[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 82 (Friday, April 26, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18508-18511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9489]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 15 and 76
[ET Docket No. 93-7; FCC 96-129]
Implementation of Section 17 of the Cable Television Consumer
Protection and Competition Act of 1992; and Compatibility Between Cable
Systems and Consumer Electronics Equipment
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule; response to petitions for reconsideration.
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SUMMARY: The Commission has revised and clarified certain aspects of
its regulations for assuring compatibility between consumer electronics
equipment and cable systems. In particular, the Commission has
clarified the requirement for cable operators to offer subscribers set-
top devices with multiple tuners; eliminated the prohibition on
changing the infrared codes used with remote controls; clarified its
policy with regard to the Decoder Interface connector standard; and,
refined the ``cable ready'' TV receiver standards. These revisions and
clarifications will further the Commission's goals of promoting greater
compatibility between cable systems and consumer electronics equipment.
This action is in response to ten Petitions for Reconsideration of the
First Report and Order in this proceeding.
EFFECTIVE DATES: May 28, 1996. The incorporation by reference of a
publication listed in the regulations was approved by the Director of
the Federal Register as of May 16, 1994.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Stillwell (202-418-2470) or
Robert Bromery (301-418-2475), Office of Engineering and Technology.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's
Memorandum, Opinion and Order in ET Docket No. 93-7, FCC 96-129,
adopted March 22, 1996 and released April 10, 1996. The full text of
this decision is available for inspection and copying during normal
business hours in the FCC Dockets Branch (Room 230), 1919 M Street,
N.W., Washington, DC. The complete text of this decision also may be
purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractor, International
Transcriptions Service, 2100 M Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036,
(202) 857-3800.
Summary of the Memorandum Opinion and Order
1. In the First Report and Order in this proceeding, 59 FR 25339,
May 16, 1994, the Commission adopted regulations to ensure
compatibility between cable systems and consumer electronics equipment,
i.e., TV receivers, videocassette recorders (VCRs) and similar devices.
These regulations were adopted in response to Section 17 of the Cable
Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 (1992 Cable Act), Pub.
L. No. 102-385, 106 Stat. 1460, (1992), Sec. 17. The major
compatibility problems addressed in the compatibility rules include the
capabilities to record sequential programs on different channels; to
record one program while watching another; to use advanced television
picture generation and display features such as ``Picture-in-Picture'';
and to use remote controls. The new rules include requirements for
cable operators to take a number of actions that will improve
compatibility between existing cable system and consumer TV equipment.
The compatibility rules also include requirements and standards for
both cable operators and consumer equipment operators that are intended
to achieve more effective compatibility through new cable and consumer
equipment.
2. Petitions for Reconsideration of the First Report and Order were
filed by ten parties: ANTEC Corporation, Cablevision Systems
Corporation, Cable Telecommunications Association, the Consumer
Electronics Group of the Electronics Industries Association, General
Instrument Corporation, the National Cable Television Association,
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., TeleCable Corporation, Time Warner
Entertainment Company, L.P., and Zenith Electronics Corporation. These
parties requested revisions and clarifications with regard to a number
of specific provisions of the rules adopted in the First Report and
Order.
3. In response to the Petitions for Reconsideration, the
Commission's Memorandum, Opinion and Order sets forth a number of
decisions pertaining to the cable-consumer electronics equipment
compatibility rules. In particular, this decision:
--Clarifies that cable operators who use scrambling are required to
offer subscribers supplemental equipment
[[Page 18509]]
that has the capability to allow simultaneous reception of two
scrambled signals;
--Eliminates the prohibition on changing the infrared (IR) codes used
with remote controls;
--Denies a request to expand the consumer education program to include
an advisory that consumer equipment could become obsolete;
--Clarifies the Commission will: (1) Require that the Decoder Interface
standard be designed to enable all functions other than security to be
provided in competitively supplied equipment; (2) require cable
operators to offer security-only component descrambler modules and (3)
not preclude cable operators from incorporating security functions in
multi-function component descrambler modules;
--Eliminates the advisory labeling requirement for consumer TV
receivers and VCRs that incorporate features intended to be used with
cable service, but do not fully comply with the ``cable ready''
equipment standards;
--Clarifies that the Commission's rules do not prohibit equipment
manufacturers from applying the Canadian GRR II label for cable
compatible devices to TV receivers and VCRs marketed in the United
States that do not fully comply with the ``cable ready'' equipment
standards if that label is carried on the device in an inconspicuous
location and manner;
--Makes several minor revisions and clarifications with regard to the
technical standards for ``cable ready'' TV equipment.
4. Accordingly, it is Ordered that Parts 15 and 76 of the
Commission's rules Are Amended as set forth below, effective May 28,
1996. This action is taken pursuant to authority provided in Sections
4(i), 7(a), 302, 303(c), 303(f), 303(g), 303(r) and 324A of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended 47 U.S.C. Sections 154(i),
157(a), 302, 303(c), 303(f), 303(g), 303(r) and 324A.
List of Subjects
47 CFR Part 15
Communications equipment, Television receivers, TV interface
devices.
47 CFR Part 76
Cable television.
Federal Communications Commission
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
Rule Changes
Parts 15 and 76 of Chapter I of Title 47 of the Code of Federal
Regulations are amended as follows:
PART 15--RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES
1. The authority citation for Part 15 is revised to read as
follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 302, 303, 304, 307 and 544A.
2. Section 15.19 is amended by revising paragraph (d) to read as
follows:
Sec. 15.19 Labeling requirements.
* * * * *
(d) Consumer electronics TV receiving devices, including TV
receivers, videocassette recorders, and similar devices, that
incorporate features intended to be used with cable television service,
but do not fully comply with the technical standards for cable ready
equipment set forth in Sec. 15.118, shall not be marketed with
terminology that describes the device as ``cable ready'' or ``cable
compatible,'' or that otherwise conveys the impression that the device
is fully compatible with cable service. Factual statements about the
various features of a device that are intended for use with cable
service or the quality of such features are acceptable so long as such
statements do not imply that the device is fully compatible with cable
service. Statements relating to product features are generally
acceptable where they are limited to one or more specific features of a
device, rather than the device as a whole. This requirement applies to
consumer TV receivers, videocassette recorders and similar devices
manufactured or imported for sale in this country on or after October
31, 1994.
3. Section 15.115 is amended by revising paragraph (i) to read as
follows:
Sec. 15.115 TV interface devices, including cable system terminal
devices.
* * * * *
(i) Switches and other devices intended to be used to by-pass the
processing circuitry of a cable system terminal device, whether
internal to such a terminal device or a stand-alone unit, shall not
attenuate the input signal more than 6 dB from 54 MHz to 550 MHz, or
more than 8 dB from 550 MHz to 804 MHz. The 6 dB standard applies at
550 MHz. The provisions of this paragraph are applicable June 30, 1997.
4. Section 15.118 is amended by revising paragraphs (b), (c)(1),
(c)(2), (c)(3), (c)(4), (c)(5) and (d) to read as follows:
Sec. 15.118 Cable ready consumer electronics equipment.
* * * * *
(b) Cable ready consumer electronics equipment shall be capable of
receiving all NTSC or similar video channels on channels 1 through 125
of the channel allocation plan set forth in the Electronics Industries
Association's ``Cable Television Channel Identification Plan, EIA IS-
132, May 1994'' (EIA IS-132). This incorporation by reference was
approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5
U.S.C. 522(a) and 1 CFR Part 51. Copies of EIA IS-132 may be obtained
from: Global Engineering Documents, 3130 South Harbor Boulevard, Santa
Anna, CA 92704. Copies of EIA IS-132 may be inspected during normal
business hours at the following locations: Federal Communications
Commission, 1919 M Street, NW., Dockets Branch (Room 239), Washington,
DC, or the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street,
NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.
(c) * * *
(1) Adjacent channel interference. In the presence of a lower
adjacent channel CW signal that is 1.5 MHz below the desired visual
carrier in frequency and 10 dB below the desired visual carrier in
amplitude, spurious signals within the IF passband shall be attenuated
at least 55 dB below the visual carrier of the desired signal. The
desired input signal shall be an NTSC visual carrier modulated with a
10 IRE flat field with color burst and the aural carrier which is 10 dB
below the visual carrier should be unmodulated. Measurements are to be
performed for input signal levels of 0 dBmV and +15 dBmV, with the
receiver tuned to ten evenly spaced EIA IS-132 channels covering the
band 54 MHz to 804 MHz.
(2) Image channel interference. Image channel interference within
the IF passband shall be attenuated below the visual carrier of the
desired channel by at least 60 dB from 54 MHz to 714 MHz and 50 dB from
714 MHz to 804 MHz. The 60 dB standard applies at 714 MHz. In testing
for compliance with this standard, the desired input signal is to be an
NTSC signal on which the visual carrier is modulated with a 10 IRE flat
field with color burst and the aural carrier is unmodulated and 10 dB
below the visual carrier. The undesired test signal shall be a CW
signal equal in amplitude to the desired visual carrier and located 90
MHz above the visual
[[Page 18510]]
carrier frequency of the desired channel. Measurements shall be
performed for input signals of 0 dBmV and +15 dBmV, with the receiver
tuned to at least ten evenly spaced EIA IS-132 channels covering the
band 54 MHz to 804 MHz.
(3) Direct pickup interference. The direct pickup (DPU) of a co-
channel interfering ambient field by a cable ready device shall not
exceed the following criteria. The ratio of the desired to undesired
signal levels at the IF passband on each channel shall be at least 45
dB. The average ratio over the six channels shall be at least 50 dB.
The desired input signal shall be an NTSC signal having a visual
carrier level of 0 dBmV. The visual carrier is modulated with a 10 IRE
flat field with color burst, visual to aural carrier ratio of 10 dB,
aural carrier unmodulated. The equipment under test (EUT) shall be
placed on a rotatable table that is one meter in height. Any excess
length of the power cord and other connecting leads shall be coiled on
the floor under the table. The EUT shall be immersed in a horizontally
polarized uniform CW field of 100 mV/m at a frequency 2.55 MHz above
the visual carrier of the EUT tuned channel. Measurements shall be made
with the EUT tuned to six EIA IS-132 channels, two each in the low VHF,
high VHF and UHF broadcast bands. On each channel, the levels at the IF
passband due to the desired and interfering signals are to be measured.
(4) Tuner overload. Spurious signals within the IF passband shall
be attenuated at least 55 dB below the visual carrier of the desired
channel using a comb-like spectrum input with each visual carrier
signal individually set at +15 dBmV from 54 to 550 MHz. The desired
input signal is to be an NTSC signal on which the visual carrier is
modulated with a 10 IRE flat field with color burst and the aural
carrier is unmodulated and 10 dB below the visual carrier. Measurements
shall be made with the receiver tuned to at least seven evenly spaced
EIA IS-132 channels covering the band 54 MHz to 550 MHz. In addition,
spurious signals within the IF passband shall be attenuated at least 51
dB below the visual carrier of the desired channel using a comb
spectrum input with each signal individually set at +15 dBmV from 550
to 804 MHz. Measurements shall be made with the receiver tuned to at
least three evenly spaced EIA IS-132 channels covering the band 550 MHz
to 804 MHz.
(5) Cable input conducted emissions. (i) Conducted spurious
emissions that appear at the cable input to the device must meet the
following criteria. The input shall be an NTSC video carrier modulated
with a 10 IRE flat field with color burst at a level of 0 dBmV and with
a visual to aural ratio of 10 dB. The aural carrier shall be
unmodulated. The peak level of the spurious signals will be measured
using a spectrum analyzer connected by a directional coupler to the
cable input of the equipment under test. Spurious signal levels must
not exceed the limits in the following table:
From 54 MHz up to and including 300 MHz-26 dBmV
From 300 MHz up to and including 450 MHz-20 dBmV
From 450 MHz up to and including 804 MHz-15 dBmV
(ii) The average of the measurements on multiple channels from 450
MHz up to and including 804 MHz shall be no greater than -20 dBmV.
Measurements shall be made with the receiver tuned to at least four EIA
IS-132 channels in each of the above bands. The test channels are to be
evenly distributed across each of the bands. Measurements for conducted
emissions caused by sources internal to the device are to be made in a
shielded room. Measurements for conducted emissions caused by external
signal sources shall be made in an ambient RF field whose field
strength is 100 mV/m, following the same test conditions as described
in paragraph (c)(3) of this section.
(d) The field strength of radiated emissions from cable ready
consumer electronics equipment shall not exceed the limits in
Sec. 15.109(a) when measured in accordance with the applicable
procedures specified in Secs. 15.31 and 15.35 for unintentional
radiators, with the following modifications. During testing the NTSC
input signal level is to be +15 dBmV, with a visual to aural ratio of
10 dB. The visual carrier is to be modulated by a 10 IRE flat field
with color burst; the aural carrier is to be unmodulated. Measurements
are to be taken on six EIA IS-132 channels evenly spaced across the
required RF input range of the equipment under test.
* * * * *
PART 76--CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE
5. The authority citation for Part 76 is revised to read as
follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-714; 106 Stat. 1460.
6. Section 76.605 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(1), removing
paragraph (a)(2), and redesignating paragraphs (a)(3) through (a)(13)
as paragraphs (a)(2) through (a)(12), respectively, to read as follows:
Sec. 76.605 Technical standards.
(a) * * *
(1)(i) The cable television channels delivered to the subscriber's
terminal shall be capable of being received and displayed by TV
broadcast receivers used for off-the-air reception of TV broadcast
signals, as authorized under part 73 of this chapter; and
(ii) Cable television systems shall transmit signals to subscriber
premises equipment on frequencies in accordance with the channel
allocation plan set forth in the Electronics Industries Association's
``Cable Television Channel Identification Plan, EIA IS-132, May 1994''
(EIA IS-132). This incorporation by reference was approved by the
Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 522(a) and
1 CFR Part 51. Cable systems are required to use this channel
allocation plan for signals transmitted in the frequency range 54 MHz
to 1002 MHz. This incorporation by reference was approved by the
Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 522(a) and
1 CFR Part 51. Copies of EIA IS-132 may be obtained from: Global
Engineering Documents, 2805 McGraw Ave., Irvine CA 92714. Copies of EIA
IS-132 may be inspected during normal business hours at the following
locations: Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, NW,
Dockets Branch (Room 239), Washington, DC, or the Office of the Federal
Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.
This requirement is applicable on May 31, 1995, for new and re-built
cable systems, and on June 30, 1997, for all cable systems.
* * * * *
7. Section 76.630 is amended by removing paragraph (c),
redesignating paragraphs (d) and (e) as paragraphs (c) and (d)
respectively, and revising newly redesignated paragraphs (c)
introductory text, (c)(2)(i), and (d)(2)(iii) and the note to
Sec. 76.630 at the end of the section to read as follows:
Sec. 76.630 Compatibility with consumer electronics equipment.
* * * * *
(c) Cable system operators that use scrambling, encryption or
similar technologies in conjunction with cable system terminal devices,
as defined in Sec. 15.3(e) of this chapter, that may affect
subscribers' reception of signals shall offer to supply each subscriber
with special equipment that will enable the simultaneous reception of
multiple signals. The equipment offered shall include a single terminal
device with dual descramblers/decoders and/or timers and bypass
switches. Other equipment, such as two independent set-top terminal
devices may be offered
[[Page 18511]]
at the same time that the single terminal device with dual tuners/
descramblers is offered. For purposes of this rule, two set-top devices
linked by a control system that provides functionality equivalent to
that of a single device with dual descramblers is considered to be the
same as a terminal device with dual descramblers/decoders.
* * * * *
(2) * * *
(i) To allow simultaneous reception of any two scrambled or
encrypted signals and to provide for tuning to alternative channels on
a pre-programmed schedule; and
* * * * *
(d) * * *
(2) * * *
(iii) In cases where cable system operators offer remote control
capability with cable system terminal devices and other customer
premises equipment that is provided to subscribers, they shall advise
their subscribers that remote control units that are compatible with
that equipment may be obtained from other sources, such as retail
outlets. Cable system operators shall also provide a representative
list of the models of remote control units currently available from
retailers that are compatible with the customer premises equipment they
employ. Cable system operators are required to make a good faith effort
in compiling this list and will not be liable for inadvertent
omissions. This list shall be current as of no more than six months
before the date the consumer education program is distributed to
subscribers. Cable operators are also required to encourage subscribers
to contact the cable operator to inquire about whether a particular
remote control unit the subscriber might be considering for purchase
would be compatible with the subscriber's customer premises equipment.
Note to Sec. 76.630: The provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of
this section are applicable July 31, 1994, and June 30, 1994,
respectively. The provisions of paragraphs (c) and (d) of this
section are applicable October 31, 1994, except for the requirement
under paragraph (c) of this section for cable system operators to
supply cable system terminal devices with dual tuners (as needed),
which is applicable October 31, 1995. The initial offer of special
equipment to all subscribers, as required under paragraph (c) of
this section, shall be made by October 31, 1994.
[FR Doc. 96-9489 Filed 4-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-N
