Digital Cable Ready / ATSC tuners

[homer_j]

Excuse my ignorance but,
Are TVs with the above features being blocked from entering Canada.

The FCC has mandated that July 1, 2004 ALL big screen TVs have the required features built-in.

2 examples are the current US version of the Panasonic Plasma (TH-42PX25UP) and the current US Pioneer Plasma (PDP-4345HD) are not sold in Canada.

I know the DCR and ATSC tuners might not be compatible with Canadian signal distribution.

Is there someone out there with the answers?

[57]

There are TVs that have ATSC and QAM (cable) compatible tuners available in Canada.

However, if you use cable there's not much reason to buy one since the QAM tuner can only tune unencrypted signals.

Canadian Cable companies encrypt their digital (including HD) signals, so the internal QAM tuner is "useless" in Canada. If you can tune a digital station it's usually because it's on "free preview."

Since almost everyone receiving digital TV in Canada gets it via satellite or cable, the internal tuner is "redundant" in Canada, so there's not much "demand". There are a few people who get OTA, but not many. The US is different.

In the US, "OTA type" stations are unencrypted on most Cable systems (although not all stations are carried). However, premium channels (HBO, ESPN, etc) are encrypted.

I believe the FCC mandate was for 50% of large TVs to have it by a certain time, with more later...

[automator]

There are Digital Cable Ready TV's in Canada. Sony has at least one model available currently.

Chances are however that the with the first version of CableCARD only being a one way technology with no guide, VOD, or PPV access, that the majority of cable companies will not bother.

[AVphile]

Do you think future versions of CableCARD that meet Rogers' needs would work in the current TVs, or are the current DCR "digital cable ready" TVs (such as the Sony KD-34XS955 that I want) a complete waste?

[adit]

My oppinion is yes, a complete waste.Why bother anyway?

[AVphile]

Mainly because it's a better TV overall.
CableCARD would be icing though, because I don't want to rent another HD terminal for a secondary set.

Now since my previous post, I just went to the Sony Store to check it out. The salesman told me at his last meeting with Rogers, they were planning to release a CableCARD in 6-8 months, and it would work with the current sets. I don't know if that's accurate or whether they are planning this for Ottawa or just Toronto first.