[BC] OTA TV makes a big jump.

[Dana Puopolo]

From: Robert Meuser <robertm at nyc.rr.com>

>Unfortunately at the time of the NTSC shutdown OTA was not fully ready for prime time. The early tuner chips did not handle multipath well and because of this we did not really have the tools to learn the old fashioned NTSC antenna would not be the proper approach for DTV reception.
>
>Two things happened over time. The first was the drastic improvement in the tuner chip sets. 

No, we picked the wrong system when we picked 8-VSB for over the air DTV. The
rest of the world did not make our mistake. OTA DTV shot itself in the foot
because it blew off the major advantage it had over cable, satellite, etc. -
the ability to be used in moving vehicles.  8-VSB works like crap in moving
vehicles while COFDM works great. I remember being at the NAB one year where
both 8-VSB and COFDM received over the air were being demonstrated. The 8-VSB
booth had an outdoor beam, a bunch of RG-11 coax and a preamp - and produced
great pictures. The COFDM used a Radio Shack single bow tie antenna in their
booth (Sinclair) and produced great pictures. I moved the bow tie antenna
almost 90 degrees before the picture degraded.

Yes, I know that 8-VSB requires simpler transmitters/less power - and I also
know that many DTV stations also had to increase power anyway after they came
on the air because their coverage was crap. Here's my question - if 8-VSB is
so great then how come virtually all DTV broadcast links (RPU, STL, etc.) use
COFDM?  How come virtually all mobile audio and video links (DRM, HD radio, XM
and Sirius satellite radio, Media FLO) use or used COFDM? Once again, the USA
broadcasters shot themselves in the foot! 

The new/improved chip sets are 'band aids' to try and fix a system that was
piss poor from the start. Imagine how good DTV would be is we had used COFDM
and were on *their* 8th generation chip sets?

When will we ever learn?

-D