV. Very much a self-appreciation gathering for the
>purveyors of the hype in this DTV broadcast market, the roll call of
>speakers publicly announced, and not for the first time I might add, that
>America was the 'world leader' in digital television? .
>
>The announcement. Ah! Yes! It was the announcement concerning this
>collaboration between NAB, ATSC and the CEA for a publicity campaign to
>drive the sales of DTV forward (This follows a recent UK and Australia
>initiative it just so happens). Gary Shapiro Chairman of the CEA tried to
>engender enthusiasm but seemed only to be convincing himself!  Once again
>he re-iterated that to date the consumer electronic market showed a boom in
>digital sales. These were announced as 648,000 devices sold so far. Don't
>forget 'Digital Devices'? Not DTV Receivers of which 22% was finally
>offered as containing a DTV receiver. Not mentioned either is that some of
>these devices were for DVB services (HDTV on Dish Network with an 8-VSB
>tuner that is probably redundant). Lynn Claudy of the NAB in a sidebar with
>a journalist was heard to say that it depended how you were counting and
>that the figure was closer to 100,000...others still discussed the more
>realistic 25-28,000...therefore an extremely unclear scenario was laid out
>before us, once again!. Apparently the "Time for finger pointing is over",
>furthered Shapiro!  We shall see!
>
>Unfortunately this whole back slapping, public relations moment failed to
>address the honest fact that whilst a campaign to sell equipment of a DTV
>nature is now being undertaken at a consumer level the system that delivers
>the signals to these unsuspecting purchasers is subject to a myriad of
>RFP's in order to repair it. (It is broken! And no matter all the hype,
>this is fact!).
>
>Further on the trail of DTV at NAB Robert Graves the Chairman of the ATSC
>was very low-key at the 'Brazilian Breakfast'; choosing not to represent
>the ATSC along side the DVB and ISDB (Maybe due to last years embarrassing
>attacks by SET/ABERT). This gathering of the 3 system proponents for the
>SET/ABERT breakfast also included ANATEL (Government Regulator in Brazil).
>The invitation had invited us to witness a 'debate' for the best
>terrestrial system for Brazil.  Who took the line of fire for the USA? As I
>said, not Mr. Graves but Bob Seidel of CBS who had; announced with no
>embarrassment, participated in the MSTV trials. He admitted that the tests
>ended up being about equipment and not systems and therefore not scientific
>at all. And most damning was that the USA would definitely forget mobile.
>The disappointing element was in fact that this breakfast turned out to be
>a one-way traffic of information and more misrepresentation of the COFDM v
>8-VSB tests. Charts from the ridiculous MSTV tests were shown, thus further
>stretching credibility. There was no time for questions and answers or
>rebuttal, in fact there was no debate.
>
>ANATEL eloquently highlighted the extent of the study that had gone into
>the field trials and evaluation of tests in Brazil. They indicated that it
>was time for the public consultation in Brazil and responses from each
>party (DVB, ISDB & ATSC). It appeared as if the ATSC had managed to get the
>8-VSB back into the equation as I will explain below...it is a confused
>affair.
>
>Confused: we all were! This is because in a strange twist the SET/ABERT
>group who mediated this breakfast, having recently rejected and very
>publicly rejected the ATSC system in favour of an COFDM solution, made a
>point of thanking Robert Graves for his presence (in the audience) and
>asked the inimitable Joe Flaherty of CBS, also present, to give the wrap-up
>speech; despite the fact that there were many high level Brazilian
>ministers in the audience. It is a strange world of hidden agendas and egos
>that presently engulfs the DTV in the USA and Brazil too it would now
>appear! Mr. Flaherty went on to cite an earlier mentor of his who had given
>him something that he always lives by, "The first thing should be the first
>thing first". This was in reference to the USA's decision on selecting HDTV
>as the 'raison d'etre' for the future of digital TV in the USA. Once again
>he conveniently and publicly announced that Europe did not do HDTV! However
>he corrected himself to say they were capable, this only after pronounced
>sighs of disbelief from the pro DVB portion of the audience. It was perhaps
>a wise move as the DVB stand on the trade show floor showed a fantastic
>'off the shelf' demo of DVB HDTV that is actually in many homes across the
>USA. Ironically it appears that DVB is beating ATSC at its own game in the
>HDTV domain. He also criticised the attempt at offering 'new services' in
>DTV (referring to mobile TV & portable) and that giving up traditional
>broadcasting and adding new technologies just because we can is not the way
>forward. This appeared to be the attitude of the 'old school' giving
>credence (and thus supporting Mr. Seidel) for the selection of the
>8-VSB-modulation system that cannot offer anything other than 'old
>fashioned' broadcasting and that as we know, is questionable! So we had it,
>the old guard standing firm in a blinkered view of what the USA
>broadcasters want and need in order to move forward in these new and
>exciting times.
>
>Zenith, one of the strongest VSB proponents would only give 'private' and
>'exclusive' demonstrations of their Enhanced VSB receivers.  Such a public
>debate and resolute decision to reject COFDM apparently still requires
>closed doors?
>
>So as the trade show meandered (lost for direction) around promising
>technologies and promising enhancements and promising new businesses built
>on emerging technologies the USA DTV machine buried its head in old values
>and old technology.
>
>I passed by the DVB stand to ask them why they had not attacked the MSTV
>and had allowed this type of 'politics' to belittle their technology. Their
>response was simple and succinct. "Had the USA exposed 8-VSB for what it is
>in comparison to DVB-T it would have embarrassed the ATSC and others who
>have lauded the technology for so long. It was convenient to have this
>result and it suited the politics."
>
>So as the halls of NAB were ripped apart to make way for the next
>convention, the heart of the DTV was ripped out of the USA and the band
>played on.



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