ACATS (composed of representatives of the computer, broadcasting, telecommunications, manufacturing, cable television, and motion picture industries) worked with the Grand Alliance to review design of the proposed system, and gave its approval to final specifications for system modules - Audio, Transport, Format, Compression and Transmission. The ATSC documented the system as a standard and ACATS adopted the Grand Alliance system in its recommendation to the FCC on November 28, 1995.

On July 25, 1996, the FCC proposed policies for developing the initial DTV allotments and procedures for assigning DTV frequencies to broadcasters. Under the proposed plan, all DTV service would eventually be located in a core region of spectrum currently allocated for broadcast television, namely the spectrum existing at channels 7-51. This plan is intended to allow early recovery of the spectrum outside the core region, namely channels 60-69.

On November 27, 1996, members of the broadcasting, consumer electronics manufacturing, and computer industries reached agreement on which elements of the standard should be mandated by the FCC. At the request of these industries, the FCC on December 31, 1996, formally adopted every aspect of the ATSC standard except for the video formats. While not adopted by the FCC, the video formats will remain a part of the ATSC standard, and are expected to be used by broadcasters into the forseeable future.

On April 3, 1997, the Commission allocated digital spectrum to broadcasters. Network affiliated broadcasters are required to transmit digital broadcasts in the top 10 markets within 24 months of this ruling. In each of the top 10 markets, at least one broadcaster and more than one has promised to send digital broadcasts within 18 months. Television manufacturers have indicated that they will be marketing digital television receivers by the fourth quarter of 1998.

Currently, there are nearly 250 million television sets in use in the U.S., with annual sales averaging 23-25 million sets a year for the past five years. The gradual move to digital HDTV will not make current analog televisions obsolete. Inexpensive converter boxes will enable consumers to receive digital programming on their current sets as broadcasters convert to digital programming.
(Source: Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association)

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