Analog TV cutoff delayed to June 12
 

Source: Twice Magazine

Due to lack of funding, expired DTV box coupons etc etc.

Ian

pity

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God forbid America have to live without its idiot boxes for a few weeks. Society would just grind to a halt.

I personally don't know of anyone who still recieves an analog signal OTA (and haven't for years). I have trouble believing that this is the big deal that it's being made out to be, but why am I not surprised :(

I bought a converter box about a month ago (I dumped my pay TV a while back - fkin rip-off). I think I've used it twice. The picture quality is nice, the programming still sucks.

TV is a dying medium; I think it's honestly just being propped up by the gov't because it's an effective "opiate of the mASSES". How people can honestly sit for hours watching that drivel is totally unfathomable to me.

This whole thing is just stupid anyway. It's really just a handout to the Chinese if you think about it.

Good the see the dems are moving forward with "hope and change". Looking out for the regular Joes I see...

Our local ABC affiliate announced last night they're going ahead with the changeover on the 17th. Any stations in other areas doing this?

I wonder if the Feds will send a SWAT team to make 'em wait. :D

gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

We just cannot further technology at all. Catering to idiots.

What we consider 'High Definition' was actually broadcast technology developed in the early 90's. It could have easily been implemented as digital standard definition TV by 1995 (which is what just got delayed, again) and should have been full widescreen HD by 2001. But no.


In the Japanese market there are companies going forth with Ultra-Definition broadcasting. 4096 lines of resolution. They are implementing the infrastructure now, even though everyone just has normal HDTV's, that downscale the picture. Then when people buy new tv's it will just automatically work.

I wonder if you guys have noticed that your tax dollars are going toward coupons so people can prepare for a change that will save (communication) corporations money. Those people don't need digital TV, it's the corporations that want it. And you're paying.

Bingo!

This is one time where no outrage is justified.

The 700MHz spectrum being vacated by analog broadcast TV was auctioned off by the govt for $20 billion. The companies who will use that spectrum paid very handsomely indeed for it.

A relatively small part of that revenue (about $1.5BN?) is being used to relocate the consumers who are being displaced from that spectrum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_Mhz_wireless_spectrum_auctionhttp://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/03/19/daily.4/

We will be affected by the transition it we are ready. The only local station that isn't ready in digital is fox and I try to avoid most fox stuff anyways

Personally I do not think the analog cutoff should have been extended. The remaining people who use analog broadcast TV and haven't made arrangements to switch over to digital are, for the most part, really unsophisticated consumers who have pretty much ignored the coming cutoff. I think it will take a blank TV screen to get them to make the switch.

WRONG. WRONG.

You do realize that this is about making more efficient use the RF spectrum right. You also realize that the analog bandwidth was/is slated for development of a true high-speed wireless infrastructure in part. (Think about a wireless internet as pervasive as cell phone coverage. True high-speed not just 3G or other cell phone card type approach. Speeds just like your wireless router at home.)


Yeah it is just evil corporations screwing over the little guys. :rolleyes:

+1.

I still get my tv from my antenna..... I have no interest in paying for satellite and cable is not available in many rural areas and probably never will be. I presently get the same local NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and PBS stations that I have been watching for free for over twenty years. Somehow I have survived without MTV and ESPN for all these years. ;) I applied for my coupons a few months ago, but have yet to recieve them. If I have to pay retail for multiple convertor boxes I will, but my life does not revolve around watching 100+ television stations and the govt is forcing this on us.... I have no problem with the govt giving me a tiny bit of their profit from this mandatory change over. I am quite happy about the delay. The stations I watch all broadcasting in both digital and analog already, so I can't see how those who made the switch with new overpriced/oversized tvs will suffer due to the delay.

:rolleyes:

It's about money. Corporations are going to make more money. Selling new services at this section of the RF spectrum. Selling new TV's to folks whose existing TV's are useless. It's a win/win......for corporations. It's all about money. It's always about money.

"The remaining people who use analog broadcast TV and haven't made arrangements to switch over to digital are, for the most part, really unsophisticated consumers who have pretty much ignored the coming cutoff"

I assume you have made arrangements to switch over - either get the coupon or simply pay $100 retail for the box.

Do you not buy food at the supermarket because it is always about money for the corporation?

Do you really not want a better information infrastructure because some corporation might make a profit on SERVICES provided?

OK..... I guess you win this one. :)

I, for one, am just happy our Congress doesn't have anything more important to worry about.:rolleyes:

Um...who has a useless TV? The ONLY televisions that will be "useless" when they do the switchover will be the handheld battery TVs. That's it. No more. That's the whole enchilada.

So, exactly which TVs were you referring too? Then you can tell us which taxes you were referring too...

L O L ! :D

And if somebody will tell them that if they don't want to try to figure out how to rig up that infernal converter they can just go buy an HDTV and hook their rabbit ears up to it, they will probably just run out and do that in the interest of expediency and simplicity.

I wouldn't be surprised if many/most of 'em have done that already.

What I'd like to know is why does the dang coupon itself have to be so frickin' elaborate/costly? Why not just a black and white coupon printed on card stock?

All "reasons" given that an elaborate plastic card with a hologram on it are a drop in the bucket compared to "blah, blah, blah" will be frowned upon. I want reasons it can't be on card stock.

I do! SmileWavy Damn thing died a few years ago and I have no interest in fixing it. I have a feeling it's the tube. I have a nice 32" paper weight.

Card stock coupon is easily forged using color scanner, photoshop, and decent printer.

Mike - they auctioned off parts of the old TV spectrum. The air waves belong to the public - just like navigable waters do, so it was really a "lease" or right to use them.

Sure, I want a better information infrastructure - and digital does that (unless you live in a fringe area -- some rural folks are screwed). But, when you give away something public, you need to be sure it is fair to everyone - including the unsophisticated, poor and rural parts of the public.

I just wish they'd gotten it over with (my selfish POV). At minimum, I hope we have a moratorium on the digital transition advertisements!

OTOH, I don't stare into the tube much in the summer anyway.

Supe would rather starve to death first! :D

I bet about 2 days after the switch you'll find people can't give away the converters. People who have the converters and some money will get fed up with the drops in the signal (the digital edge) and get cable. Craigslist will be awash with the converters.

The rest of you cheap bastards just buy a damn converter and deduct the $100 from your taxes.!!!! *

****this is not tax advice****

I think one 'overlooked' aspect of the transition is the education on antenna requirements. Analog signals just sort of get crappy in the boonies. With digital, you need a decent antenna setup (couple hundo to buy and have installed?) to go with that subsidized converter box.

I love the digital signal on my plasma. It looks great and provides a couple 'extra' channels.

I agree that many will get cable after messing with antennas. I have spent a couple hundred bucks, many hours and many trips up to the roof to perfect my OTA HD viewing.

I can now say that my OTA HD is awesome. Virtually no signal drop. The screen flashes once in a great while but never freezes or pixelates like it did when I first started my design.

I TOTALLY do not see the point of HD. It's still the same crappy programming no matter how good the picture is. If the content still sucks (99% of the time it does) what's the point?

I imagine it's great for movies though, but not so good I'm going to run out and blow $1,000 to get it.

So???? They send you two... would it be a huge scandal is somebody bought 3 or more converters on discount?

I just don't get it.

BTW, I said a black and white coupon printed on card stock. :p

1) Television is a standard of emergency communication, like radio, and must remain free. Yes, it's full of crap, but it's also the only way to tell people that it's going to freeze that night, or there's a hurricane coming. It's still a primary source of basic and emergency information for the nation.

2) If people started getting 3 free converters instead of 2, then the funds would be depleted, and they'd have to tap into other government funds (ie. tax money). They did not want to do that, so they worked hard to prevent such abuse of the system.

3) The whole coupon thing fell on it's face, and we're seeing the aftermath now. When people were doing the right thing, requesting coupon, then finding out that there were no converters even for sale before the 90 day limit was up? That's a managerial error of the highest degree.

4) If they really wanted all of the poor old grandmas to buy expensive new TVs, why would they even bother with this whole coupon thing? Just tell the old bats that they NEED a new $400 TV to ever know anything going on again.