Digital Video Broadcasting

With continued concerns that federal officials aren't doing enough to prepare the public for the upcoming switch to all-digital broadcast television next year, Wilmington, N.C., has volunteered to be the government's guinea pig. The Federal Communications Commission plans to announce today that broadcasters in the coastal city of about 96,000 -- the nation's 135th-largest media market -- will turn off their analog signals permanently on Sept. 8.

In less than nine months, old-fashioned broadcast television will go the way of typewriters, vinyl records and 35-millimeter film. Like just about everything else, it's getting upgraded to digital. If you haven't been paying attention -- and who could blame you, it's not even football season and the government-mandated change won't take place until after next year's Super Bowl -- broadcasters, federal officials and consumer advocates say it's time to start tuning in to the digital TV transition.

Search giant Google Inc. put its own twist on the budding online video market Friday, unveiling an Internet bazaar that allows movie studios, TV networks and any amateur with a camera to sell their wares. The Google Video Store, launching with 5,000 titles, is the first major challenge to the early lead that Apple Computer Inc. has in the emerging market for online video.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and five other companies are investing $25.8 million to help U.S. Digital Television expand its low-cost broadcast TV service. U.S. Digital, based in Salt Lake City, sells 30 cable, local and high-definition channels. Its over-the-air signal is picked up by a traditional TV antenna on sets equipped with a proprietary set-top box. Hearst-Argyle Television Inc., McGraw-Hill Cos. and the other broadcasters are investing in U.S.

Hewlett-Packard Co. and Philips Electronics said they had jointly created a way to allow one-time recording of digital TV shows to prevent piracy. The technology was sent to the Federal Communications Commission for approval. The FCC's Broadcast Flag ruling, scheduled to go into effect in July 2005, will allow controlled copying of protected digital broadcasts to protect content providers.

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that it would vote next week on whether to require 414 digital television stations to air educational children's programming, a plan pushed by the agency's Democratic members. The proposal has been opposed by more than 1,000 local TV stations that are members of the National Assn. of Broadcasters. They say it's premature to impose such a requirement during the early stages of U.S. conversion to digital TV. Democrats led by Michael J.

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve rules requiring digital television broadcasters to air as many as 15 hours of educational shows for kids each week. The 5-0 vote came after children's activist groups lobbied to hold TV station owners more accountable as broadcasters transition to new digital television technology, which offers sharp multichannel video and compact-disc-quality sound.

SBC Communications said it would use Microsoft Corp. technology to launch video services over upgraded high-speed data lines. The 10-year, $400-million deal with the second-largest U.S. telecommunications company positions Microsoft as a player on both sides of the battle between cable operators and telephone companies to provide new digital video and telephone services.

The Mighty Ducks had just given up a late goal to end the first period and defenseman Keith Carney wanted to know what went wrong. Instead of waiting until after the game to analyze the play, Carney just walked into Greg Carvel's video suite, located deep inside the Arrowhead Pond in a windowless room next to the Duck dressing room, and watched television. "I can immediately see how a breakdown occurred on a scoring chance we gave up," Carney said.

Santa Ana-based Trinity Broadcasting Network boasts in its latest newsletter that it's rapidly expanding the company's digital TV reach for its popular religious programming: "Look out satan, God's Kingdom is coming!" There's just one problem: It's not coming quickly enough for the Federal Communications Commission.