Technical Standards for Digital Television

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR PART 1

[MM Docket No. 87-268, FCC 96-465]

Technical Standards for Digital Television

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This Public Notice provides an opportunity for public comment

on the appended agreement submitted to the Commission on November 27,

1996, by a number of parties representing a diverse range of interests

concerning technical standards for digital Television (DTV). The

agreement addresses issues raised in the Fifth Further Notice of

Proposed Rule Making in this proceeding. Copies of this agreement are

available for public inspection in the docket file in the Commission's

Public Reference Room, room 239, 1919 M Street, NW., Washington, DC,

and on the Commission's internet site accessed at ``www.fcc.gov.''

Interested parties are invited to submit comments on this proposal by

Friday, December 6, 1996. The Commission contemplates action on the

issue by end of 1996.

DATES: Comments are due on or before December 6, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roger Holberg, (202) 418-2130, Gordon Godfrey (202) 418-2900, or Saul

Shapiro (202) 418-2600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[MM Docket No. 87-268]

The Commission Seeks Comment on Digital TV Standards Agreement

Technical Standards for Digital Television

On November 27, 1996, a number of parties representing a diverse

range of interests submitted to the Commission the attached agreement

on the issue of technical standards for digital television (DTV). The

agreement addresses issues raised in the Fifth Further Notice of

Proposed Rule Making in MM Docket No. 87-268, 61 FR 26864 (May 29,

1996). Copies of the agreement are available for public inspection in

the docket file in the Commission's Public Reference Room, room 239,

1919 M St. NW., Washington, DC, and on the Commission's internet site

accessed at ``www.fcc.gov.'' Interested parties are invited to submit

comments on this proposal by Friday, December 6, 1996. This public

notice elicits comment only on matters concerning the elements of the

ATSC digital television standard. The Commission does not contemplate

any extension on the comment period, and there will be no reply comment

filing period. The Commission contemplates action on the issue of

technical standards for DTV by the end of 1996.

Federal Communication Commission.

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

November 27, 1996.

The Honorable Susan Ness,

Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street,

N.W., Room 832, Washington, D.C. 20554.

Dear Commissioner Ness: As we reported to you yesterday,

broadcasters, computer

[[Page 64046]]

industry representatives (``CICATS''), receiver manufacturers, and

the Film Coalition have engaged in lengthy and numerous discussions

over the past four weeks concerning the proposed DTV standard. The

first three of these groups have reached the following agreement:

(1) The FCC should adopt no later than December 31, 1996, the

voluntary ATSC DTV Standard (A/53), except for the video format

constraints described in Table 3, including the aspect ratios (``the

FCC standard''). The ATSC DTV Standard, including the Table 3 video

format constraints, remains unchanged.

(2) The FCC's Report and Order adopting the FCC standard should

include language clarifying that data broadcasting is a permitted

use under the standard. Data broadcasting is defined as the

transmission of any type of data other than real-time video and

audio programming.

(3) The parties agree that the FCC standard provides for

extensibility of services and that this extensibility feature can be

used as long as such services comply with the FCC standard. Video

and audio services may be enhanced by providing augmentation data in

the manner described in ATSC ``Guide to the Use of the ATSC Digital

Television Standard,'' A/54, Section 8.1.1.3. See Attachment A

hereto.

(4) Subject to applicable legal restrictions, if any, neither

CICATS nor its member companies nor their representatives will

directly or indirectly seek to oppose or delay--before the FCC, by

judicial review, legislatively or otherwise--final adoption of the

positions urged by broadcasters and consumer electronics

manufacturers in MM Docket No. 87-268 to the extent such positions

are not inconsistent with this letter. Nor will they support efforts

in Congress or elsewhere for auctioning of spectrum allocated or to

be allocated for digital television in MM Docket No. 87-268 or other

proceedings related to the launch of digital television. After

December 31, 1997, CICATS and its member companies may address other

spectrum issues, provided that they do not support efforts for the

auctioning of spectrum MM Docket NO. 87-268 or other proceedings

related to the launch of digital television. The purpose of this

understanding is to further the common goal of expeditious launch of

digital television and is not intended to impose restrictions with

respect to future regulatory or legislative issues.

In addition, consistent with the target date recognized in your

letter to us, the parties will no longer be bound by this agreement

if the FCC standard is not adopted by the FCC by December 31, 1996.

The parties agreed beforehand to maintain the confidentiality of

the positions taken by them in the discussions, if not agreed to as

part of a final resolution of the DTV standard issue. All parties

continue to be bound by that agreement.

Respectfully submitted,

Broadcasters Caucus,

Michael J. Sherlock (NBC),

Chairman.

Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association,

Gary J. Shapiro,

President.

Computer Industry Coalition on Advanced Television Service,

Paul E. Misener,

Intel Corporation.

cc: Chairman Reed E. Hundt

Commissioner James H. Quello

Commissioner Rachelle B. Chong

Honorable Larry Irving

Secretary, FCC (for filing in MM Docket No. 87-268)

Attachment A

Because there will be possibilities for future services that we

cannot anticipate today, it is extremely important that the

transport architecture provide open-ended extensibility of services.

New elementary bit streams could be handled at the transport layer

without hardware modification by assigning new packet IDs (``PIDs'')

at the transmitter and filtering out these new PIDs in the bit

stream at the receiver. Backward compatibility is assured when new

bit streams are introduced into the transport system as existing

decoders will automatically ignore new PIDs.

[FR Doc. 96-30838 Filed 11-29-96; 10:54 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-M