OET grants healthcare TV maker DTV tuner waiver

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) Jan. 5 granted Sumitomo Canada a one-year waiver from FCC rules requiring DTV tunes be built into new sets for its specialized TV healthcare video system.

FCC rules require new sets imported to or shipped across the United States to include DTV tuners as of March 1. The one-year waiver covering three specific Sumitomo Canada television models removes the company's DTV tuner obligation for those sets until March 1, 2008. The commission previously granted a similar waiver for two sets sold by PDI Communications Systems.

The waiver for Sumitomo Canada covers Model K10-200, Model K10-300 and Model L-10 ELF TV receivers.

In granting the waiver, the Office of Engineering and Technology said the move would allow the company to "bring its products into compliance in a manner that serves the public interest" without otherwise compromising the goal of ensuring that viewers can watch the DTV signals of broadcasters.

For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.