WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a government rule requiring all but the smallest new televisions to have tuners that can receive digital TV signals by July 2007.

The makers of TVs, VCRs and DVD players tried to block the Federal Communications Commission rule, saying it would make sets more expensive and is unnecessary because cable and satellite viewers don't need the tuners.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with the FCC, which said the requirement was needed because the industry was not moving quickly enough to make tuners available.

Plug and play requirements
The tuners, either inside a TV or in a separate box used with the TV, will be needed to receive broadcasts over the airwaves after the nation switches from analog to digital signals. Congress has set a goal of December 2006 for the switchover.

The FCC wants to ensure that anyone who buys a TV can take it home, plug it in and receive local stations without subscribing to a cable service or buying an extra tuner box for digital signals.

The first phase of the tuner requirement begins next year, when half of all TV sets 36 inches or larger are required to have the tuners. By July 1, 2007, all TVs 13 inches or larger, and all VCRs and DVD players, must meet the new standard.

How they work
Unlike traditional analog television, digital TV signals use the language of computers, allowing for sharper pictures and potential features such as Internet access, video games and multiple programs on one channel. Digital signals can be sent with satellites, by cable or as over-the-air broadcasts.

High-definition television, or HDTV, is another possible feature of digital television. Sets designed for HDTV signals offer more lifelike pictures and sound. The sets cost from about $800 to many thousands of dollars, but prices are dropping.

The prices would have to drop a lot more than that before I'm able to afford one of those sets

Also how long before someone comes out with a digital converter that'll convert digital signals back to analog that works on the older sets

Now, why are we getting rid of analog again? Is it because our radio frequencies are that jammed? The tv industry that scared of tivo? Why?

Makes me feel fortunate that I don't watch that much TV. I'll stick with my little 13" TV/VCR and watch old movies...

All TV's except some digital LCD type screens are analog to the screen. No need to convert anything as they already do that.

I do hope you get better bitrates out there though. I know you are getting hi-def but even that can look like crap if they use low bitrates. Ever seen water when run through a low bitrate MPEG2? Blockyvision

The digital services like games and online pizza delivery also suck pretty hard.

Thats rediculas. If the industry is not moving is most likely in response to demand, which is largely a response to the quality of the product and the price. So why force users to buy something they are not happy with.

"...and potential features such as Internet access..." Can't wait till the first TV viruses come out. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It will be broke

why are we FORCING people to buy this technology if they don't want it? Whatever happened to free market?

It died when the current FCC chairman went on a rampage.

Local channels? What local channels?

Some of us live in the boonies and have to have either cable or satellite and neither of those require digital tuners.

Unbeknownst to the FCC chairman we can't buy a new set, come home and plug it in and get 'over the air tv', but then he doesn't care anyway.

I agree with tasadar24 that the current FCC chairman is on a rampage. I wonder who is paying him to foist one debacle after another on the very people the FCC is supposed to protect.......the consumer.

Perhaps we should all write to Chairman Powell with one message "it's all about the consumer, stupid". Why are you in the pocket of the fat cat media corps and working against the consumer?

I'm a bit long in the tooth. No way I can afford to go out and buy a new TV, DVD player, and VCR. Just as well I have a movie library already. At least you can buy a DVD cheaper then a CD still.

I have been wondering for the past 3.5 years why the government is so interested in making sure we have good reception on our tvs but then it occurred to me.....its the money stupid

Its also the means to mandate those 1084ish big brother falt screens on our living room wall. I always wondered how that would come about.

Scary.

I REFUSE TO BUY A TV THAT RECEIVES DIGITAL SIGNALS

I REFUSE TO COMPLY WITH SPYWARE IN MY TV

isn't this the broadcast flag they're talking about?

I didn't think it was this soon that they would decide?

Here's a link that might be of interest:

http://www.digitalconsumer.org/ ...

In the near future...

(turning TV on)

(big MICROSOFT WINDOWS logo comes on)

(signal attenuation bar locks in on signal)

(BSOD)

Me: !*&&*&#^ damn viruses!

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Yes, this is a parody, but MS is trying to negotiate with the major networks to get it's Digital surfing software as the primary program running on set-top boxes. BE AFRAID!

As for prices, has anyone seen a 50" HDTV 16x9 screen at Best Buy lately? They sell for UNDER $3K now! So prices have come down, drastically, in the past 1 1/2 years. I remember when my ex-manager got a 50-something" Mitsu and it was retailing close to $7K and that was just back in 2001. Converters haven't really come down yet, but they don't cost over a grand anymore either. I think they are down to the $300 mark or so, and prices are still falling.