Calif. has digital TV converter box prototype plans, CEA says
May 31st, 2006The California Energy Commission (CEC) is having prototype converter boxes built, according to a Consumer Electronics Association official. The digital-to-analog converter boxes—also known as digital TV adapters—will allow digital broadcasts to be viewed on analog televisions. California, bypassing inaction at the federal level, plans to implement its own energy efficiency standard for converter boxes next year.
Doug Johnson, senior director of technology policy at the (CEA), had this to say about the California agency’s plans:
“They are beginning to develop prototypes that will somehow justify their regulation.”
Converter boxes that meet the California standard can deliver energy savings at a reasonable cost, according to a technical analysis prepared for the CEC earlier this year.
This would be the second effort to commission converter box designs outside of the electronics industry. The CEA wasn’t happy when the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Association For Maximum Service Television (MSTV) contracted with Thomson and LG to build converter boxes to their specifications, and they don’t appear to like this plan, either.
Earlier:
• When the best cable TV box is none at all
• FCC would set digital TV adapter energy standards, under Senate bill
• Digital TV adapter energy use sparks debate
• Energy consumption an afterthought in digital TV legislation
• Link: Electronic Business