Atsc To Develop Recommended Practice For Dtv Receivers

[Gregg Lengling]

New Document will Provide Guidelines for Receiver Manufacturers
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 30, 2003 – The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. (ATSC) is in the process of developing a Recommended Practice that will establish voluntary guidelines for broadcast digital television (DTV) receiver performance.

"Our decision to develop a Recommended Practice reflects our goal of providing the consumer electronics industry with important information while providing manufacturers with the necessary flexibility for product innovation," said Mark Richer, President of ATSC.  "We also want to be responsive to a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice of Inquiry (in ET Docket 03-65) which suggests that the industry develop voluntary DTV receiver performance guidelines."

Development of the new Recommended Practice is underway in the ATSC Specialist Group on Receivers (T3/S10).  "Recommended Practices" are a widely accepted tool in the television industry that augment Standards, and typically provide support and tutelage in the development of activities, operations, and equipment.  In addition to its technical standards work, the ATSC has adopted a variety of such recommended practices for different industry segments in the DTV field.

The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television.  The ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries.