DTV Multicasting and Duopoly

[e-dawg]

If DTV Channels could hold up to 5 channels, what is the purpose of having duolopy station? Should we elimiate duopolies because of DTV multicasting?

 

[Mark_Ericson]

> If DTV Channels could hold up to 5 channels, what is the
> purpose of having duolopy station? Should we elimiate
> duopolies because of DTV multicasting?

No. Even though the DTV can hold five or six channels, they cannot be in HD. They'd be like PAX's subchannels--all in 480i SD.

The total bandwidth in an ATSC digital stream is 19.393mbps. 480i only requires 3-5mbps. 720p will look decent most of the time with 14-15mbps. 1080i will look decent most of the time with 17-18mbps. This is without statistical multicasting, in which the bandwidth is shifted around between the streams, allowing for more to be packed in without hurting the HDTV feed.

- Trip<P ID="signature">______________
Visit my website, www.rabbitears.info! It's eventually going to be your one resource for television info! Digital television, histories, and technical information for the entire USA from one source!</P>

 

[AirwaveSurfer]

DTV Multicasting, Duopoly ... and Corporate Greed

> > If DTV Channels could hold up to 5 channels, what is the
> > purpose of having duolopy station? Should we elimiate
> > duopolies because of DTV multicasting?
>
> No. Even though the DTV can hold five or six channels, they
> cannot be in HD. They'd be like PAX's subchannels--all in
> 480i SD.
>
> The total bandwidth in an ATSC digital stream is 19.393mbps.
> 480i only requires 3-5mbps. 720p will look decent most of
> the time with 14-15mbps. 1080i will look decent most of the
> time with 17-18mbps. This is without statistical
> multicasting, in which the bandwidth is shifted around
> between the streams, allowing for more to be packed in
> without hurting the HDTV feed.
>
> - Trip
>
MPEG-4 compression technology, as I understand it, allows a 6-MHz-wide TV channel to have two (if not more) HD subchannels. Unfortunately, even when and if MPEG-4 replaces MPEG-2 across the US television industry, most of the giants of the TV broadcasting industry will probably fight to the death to keep their duopolies and deny opportunities for new competitors to emerge.<P ID="signature">______________
This is AirwaveSurfer, reminding you that portions of this post have been prerecorded.</P>

 

[Mark_Ericson]

Re: DTV Multicasting, Duopoly ... and Corporate Greed

> MPEG-4 compression technology, as I understand it, allows a
> 6-MHz-wide TV channel to have two (if not more) HD
> subchannels. Unfortunately, even when and if MPEG-4
> replaces MPEG-2 across the US television industry, most of
> the giants of the TV broadcasting industry will probably
> fight to the death to keep their duopolies and deny
> opportunities for new competitors to emerge.

You understand incorrectly. It will support ONE HD stream. Just one. Not that it's impossible, but any more than one and you'll have a blurry mess of pixels. As it is, I've seen stations with an HD and two SD feeds, and the HD looks like a blurry mess of pixels.

I also highly doubt we will see a change to MPEG-4 in the near future. Everyone's being dragged kicking and screaming into this conversion, I doubt they'd go through another one any time soon.

- Trip<P ID="signature">______________
Visit my website, www.rabbitears.info! It's eventually going to be your one resource for television info! Digital television, histories, and technical information for the entire USA from one source!</P>