I want to talk about something that americans dont know about is digital tv price gouging yes its true  Since July 7, 2007, the FCC has required every television sold in the U.S. to include a digital tuner. These digital tuners, like most products (or technologies within products), have patent holders who make a good deal of money on royalties when their products get used. When the FCC made the decision to mandate the switch to digital television, it instituted a "fair, reasonable and non discriminatory" licensing standard so that no one could take advantage of the transition.And the US is not alone Europe, Japan, Brazil, and many others are making the mandated switch to digital as well. The difference, however, is that along with the transition, the consumers in these countries pay far less. In several cases, a flat rate ranging from just $1-$2 dollars per TV, and some governments have intentionally chosen high quality technology that costs consumers nothing.In the US, however, consumers have been paying a $20 - $30 dollar royalty per TV since as early as 1996. What's more, there is no effective process in place to insure that American consumers are not improperly charged even more! How does that sound for "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory"? These patent holders should be paid for their hard work, but they should also be held accountable for not overcharging American consumers.