ATSC Digital Television Update

1

• ATSC Digital Television Update
• II Cumbre de Autoridades de Televisión y
  Telecomunicaciones
• Robert Graves
• February 20, 2006

2
U.S. Terrestrial DTV Deployment

• 1,550 stations in 211 cities, nationwide coverage
• HDTV is centerpiece application
• SDTV multicasting also important
• Especially for public TV stations
• Data and information applications are growing
• Combinations
• For example, HD main program, plus 24-hour SDTV
  news, plus weather radar
• Broadcasters now looking at adding
  mobile/portable services

3
Explosion of DTV Products and Sales

• 800 DTV products, mostly HDTV
• Sales growing exponentially
• 28 million units to date, worth 43 billion
• 16 million units worth 23 billion in 2006
• STB with HDTV output on sale for 89
• 27-inch integrated receivers
• SDTV as low as 299
• HDTV as low as 428
• HDTV prices converging with those for analog
  color TVs
• Within 3-4 years, virtually all TVs sold in the
  U.S. will be HDTV!

4
Concluding the DTV Transition

• Recover and reuse 108 MHz of nationwide spectrum
• New wireless services will create economic growth
  for decades
• All TVs must be digital by March 1, 2007
• 34 million ATSC devices sold per year in the U.S.
  alone by 2007!
• 152 million ATSC devices total will be sold in
  the U.S. by 2009!
• ATSC offers lowest possible prices for consumer
  products
• Analog transmissions to cease by February 17,
  2009
• Government to subsidize digital/analog converters
  for analog TV viewers
• 1.5 billion for up to two 40 coupons per
  household
• Enabled by inexpensive ATSC digital/analog
  set-top converters
• 50 in quantity by 2008
• Low-cost set-top converter can bring innovative
  information services to the poorest segments of
  society

5
Other ATSC Deployment and Prospects

• Nationwide coverage in South Korea
• Millions of units sold, worth billions of dollars
• Worldwide leaders in interactive DTV services
• HDTV services in major cities in Canada
• Commercial HDTV services operating in Mexico
• Mexico City and Tijuana
• Other major cities and U.S. border region in 2006
• Interactive applications
• Argentina adopted ATSC in 1998
• Experimental ATSC broadcasts since 1999
• Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Panama,
  Ecuador and Peru have expressed strong interest
  in implementing ATSC
• Brazil expected to decide soon

6
Benefits of a Hemispheric DTV Standard

• The Americas represent a common market of 830
  million people, offering significant economies of
  scale
• More research and development
• More equipment from more suppliers
• Much lower consumer prices
• Much higher demand for products
• Accelerates the DTV transition for all countries
  using the standard
• Benefits consumers, broadcasters, manufacturers,
  program suppliers and governments throughout the
  region

7
OAS/CITEL Activities

• International Telecommunication Commission
  (CITEL) of Organization of American States (OAS)
  began addressing DTV in earnest in 2001
• October 2003 CITEL resolution encouraged OAS
  member states to implement DTV as rapidly as
  local conditions permit, using a common
  hemispheric standard
• DTV Implementation Guide nearing completion
• Share information from experienced countries with
  those that are now planning for DTV broadcasting

8
Technical Advantages of ATSC

• Best coverage by far, including for indoor
  antennas
• European/Japanese approach rejected 3 times in
  9-year, competitive U.S. process
• Highest bit rate, by far, for equal coverage
  means more services
• U.K. configuration offers 30 less payload than
  ATSC
• Japanese system is fundamentally the same as the
  European
• Requires fewest repeaters and translators
• Accommodates the most digital channel assignments
• For example, 23 digital and 23 analog stations on
  the air in San Francisco
• Lowest transmitter acquisition and operation
  costs
• Most energy efficient by far
• Most able to use existing broadcast towers
• Allows full use of UHF and VHF spectrum
• Dolby 6-channel audio comes automatically

H3
9
Prospects for Mobile/Portable Services

• High-quality mobile/portable services via ATSC
  are expected soon
• At least four ATSC companies are working on
  mobile/portable solutions
• Zenith will demonstrate its solution in Brazil by
  mid-2006
• Rohde Schwarz and Samsung plan hardware tests
  of their solution at Canadian research lab in
  July 2006

10
Economic Advantages of ATSC

• Worldwide leader in HDTV deployment
• Lowest possible prices for DTV receivers and
  set-top boxes
• For both HDTV and inexpensive converters for use
  with existing analog TVs
• 6 MHz system, with all-format decoding
• Leverage huge North American market
• Avoid implementing 6 MHz version of predominantly
  8 MHz system
• Best choice for expanding equipment and
  programming exports
• Create jobs, increase economic development
• Full participation in ATSC open standards
  development process
• Low-cost loans available through U.S. Ex-Im Bank
  for construction of DTV stations

H3
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Social Benefits of ATSC DTV

• Wireless broadband information access
• Delivery of Internet content to citizens without
  PCs
• Interactive education and health applications
• Education and Literacy Resources (Distance
  Education)
• Early Childhood Development Services
• Workforce and Teacher Training
• Lifelong Adult Learning
• Diagnostic Resources
• Services for people with disabilities
• Government and emergency information
• Weather
• Security
• Government communications

12
ATSC The Best Choice for the Americas

• Best choice for preserving open television
• Latin American/Caribbean TV structure generally
  similar to North America
• ATSC far ahead in upgrading to HDTV (See the
  World Cup in HDTV!)
• Lowest possible prices for receivers and set-top
  boxes
• Best reception coverage
• Highest data payload, most services to viewers
• Mobile and portable services in the near future
• Best prospects for increasing exports, jobs and
  growth
• Best prospects for participation and ongoing
  innovation
• Best prospects, by far, for successful DTV in the
  Americas