Sinclair Broadcast Group VP Mark Hyman fires back at the Consumer Electronics Association, arguing that 8-VSB receivers fundamentally fail at indoor antenna reception and that over 775 stations have called for review of the DTV modulation standard. He dismisses CEA's 'improved' performance claims and challenges the industry to acknowledge the standard's real-world shortcomings.
Mark E. Hyman
VP, Corporate Relations
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
(1.) Would anyone expect a single consumer electronics manufacturer to admit their equipment does not work ten days before "black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving when most retailers finally move from the red to the black on their balance sheet) and is the start of the holiday shopping season? The single biggest sales period for consumer electronics? Of course not. Such an admission would result in inter-office gun play on the part of their sales and marketing staffs. They want to sell products regardless of whether or not they work.
(2.) It makes no matter whether the broadcasters' petition has 2 station signatures, over 400 station signatures directly endorsing it (which it does) or whether over 775 stations have stated they believe the DTV modulation standard warrants further review (which they do). The bottom line is that the latest generation of 8VSB receivers do not work for simple indoor antenna reception like the NTSC receivers they are intended to replace. That is the matter which CEA does not want to address. "Improved" means nothing. Paralysis is an "improved" condition over comatose which is an "improved" condition over death, but frankly all three conditions stink. Let us have a healthy, fully upright DTV receiver.
(3.) BTW, forget the hype and the semantics. If you want to satisfy your own curiosity then I urge you to contact America's Public Television Stations directly and ask them for their position on this matter. Their number is 202.887.1700. I am willing to bet the folks at CEA do not want you to make that call. As far as the hundreds of other broadcasters who have either signed the petition or have expressed concern with the 8VSB standard, it is easy to see how CEA overlooked obscure broadcasters such as Bud Paxson, Barry Diller or Jamie Kellner. After all, who has heard of PaxNet, Home Shopping Network, USA Network or the The WB?
Mark E. Hyman
