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| {{Infobox company | {{Infobox company | ||
| | name = U.S. Digital Television | | name = U.S. Digital Television, LLC 6/2003 - 7/2006)<br>USDigital Inc. (7/2006-5/2007) | ||
| | logo = ] | | logo = ] | ||
| | logo_caption = | | logo_caption = | ||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
| | trading_name = <!-- d/b/a/, doing business as - if different from legal name above --> | | trading_name = <!-- d/b/a/, doing business as - if different from legal name above --> | ||
| | former_name = | | former_name = | ||
| | former type = | | former type = LLC | ||
| | type = | | type = Subsidiary corporation | ||
| | traded_as = | | traded_as = | ||
| | industry = |
| industry = Broadcasting | ||
| | genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies --> | |||
| | fate = bankrupt | | fate = bankrupt | ||
| | predecessor = | | predecessor = | ||
| | successor = | | successor = | ||
| | foundation = |
| foundation = ] ({{Start date|2003|06}}) | ||
| | founder = | | founder = Steve Lindsley<ref name=dn0/> | ||
| | defunct = |
| defunct = {{End date|2007|05}} | ||
| | location_city = | | location_city = ] | ||
| | location_country = | | location_country = USA | ||
| | locations = |
| locations = | ||
| | area_served = ], ], ], and ] | |||
| | area_served = | |||
| | key_people = Steven Lindsley (chairman and ])<ref name=metz/> | | key_people = Steven Lindsley (chairman and ])<ref name=metz/> | ||
| | products = HDTV tuners/box devices | | products = HDTV tuners/box devices | ||
| | brands = USDIGITAL | | brands = USDIGITAL | ||
| | production = | | production = | ||
| | services = ] |
| services = ] ] | ||
| | revenue = | | revenue = | ||
| | operating_income = | | operating_income = | ||
| | net_income = | | net_income = | ||
| | aum = <!-- Only used with financial services companies --> | |||
| | assets = | | assets = | ||
| | equity = | | equity = | ||
| | owner = | | owner = | ||
| | num_employees = | | num_employees = | ||
| | parent = USDTV (28.28%)<br>Hearst-Argyle<br>LIN Television Corp.<br>McGraw-Hill Ventures Inc.<br>News-USDTV Holdings Inc.<br>Telcom DTV LLC(09/2005-2006)<hr><br>] (9/2006-5/2007) | |||
| | parent = | |||
| | divisions = | | divisions = | ||
| | subsid = | | subsid = | ||
| | homepage = |
| homepage = | ||
| | footnotes = | | footnotes = | ||
| | intl = | | intl = | ||
| | bodystyle = | | bodystyle = | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| ⚫ | '''USDTV''', an acronym for U.S. Digital Television, was an ], ] service in the ]. Based in ] near ], it was founded in 2003 and started service there in 2004.<ref name=dn>{{cite news|title=Bankruptcy information on U.S. Digital Television|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/640195521/Bankruptcy-information-on-US-Digital-Television.html|accessdate=June 15, 2014|work=Deseret News|date=July 18 2006}}</ref> The company ceased operations March 12, 2007. | ||
| {{Infobox Defunct Company | |||
| |company_name= USDTV | |||
| |company_logo= | |||
| |fate = Bankrupt | |||
| |foundation = 2003 | |||
| |defunct = 2007 | |||
| |company_type = ] ] service | |||
| |location = ] | |||
| |slogan = TV for people. | |||
| |products = '']'' | |||
| |}} | |||
| ⚫ | '''USDTV''', an acronym for U.S. Digital Television, was an ], ] service in the ]. Based in ] near ], it was founded in 2003 and started service there in 2004. The company ceased operations March 12, 2007. | ||
| USDTV leased subchannel space from local TV stations for its subscription TV service. USDTV ended services in 2007.<ref name=unr>{{cite news|last1=LaGesse|first1=David|title=Digital Pioneer The Tube Is No More|url=http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/daves-download/2007/10/02/digital-pioneer-the-tube-is-no-more|accessdate=June 13, 2014|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=October 2, 2007}} <!-- notability --></ref> | USDTV leased subchannel space from local TV stations for its subscription TV service. USDTV ended services in 2007.<ref name=unr>{{cite news|last1=LaGesse|first1=David|title=Digital Pioneer The Tube Is No More|url=http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/daves-download/2007/10/02/digital-pioneer-the-tube-is-no-more|accessdate=June 13, 2014|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=October 2, 2007}} <!-- notability --></ref> | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| U.S. Digital Television launched its service as a test in ] near the end of 2003. On March 16, 2004, 1000 subscribers sign up with no advertising. And also, US Digital launched into the ] market. At that time, the company expected to enter the ] market next plus an additional 30 markets by the end of the year.<ref name=metz>{{cite news|last1=Metz|first1=Cade|title=Cable TV Without the Cable—or the Satellite|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1549751,00.asp|accessdate=June 13, 2014|work=PC Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis, LLC|date=March 16, 2004}} | U.S. Digital Television was formed in June 2003<ref name=dn0>{{cite news|last1=Wallace|first1=Brice|title=U.S. Digital Television is bankrupt|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/640195539/US-Digital-Television-is-bankrupt.html|accessdate=June 15, 2014|work=Deseret News|date=July 18 2006}}</ref> and launched its service as a test in ] near the end of 2003. On March 16, 2004, 1000 subscribers sign up with no advertising. And also, US Digital launched into the ] market. At that time, the company expected to enter the ] market next plus an additional 30 markets by the end of the year.<ref name=metz>{{cite news|last1=Metz|first1=Cade|title=Cable TV Without the Cable—or the Satellite|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1549751,00.asp|accessdate=June 13, 2014|work=PC Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis, LLC|date=March 16, 2004}} | ||
| *{{cite news|title=Company Offers Cable TV Over Airwaves|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=97299|accessdate=June 13, 2014|work=ABC News|date=March 18, 2004}} <!-- ABC News is listed for notability --></ref> | *{{cite news|title=Company Offers Cable TV Over Airwaves|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=97299|accessdate=June 13, 2014|work=ABC News|date=March 18, 2004}} <!-- ABC News is listed for notability --></ref> In the fourth quarter 2004, fifth-generation chips and ATSC tuners would be supplied by LG for USDTV tuners and would be available.<ref>{{cite news|title=USDTV to team with LG on digital TV|url=http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1268296|accessdate=June 15, 2014|work=EE Times|publisher=UBM Tech|date=July 21, 2004}}</ref> | ||
| In September 2005, ], ] Companies, News Corp. and |
In September 2005, ], ] Companies, News Corp.'s ], ], and ] broadcasters invested $26 million in the company.<ref>{{cite news|title=News Corp., Others Invest in U.S. Digital|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/27/business/fi-rup27.1|accessdate=June 13, 2014|work=Los Angeles Times|agency=Bloomberg News|date=September 27, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Angwin|first1=Julia|title=News Corp. Leads Digital TV Investor Group|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112769120182351628,00.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace|accessdate=June 15, 2014|work=Wall Street Journal|date=September 26, 2005|archiveurl=http://benton.org/node/172|archivedate=February 20, 2008}}</ref><ref name=mcn>{{cite news|last1=Moss|first1=Linda|title=USDTV Emerges for Another Try|url=http://multichannel.com/news/technology/usdtv-emerges-another-try/259833|accessdate=June 15, 2014|work=Multichannel News|publisher=NewBay Media, LLC.|date=November 24, 2006}}</ref> Steven Lindsley indicated that the investing broadcasting companies did think that the service would be able to compete against the cable companies thus withdrawing support from USDTV.<ref name=mcn/> | ||
| On July 6, 2006 in Delaware Bankruptcy Court, the company filed for Chapter 7.<ref name=dn/> While USDTV filed for liquidation bankruptcy, the company continued to operate in its four markets while two other companies are interested in purchasing its assets to continue the service. Investors at bankruptcy were USDTV (28.28%), and those with 12.35% each: Hearst-Argyle (split between HATV Investments Inc. and Hearst Broadcasting), LIN Television Corp., McGraw-Hill Ventures Inc., News-USDTV Holdings Inc. and Telcom DTV LLC. The company was placed under the control of a trustee, Alfred Thomas Giuliano.<ref name=dn/> | |||
| ==Technology== | |||
| ⚫ | The company used extra ] on ] stations to send channels to subscribers who had a special ] provided by the company and an attic- or roof-mounted antenna<ref name=unr/><ref name=metz/> which were available nation wide via ] and in the West by RC Willey furniture and electronics stores.<ref name=metz/> | ||
| In September 2006, NexGen Telecom, an original investor, purchased the assets of the company for an reported $1 million cash.<ref name=mcn/><ref name=dn1>{{cite news|last1=Kratz|first1=Greg|title=Money woes turn off USDTV|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/660200866/Money-woes-turn-off-USDTV.html?pg=all|accessdate=June 15, 2014|work=Deseret News|date=March 6 2007|ref=dn1}}</ref> NexGen had a major loss in another investment in 4th quarter 2006 forcing them to curtail their ongoing investment in USDTV. When no new bridge funding could be found, US Digital ended services in March 2007.<ref name=dn1/> | |||
| USDTV channels were broadcast by multiple stations in each area, but through the use of ]s. They all appeared as ] of 99.x, even on regular sets that could not decode them. This was also true in the ]. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Services== | ||
| One disadvantage of the system is its limited channel capacity, and the need for a strong ] through an ]. The fact that it uses different stations, possibly in different locations, may also make re-aiming the antenna difficult or annoying, particularly since it may not be easy to find which USDTV channels are being hosted by which stations. As with free DTV, acceptable reception may require an outdoor antenna; this is true both with the US/Canadian ] using ] ] and the ] based systems used in other countries. | |||
| USDTV served customers in and near ], ], ], and ].<ref name=dn/> | |||
| ⚫ | The company used extra ] on ] stations to send channels to subscribers who had a special ] digital tuner provided by the company and an attic- or roof-mounted antenna<ref name=unr/><ref name=metz/> which were available nation wide via ] and in the West by RC Willey furniture and electronics stores. The USDIGITAL brand boxes sold were the service was not available operated like a ordinary HDTV tuners. Two technology companies, eWest and ServicePower, partnered to help clients install the equipment while self-installers would get two months free.<ref name=metz/> | ||
| Because it uses full-power broadcast stations, this also in turn limits the ] of free "extra" channels the public can receive from those stations. Broadcasters in the US are only required to carry one ] channel. This has led to speculation that stations would ] out the bandwidth of the additional five multiplex channels to pay TV services such as USDTV, instead of broadcasting in ]. Should this become commonplace practice among broadcasters, not only would ] be precluded, picture quality in SDTV can suffer noticeably due to excessive ], which leaves visible ]s. | |||
| ⚫ | The cost for the basic-tier service was $19.95 per month. USDTV also offered ] for an additional monthly fee. The basic tier started out with 11 cable channels: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and the ].<ref name=metz/> By July 2003, the service had 30 channels.<ref name=dn0/> | ||
| ⚫ | ==Services== | ||
| USDTV served customers in and near ], ], ],<ref name=metz/> ], and ].<ref>, ], November 14, 2005. Retrieved February 25, 2011 from HighBeam Research.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | The cost for the basic-tier service was $19.95 per month. USDTV also offered ] for an additional |
||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| <!-- additional references: | |||
| / | |||
| --> | |||
| {{CATV USA}} | {{CATV USA}} | ||
Revision as of 20:35, 15 June 2014
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | Draper, Utah (June 2003 (2003-06)) |
| Founder | Steve Lindsley |
| Defunct | May 2007 (2007-05) |
| Fate | bankrupt |
| Headquarters | Draper, Utah, USA |
| Area served | Salt Lake City, Utah, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dallas, Texas |
| Key people | Steven Lindsley (chairman and CEO) |
| Products | HDTV tuners/box devices |
| Brands | USDIGITAL |
| Services | Over the air pay TV |
| Parent | USDTV (28.28%) Hearst-Argyle LIN Television Corp. McGraw-Hill Ventures Inc. News-USDTV Holdings Inc. Telcom DTV LLC(09/2005-2006) NexGen Telecom (9/2006-5/2007) |
| Website | usdtv.com archived |
USDTV, an acronym for U.S. Digital Television, was an over-the-air, pay television service in the United States. Based in Draper, Utah near Salt Lake City, it was founded in 2003 and started service there in 2004. The company ceased operations March 12, 2007.
USDTV leased subchannel space from local TV stations for its subscription TV service. USDTV ended services in 2007.
History
U.S. Digital Television was formed in June 2003 and launched its service as a test in Salt Lake City near the end of 2003. On March 16, 2004, 1000 subscribers sign up with no advertising. And also, US Digital launched into the Albuquerque, New Mexico market. At that time, the company expected to enter the Las Vegas market next plus an additional 30 markets by the end of the year. In the fourth quarter 2004, fifth-generation chips and ATSC tuners would be supplied by LG for USDTV tuners and would be available.
In September 2005, Hearst-Argyle Television, McGraw-Hill Companies, News Corp.'s Fox Television Stations, LIN TV, and Morgan-Murphy Stations broadcasters invested $26 million in the company. Steven Lindsley indicated that the investing broadcasting companies did think that the service would be able to compete against the cable companies thus withdrawing support from USDTV.
On July 6, 2006 in Delaware Bankruptcy Court, the company filed for Chapter 7. While USDTV filed for liquidation bankruptcy, the company continued to operate in its four markets while two other companies are interested in purchasing its assets to continue the service. Investors at bankruptcy were USDTV (28.28%), and those with 12.35% each: Hearst-Argyle (split between HATV Investments Inc. and Hearst Broadcasting), LIN Television Corp., McGraw-Hill Ventures Inc., News-USDTV Holdings Inc. and Telcom DTV LLC. The company was placed under the control of a trustee, Alfred Thomas Giuliano.
In September 2006, NexGen Telecom, an original investor, purchased the assets of the company for an reported $1 million cash. NexGen had a major loss in another investment in 4th quarter 2006 forcing them to curtail their ongoing investment in USDTV. When no new bridge funding could be found, US Digital ended services in March 2007.
Services
USDTV served customers in and near Salt Lake City, Utah, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dallas, Texas.
The company used extra bandwidth on digital television stations to send channels to subscribers who had a special set-top box digital tuner provided by the company and an attic- or roof-mounted antenna which were available nation wide via Wal-Mart and in the West by RC Willey furniture and electronics stores. The USDIGITAL brand boxes sold were the service was not available operated like a ordinary HDTV tuners. Two technology companies, eWest and ServicePower, partnered to help clients install the equipment while self-installers would get two months free.
The cost for the basic-tier service was $19.95 per month. USDTV also offered Starz! for an additional monthly fee. The basic tier started out with 11 cable channels: ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Home & Gardening Television, Fox News, and the Food Network. By July 2003, the service had 30 channels.
References
- ^ Wallace, Brice (July 18 2006). "U.S. Digital Television is bankrupt". Deseret News. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Metz, Cade (March 16, 2004). "Cable TV Without the Cable—or the Satellite". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis, LLC. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
- "Company Offers Cable TV Over Airwaves". ABC News. March 18, 2004. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
- ^ "Bankruptcy information on U.S. Digital Television". Deseret News. July 18 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ LaGesse, David (October 2, 2007). "Digital Pioneer The Tube Is No More". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
- "USDTV to team with LG on digital TV". EE Times. UBM Tech. July 21, 2004. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- "News Corp., Others Invest in U.S. Digital". Los Angeles Times. Bloomberg News. September 27, 2005. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
- Angwin, Julia (September 26, 2005). "News Corp. Leads Digital TV Investor Group". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ Moss, Linda (November 24, 2006). "USDTV Emerges for Another Try". Multichannel News. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ Kratz, Greg (March 6 2007). "Money woes turn off USDTV". Deseret News. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
- Digital television in the United States
- Companies established in 2003
- Companies that have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
- Defunct broadcasting companies of the United States
- Defunct companies based in Utah
- Companies disestablished in 2007
- American subscription television services
- 2003 establishments in Utah