Consumers of television and television-like programming have more options today for delivery of content than ever before. Amid all the chaos and confusion that accompany emerging marketplaces and overlapping technologies I have seen it frequently stated that over the air television (OTA) is a dead or dying medium. I am not an expert on the subject and I won't try to completely voice my disagreement with these statements, but I will point out two items that inform my opinion.
First, the sheer bandwidth capacity of OTA television is impressive, more so when compared to typical consumer bandwidth plans both mobile and landline. For comparison, a mobile user on AT&T's network can get 2 GB of throughput per month for $30. A cable television modem might bring 100 GB of throughput for $100 per month. At first these seem like insurmountable usage limits, but consider the proliferation of services and providers who increasingly invite their consumers to stream video and audio on these networks. A single user at home might not exceed their limits, but multiple users such as a family surely will test them. I know this from personal experience and the overage charges can be quite shocking, if not downright painful.
A single channel of OTA digital television delivers 6 terabytes per month. From my house I can receive six such stations. That's about 36,800 GB of throughput. And I live in a relatively small market for television. And I don't directly pay for that data.
I know, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Still, it is impressive.
The second item I want to point out is the recent agreements reached between the NFL and broadcast television networks. The headline reads, "CBS, FOX & NBC Sunday packages extended through 2022 season – longest-ever NFL agreements with over-air broadcast partners" Here's the link.
The point is this: People who are much smarter than I are investing an incredible amount of resources in the future of broadcast television.
Almost everything about television, from the way it is created and produced, marketed and distributed, to its eventual delivery to consumers, and certainly the many ways in which it is consumed, have changed and will continue to change. But whatever happens in the commons, my money is on the broadcast networks remaining firmly ensconced at the top. And for viewers of the ARCS Television Network, that's a good thing.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
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ARCS, Digital Television, and The Future
You have probably heard a lot about Digital Television and the upcoming February deadline when “all TV must be digital”. Well, not exactly. Even after February 2009, ARCS will still be “Analog” and your current TV will work just the same way it does now. You won’t need to make any changes to keep watching because ARCS is a “low-power” television system that is not required by the FCC to convert to digital at this time.
The FCC has required some 1,700 full-power stations nationwide to meet this conversion deadline. However there are nearly 7,000 low-power transmitters across the USA, just like ARCS, which are not yet required to convert. Most of these transmitters serve viewers in rural communities.
ARCS probably will convert to digital in the next three to five years, so eventually you will need to do something. One thing you can do right now is check out the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Created by Congress, this program allows households to get up to two coupons, each worth $40, for use in obtaining a box that will convert over-the-air digital television signals for viewing on an analog television set. Even though you won’t need a converter to watch ARCS in the near term, you can still get your coupons, use them to purchase converters at the reduced cost, and then keep them for future use. You can find out more at http://www.dtv2009.gov/ or by calling toll free, 888-388-2009.
Meanwhile we continue to work with volunteers across the state, in more than 230 communities, to repair and maintain the ARCS system.
Would you like to help keep ARCS going in your community? Send an email to arcstv@gmail.com.
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