Court upholds rule requiring most TVs to have digital tuner
By Sam Hananel
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — All but the smallest new televisions will have to be able to receive digital TV signals by July 2007 under a government rule upheld by a federal appeals court yesterday.
The makers of TVs, VCRs and DVD players tried to block the Federal Communications Commission rule, saying it would make sets more expensive and was unnecessary because cable and satellite viewers don't need the tuners.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with the FCC, which said the requirement was needed because the industry was not moving quickly enough to make tuners available.
The tuners will be needed to receive over-the-air broadcasts after the nation switches from analog to digital signals. Congress has set a goal of December 2006 for the change.
Circuit Judge John G. Roberts wrote that despite the timeline, the FCC had found that "a logjam was blocking the development of digital TV."
"Broadcasters are unwilling to provide more DTV programming because most viewers do not own DTV equipment, and the lack of attractive DTV programming makes consumers reluctant to invest in more DTV equipment," he wrote.
The FCC, which adopted the rule last year, sought to ensure that anyone who should buy a TV after July 2007 could take it home, plug it in and receive local stations without subscribing to a cable service or buying an extra tuner box for digital signals.
FCC Chairman Michael Powell said of the decision, "This will ensure that consumers are able to enjoy high-quality digital broadcast programming without the hassle and expense of hooking up a separate set-top box."
In addition to improved pictures and sound, digital television offers a range of new possibilities to broadcasters, such as sending multiple programs over the same channel or offering video games, the Internet and other interactive services.
The main initial beneficiaries of digital television are the 15 percent of TV owners who receive their shows through antennas. They will get improved reception, with no more fuzzy pictures.
For cable and satellite subscribers, the greatest benefit is likely to be high-definition television, or HDTV, which offers better picture quality but requires a special TV. The sets cost from about $800 to thousands of dollars, though prices are dropping.
Eddie Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, called the court decision a milestone toward completing the DTV transition.
"Consumers buying TV sets will know that the receivers they buy will continue to receive all broadcast signals, even as broadcasting changes to digital," Fritts said.
