The CEA thinks that FCC’s plan to accelerate and expand the DTV tuner mandate will hurt consumers. It will “sharply” raise prices on smaller televisions leading to “disruption in the marketplace and harming low-income consumers”.

The FCC wants to include digital tuners in all DTVs, regardless of size, by December 31, 2006. This is a change from the previous July 1st, 2007.

The CEA doesn’t take too kindly to the idea:

Accelerating the tuner mandate deadlines for all sets would have the unfortunate result of decreasing the number of DTV tuners in the marketplace, which clearly does not further the goals of the Commission nor the goals of the DTV transition as a whole,” said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. “By contrast, the current and anticipated July 2007 date allows time for economies of scale to develop fully. This will lessen the sticker shock for consumers, allowing these products a chance to compete against less expensive, tuner-less alternatives.”

Link: CEA - PROPOSED NEW DTV TUNER MANDATE SCHEDULE WILL RAISE TV PRICES AND DISRUPT MARKET, SAY CEA AND CERC