Consumer Electronics Industry To Explore How Best To Support FCC Chairman Powell's Voluntary DTV Proposal

CEA's Shapiro Praises Proposal As ""True Leadership""

10-Apr-02

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) will work with its digital television (DTV) members to examine how the industry can best support the recent DTV proposal made by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell, announced by CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro.Shapiro made the announcement during his keynote address before the Association for Maximum Service Television Board of Directors. The MSTV meeting was held in conjunction with that National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention ñ NAB 2002 -- being held in Las Vegas through Thursday, April 11.Chairman Powell's proposal outlines voluntary measures that manufacturers, television broadcasters, cable companies, and home satellite providers should take to spur on the transition to digital television.""Chairman Powell's proposal demonstrates true leadership in the DTV transition,"" said Shapiro. ""Our industry remains committed to working with the FCC, Congress, and all other relevant parties to continue to drive the transition forward. To that end, we will discuss the Chairman's proposal with our manufacturers as soon as possible and examine how we can support our mutual goal of expediting the transition to digital television.""""DTV product manufacturers have long been at the leading edge of this transition,"" Shapiro continued. ""We call upon all other affected industries to join us in recognizing that we all must give a little so that in the end, each industry -- and consumers, in particular -- will gain a lot.""While expressing support for Chairman Powell's goals, Shapiro also encouraged the Chairman to focus on other outstanding issues surrounding the DTV transition, specifically cable compatibility and copy protection.""Even as we work to advance the key issues the Chairman has identified in his proposal, we must ensure that we preserve consumers' customary and established fair use and home recording rights,"" stated Shapiro. ""At the same time, we urge the Chairman to focus on the critical importance of 'plug-and-play' cable compatibility as he notes in the cover letter of his proposal. This compatibility should include a firm, national standard for digital cable transmission, an agreement from the cable industry to provide electronic program guide (EPG) information, and standards for impulse pay-per-view as well as an assurance of fair cable licensing.""The FCC has jurisdiction in these matters and consumer electronics manufacturers urge Chairman Powell, the other Commissioners and the Commission's DTV Task Force to focus on these critical issues, as well as the matters raised in the Chairman's proposed voluntary measures.""Demonstrating manufacturers commitment to the transition, Shapiro said consumers now have more than 350 models of DTV products from which to choose, including a growing number of integrated high-definition television (HDTV) integrated sets and set-top receiver boxes.Spurred by increasing amounts of compelling HDTV programming, consumers are embracing HDTV and manufacturers are providing them with a dazzling array of choices -- from giant-screen rear-projection HDTVs and plasma display HDTV monitors, to increasingly more-affordable direct-view and integrated HDTVs and monitors.""Consumers today have more product choices than ever,"" noted Shapiro. ""Dozens of manufacturers have introduced 21 integrated HDTV models, 17 digital HDTV set-top decoder boxes and 357 HDTV monitors. Enhanced-definition television monitors total 32 models.""Underscoring the diversity of product choices, CEA is participating in the ""DTV Store,"" co-sponsored by CEA, NAB, and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), bringing together more than 40 examples of HDTV receivers and displays in more than a dozen screen sizes ranging from a 65-inch 16:9 HDTV set to a 27-inch 4:3 HDTV monitor. The DTV Store is located in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center during NAB 2002.""Under the banner 'DTV: Bring It Home,' the DTV Store truly exemplifies the extensive product selection driving HDTV's growing momentum in the United States,"" said Shapiro. ""In fact, building on 2001 DTV product sales of more than 1.4 million units, CEA estimates that more than 2.1 million DTV products -- including integrated sets and displays -- will be sold in 2002. We forecast industry sales of 4 million units in 2003, 5.4 million in 2004, 8 million in 2005, and 10.5 million in 2006.""A complete list of HDTV products available to consumers is published in the April issue of the ""DTV Guide,"" released last Saturday. The DTV Guide, published by CEA in conjunction with TWICE magazine, is available by contacting CEA, or can be viewed online at www.CE.org.

Read More:
http://www.CE.org