WASHINGTON: The Federal Communications Commission has fined Hauppauge Computer Works for shipping TV receivers with no ATSC reception capability. The commission levied a $175,000 penalty against Hauppauge for marketing and shipping analog-only devices after March 1, 2007. As of that date, all TV receivers sold in the United States were required to have digital as well as analog reception.
The company, headquartered in Hauppauge, N.Y., was one of the first manufacturers of USB TV receivers, for PCs and laptops. The FCC said it received a complaint in March 2007 that Hauppauge was marketing and shipping analog-only receivers for PCs. Responding to an inquiry from the commission, Hauppauge said it believed the PC TV tuners to be exempt from the law since they were components that could not display TV signals without a corollary device.
The FCC rejected the argument and fined Hauppauge $25,000 for each of seven analog-only USB receivers the company shipped after March 1, 2007. -- Deborah D. McAdams
