USDTV

U.S. Digital Television, LLC (6/2003 - 7/2006)
USDigital Inc. (7/2006-5/2007)

File:Usdtvlogo.png
Former type	Subsidiary corporation
Industry	Broadcasting
Fate	bankrupt
Founded	Draper, Utah (June 2003 (2003-06))
Founder	Steve Lindsley
Defunct	May 2007 (2007-05)
Headquarters	Draper, Utah, USA
Area served	Salt Lake City, Utah, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dallas, Texas
Key people	Steven Lindsley (chairman and CEO)
Products	HDTV tuners/box devices
Brands	USDIGITAL
Services	Over the air pay TV
Parent	USDTV (28.28%) Hearst-Argyle LIN Television Corp. McGraw-Hill Ventures Inc. News-USDTV Holdings Inc. Telcom DTV LLC(09/2005-2006) NexGen Telecom (9/2006-5/2007)
Website	usdtv.com archived

USDTV, an acronym for U.S. Digital Television, was an over-the-air, pay television service in the United States. Based in Draper, Utah near Salt Lake City, it was founded in 2003 and started service there in 2004. The company ceased operations March 12, 2007.

USDTV leased subchannel space from local TV stations for its subscription TV service. USDTV ended services in 2007.

History

U.S. Digital Television was formed in June 2003 and launched its service as a test in Salt Lake City near the end of 2003. On March 16, 2004, 1000 subscribers sign up with no advertising. And also, US Digital launched into the Albuquerque, New Mexico market. At that time, the company expected to enter the Las Vegas market next plus an additional 30 markets by the end of the year. In the fourth quarter 2004, fifth-generation chips and ATSC tuners would be supplied by LG for USDTV tuners and would be available.

In September 2005, Hearst-Argyle Television, McGraw-Hill Companies, News Corp.'s Fox Television Stations, LIN TV, and Morgan-Murphy Stations broadcasters invested $26 million in the company. Steven Lindsley indicated that the investing broadcasting companies did not think that the service would be able to compete against the cable companies thus withdrawing support from USDTV.

On July 6, 2006 in Delaware Bankruptcy Court, the company filed for Chapter 7. While USDTV filed for liquidation bankruptcy, the company continued to operate in its four markets while two other companies are interested in purchasing its assets to continue the service. Investors at bankruptcy were USDTV (28.28%), and those with 12.35% each: Hearst-Argyle (split between HATV Investments Inc. and Hearst Broadcasting), LIN Television Corp., McGraw-Hill Ventures Inc., News-USDTV Holdings Inc. and Telcom DTV LLC. The company was placed under the control of a trustee, Alfred Thomas Giuliano.

In September 2006, NexGen Telecom, an original investor, purchased the assets of the company for an reported $1 million cash. NexGen had a major loss in another investment in 4th quarter 2006 forcing them to curtail their ongoing investment in USDTV. When no new bridge funding could be found, US Digital ended services in March 2007.

Services

USDTV served customers in and near Salt Lake City, Utah, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dallas, Texas.

The company used extra bandwidth on digital television stations to send channels to subscribers who had a special set-top box digital tuner provided by the company and an attic- or roof-mounted antenna which were available nationwide via Wal-Mart and in the West by RC Willey furniture and electronics stores. The USDIGITAL brand boxes sold were the service was not available operated like an ordinary HDTV tuner. Two technology companies, eWest and ServicePower, partnered to help clients install the equipment while self-installers would get two months free.

The cost for the basic-tier service was $19.95 per month. USDTV also offered Starz! for an additional monthly fee. The basic tier started out with 11 cable channels: ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Home & Gardening Television, Fox News, and the Food Network. By July 2003, the service had 30 channels.