DTV Headed For NTSC Sets

Boradcasters are reluctant to invest heavily in DTV and HDTV because virtually no one is watching and people are reluctant to buy DTV and HDTV sets because virtually nothing is on.But Motorola believes it has a way to break this chicken-egg dilemma. Itís a component called the MCT-5100 M-DTV module that can be built into an NTSC TV chassis or digital set-top box (DSTB).Motorolaís M-DTV includes an 8-VSB demodulator, MPEG decoder and controller, and is thus able to convert any ATSC DTV format into 480I for display on a standard NTSC TV set. Also, the M-DTDV module accepts analog IF input and features Dolby Digital 5.1 channel audio data output, various video output formats and a serial control port.""There are more than 20 million analog TV sets sold in the U.S. each year, and the M-DTV module will allow manufacturers to leverage their experience in analog TV, as well as offer a digital TV at an attractive price,"" said Bob Stokes, Director of Operations, Digital Television Operations, Motorola.The most important attribute of the M-DTV is that it makes digital TV possible without the necessity of buying an expensive DTV set. And whereas set-top boxes with DTV capability might have to be priced at around $700, the M-DTV components can also help to make those sets more affordable.""Motorolaís M-DTV module makes digital television available to consumers providing higher-quality video and audio of competitive prices that theyíre willing to pay,"" Stokes said.While consumers will see HDTV on NTSC sets, which dulls the true impact of HDTV, they will be able to see DTV programming they would otherwise never be able to see. Since Motorola just made the announcement (October 4), itís still too early to project how many TV sets and DSTBs will incorporate the technology.Source: TV Technology