[EAS] FW: Analysis of New FCC NPRM

[Dave Turnmire]

And some other issues:

1. Regarding a second audio channel... often the blind aren't going to be able to get to it anyway.  Not if their remote control doesn't have a dedicated audio button. As Tim mentioned, PBS stations often do Descriptive Video Service NOW.  Yet it is hampered by a host of issues, some technical (DVS wasn't considered by ATSC, so we have to resort to kluge solutions), and some due to manufacturers... like requiring users to access on screen menus to alter.  Not very helpful for the blind!
   Or labeling the buttons with arcane terms ("MTS") or obsolete terms ("SAP") rather than something actually comprehensible to their customers like "LANG" or "SOUND". 

   And then there is the fact that some widely used consumer products are limited to TWO audio channels.  Once you get past the "primary channel", how many things do we want to compete for the use of that remaining channel?  Descriptive Video (already mandated and being phased in), Spanish language, EAS, etc...

2. It isn't enough to mandate BROADCASTERS do something, if the end user can't use it due to manufacturer choices.  The original ATSC standard had provision for some audio mechanisms that would have been a natural for EAS.  But the manufacturers chose not to implement that, and as far as I know, there wasn't a SINGLE product offered with that.  Currently, TV broadcasters are required by the FCC to distribute an electronic program guide with a minimum of 12 hours of data.  Implementing and maintaining that is costly and time consuming.  Number of TVs currently on the market to display this EPG?  Zero.
3. We are mandated to have equipment to monitor FEMA's CAP server, without any corresponding requirement for the emergency messages we actually have... local ones.  The argument as I understand it, is that the FCC is constrained to deal with national issues rather than local ones.  But... the FEMA CAP server is ONLY capable of distributing LOCAL alerts.  Can't do EANs because we didn't design it to!  So we continue to use a daisy-chain rube Goldberg system to get national alerts because half of us can't monitor a PEP station directly.  We need to encourage the powers-that-be to put some priority on development of the necessary standards to allow EANs to be delivered effectively by CAP.
4. As far as I know, SAGE is the only vendor of a currently shipping product with a documented (sort of) means for their customers to modify the TTS lexicon to accommodate local place names, etc.  The other vendors need to get with the program and implement this.  And... it would be quite helpful if we could establish an industry standard format to do so.  I don't care how they do it under the hood.  But... it takes work to prepare an appropriate file.  It takes four times as much work if you have to do four DIFFERENT files for four different boxes.  More boxes... more files.  It isn't reasonable to expect individual broadcasters to prepare a file for their box.  But if the industry standardized the mechanism, it might be something LECCs or SECCs could prepare and make available. 

   What would be really wonderful... and helpful for consumer products that may implement TTS... is if we could have some form of a central depository for TTS lexicons, retrievable via internet.  After all, NOAA Weather has already dealt with most of the place name TTS issue.  If we could leverage THAT info, that would be great.  And if the devices are getting CAP via internet, that means they HAVE internet connectivity.  Conceptually, you could have an automatic "update" feature that would periodically retrieve any Lexicon updates.  Possibly associate FIPS codes or other location data with the lexicon info so you only download what your area needs... and can accommodate any regional pronunciation differences of the same written word.

   Part of me thinks it is a bit much to ask for some of this.  Then I remember the phrase "If we can put someone on the moon..." (over 40 years ago!)...

Dave

On 11/27/2012 11:41 AM, Clay Freinwald wrote:

>...Agreed !

>It seems to me that this effort needs to be expanded to deal with long
>standing issues that are at the root of the problem.

>Perhaps this is the time to press for changes that will address the needs of
>not only those that those with certain disabilities but the entire
>population.
>...