D-Day ; For TV's

[Earl Bonovich]

Today Is D-Day!


Washington, D.C. (March 1, 2007) -- Today is D-Day. D for Digital TV tuners, that is.

Starting today, any new television that has an analog tuner must also include a Digital TV tuner. Previously, the Digital TV tuner rule affected sets over 25 inches, but now it covers all including the smallest of sets.
...


See the rest of the article at: [B]TV Predictions.com (http://www.tvpredictions.com/dtvrule030107.htm)[B]

[Earl Bonovich]

IMHO: About Freaking Time...

I was shopping for a small sub-20" TV for my mother-in-laws store.
UHF in Chicago is SO much freaking easier to receive then VHF.

But all of them where NTSC tuner based.
And a seperate ATSC tuner would cost more then the TV did.

So hopefully this is two fold.
We will start to see smaller TV's with the ATSC tuner (aka... they won't stop making smaller TV's)... and we will see a major drop in the cost of add-on tuners.

[RAD]

Or we'll start seeing smaller sets with no tuners at all, that way they get around the rule since they're now "monitors".

[AntAltMike]

I just went to Best Buy, where they have recently rearranged their TV section, and the shelves where they stock the smaller TVs are nearly bare. They have two display, open box 13"/DVD combos, but no boxed 13" TVs, and they have two open box 19" TVs, with just three, new-in-box units of one of them left.

At Walmart, they have one display 13" TV, one display 14" and one box of the same 14" TV. And shelf space for some inventory.

Last year, on March 1, 2006, the 26" "Insignia" brand ATSC TVs were on the shelves that evening. I'll stop by this evening. If 13" ATSC TVs are $150 or less, I'll buy one.

[4DThinker]

I'd love to get a 5" wide format portable TV with an ATSC tuner. I already have one that is NTSC and 4:3. I wonder what the fine is for selling TVs with only NTSC.

[harsh]

I wonder what the fine is for selling TVs with only NTSC.I think it applies to manufacturing for the US market, not retail.

[midwest_dxer]

I just went to Best Buy, where they have recently rearranged their TV section, and the shelves where they stock the smaller TVs are nearly bare. They have two display, open box 13"/DVD combos, but no boxed 13" TVs, and they have two open box 19" TVs, with just three, new-in-box units of one of them left.

At Walmart, they have one display 13" TV, one display 14" and one box of the same 14" TV. And shelf space for some inventory.

Last year, on March 1, 2006, the 26" "Insignia" brand ATSC TVs were on the shelves that evening. I'll stop by this evening. If 13" ATSC TVs are $150 or less, I'll buy one.

Mike,
I know why you want one,and why I want one,but there are thousands others out there who also want small crt or flat panel sets with an atsc tuner.I have three buddies at work that built new homes that want to replace their small tv's,now that they have OTA DTV and have experienced the new viewing standard.

There has to be a reason there's no product.Maybe old "Bob" was right after all.

[Tom Robertson]

As best as I can read the most recent FCC Report and Order (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-190A1.pdf) on DTV, any device that has a broadcast tuner and shipped interstate or into the US has to be DTV capable as of March 1st. So, stock within a state can be sold, but nothing can be shipped across state lines, at least near as I can tell...

BTW, this does include DVRs, DVD recorders, and VCRS that have any OTA abilities.

And, in their commentary, this action included TVs sub 13" because they are primarily used in locations without a STB or other cable/satellite abilities. So, sure someone might be able to drop the tuner and call it a "monitor" but it won't sell by itself.

Cheers,
Tom

[HIPAR]

I went out looking for a 15-17 inch ATSC set yesterday. None are available smaller than 19 in. I found lots of analog sets on the selves.

--- CHAS