CEA Reassures FCC Over Battery Powered DTV Boxes

In a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro says the consumer electronics industry is aware of the need for battery-powered DTV-to-analog converter boxes and TVs and is optimistic that, in the "long term" they will be widely available in "several variations and at different price points." Shapiro said he had alerted his members about the importance of stocking battery-powered DTV boxes, but also said that many retailers have been stocking battery-powered DTV receivers for the past year. Shapiro frequently argues that the transition is likely to go pretty smoothly with some, but understandable and manageable, viewer dislocation. He suggested that, if past is prologue, Chairman Martin's concerns will be taken care of by the marketplace. [Where have we heard that before?] "You may recall that similar concerns were voiced about the availability of digital-to-analog converters as well as digital-to-analog with analog pass-through. The marketplace has obviously responded in both cases."