ABC is making it available not giving it. Cable companies can easily convert digital signals to QAM which most operators of cable systems use. Other sources of TV like low power stations won\'t have to convert to digital so in theory those could use the ABC feed if given permission. I agree the FCC should\'ve have made converters free or at best NOT told companies how much they\'d get off, obviously if you tell a company they get $40 off then the manufacturer will not sell it for that even if it could. This killed competition, we might have seen $25 converters or less.

ABC is making it available not giving it. Cable companies can easily convert digital signals to QAM which most operators of cable systems use.

Other sources of TV like low power stations won't have to convert to digital so in theory those could use the ABC feed if given permission.

I agree the FCC should've have made converters free or at best NOT told companies how much they'd get off, obviously if you tell a company they get $40 off then the manufacturer will not sell it for that even if it could. This killed competition, we might have seen $25 converters or less.

ABC\'\'s decision creates a two-tier \"separate but unequal\" TV transmission scheme. It is sure to prompt calls by Congress to also make the analog feed available to the general public -- especially since it appears that some significant proportion of the viewing audience, such as the elderly, will not be ready for DTV on day one. I can hear the howls already: The cable industry gets analog to serve its bottom-line but customers with older sets do not. Big cable can get an analog feed, but the little guy with the rabbit ears doesn\'\'t. Congress won\'\'t let this stand, even if the FCC goes along. But there\'\'s another aspect to ABC\'\'s decision that\'\'s sure to trouble some folks in its own programming department: A 4:3 analog signal tacitly gives the cable industry permission to alter the aspect ratio of the original HD-formatted broadcast programming to fit analog TV screens. The director\'\'s original intent will not be reflected in the analog cable feed. Why wouldn\'\'t ABC want to preserve the aspect ratio so as not to shortchange analog viewers who wish to see programming as the director intended? The decision invites backlash from the creative community, just as the colorization issue mobilized the film directors. If there is to be an analog feed from broadcasters, it should be BROADCAST. A two-tiered transmission scheme is discriminatory and arguably illegal. One final point: The cable industry doesn\'\'t need a network analog feed to give customers analog: a simple D-to-A converter is all that is needed for subscribers who resist upgrading to an HDTV set. ABC didn\'\'t game this one out. Where\'\'s the NAB on this?

ABC''s decision creates a two-tier "separate but unequal" TV transmission scheme. It is sure to prompt calls by Congress to also make the analog feed available to the general public -- especially since it appears that some significant proportion of the viewing audience, such as the elderly, will not be ready for DTV on day one.

I can hear the howls already: The cable industry gets analog to serve its bottom-line but customers with older sets do not. Big cable can get an analog feed, but the little guy with the rabbit ears doesn''t. Congress won''t let this stand, even if the FCC goes along.

But there''s another aspect to ABC''s decision that''s sure to trouble some folks in its own programming department: A 4:3 analog signal tacitly gives the cable industry permission to alter the aspect ratio of the original HD-formatted broadcast programming to fit analog TV screens. The director''s original intent will not be reflected in the analog cable feed. Why wouldn''t ABC want to preserve the aspect ratio so as not to shortchange analog viewers who wish to see programming as the director intended? The decision invites backlash from the creative community, just as the colorization issue mobilized the film directors.

If there is to be an analog feed from broadcasters, it should be BROADCAST. A two-tiered transmission scheme is discriminatory and arguably illegal.

One final point: The cable industry doesn''t need a network analog feed to give customers analog: a simple D-to-A converter is all that is needed for subscribers who resist upgrading to an HDTV set.

ABC didn''t game this one out. Where''s the NAB on this?