Senate expected to delay digital TV transition date

[Denithor]

DailyTech

This sounds like a "No TV left behind" bill or something. Probably about as useful as the "No child left behind" program has turned out to be. Kids cannot pass end-of-grade tests? No problem, advance them. Cannot read or write? Here's your diploma.

And they don't have anything better to worry about? Apparently Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel/Hamas and the whole economic mess here in the US aren't serious enough to consume all of their time.

We really need term limits to clear out these goons...

 

[spidey07]

You have GOT to be kidding me. They've pushed it back, like what?...3 times now? I think the original date was 2005.

 

[Genx87]

I have to admit this whole deal is just classic govt right here. Cant get rid of anything no matter how hard you try.

 

[ElFenix]

they have to ensure we get our circuses

 

[miketheidiot]

i have a digital antenna, as the signal is outstanding for digital, even though the only station we are receiving from is 85 miles away. On the other hand, the local abc station broadcasts from 4 blacks away, and we can barely pick it up, and its analog.

please, do the transition.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Hawaii made their official switch-off for analog on the 15th. No more analog broadcast here.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Change we can delay! 🙂

 

[MovingTarget]

If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Genx87
I have to admit this whole deal is just classic govt right here. Cant get rid of anything no matter how hard you try.

Up until recently the Federal Aviation Administration relied on vacuum tubes (from Poland because that is the oly place that still makes them) in their radar stations. It only took a few decades to upgrade from 1950's techology.... thats not too bad is it?

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

If it were not for the $40 vouchers... the digital converter boxes would probably run around $15... more than affordable.

 

[GroundedSailor]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
i have a digital antenna, as the signal is outstanding for digital, even though the only station we are receiving from is 85 miles away. On the other hand, the local abc station broadcasts from 4 blacks away, and we can barely pick it up, and its analog.

please, do the transition.

How big are those blacks you speak of?

:laugh: :laugh:

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

I think a more logical move would be to allow one coupon to be redeemed post purchase by each household that has yet to receive any instead of holding up everyone that's ready for this change to go through. I don't like government waste, I can't STAND government slowing progress.

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

I think a more logical move would be to allow one coupon to be redeemed post purchase by each household that has yet to receive any instead of holding up everyone that's ready for this change to go through. I don't like government waste, I can't STAND government slowing progress.

Why post-purchase? Seems to me that it would be more open to fraud that way. Can you imagine hundreds of thousands of people mailing in receipts from walmart/target/BB and expecting a check in the mail? Sending out prepaid cards like they had been doing that can only be used to purchase a converter box actually makes sense. It cuts down on the possibility of fraud and the necessary manpower to verify all those receipts...

But yeah, fund the program and give people a 1-month or so deadline to apply, and let the chips fall where they may. I would support, however, restricting the coupon cards to 1x per household for the latecomers though...

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

Why is television being treated as a right? Can't afford the boxes? Too damn bad, read a book.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
i have a digital antenna, as the signal is outstanding for digital, even though the only station we are receiving from is 85 miles away. On the other hand, the local abc station broadcasts from 4 blacks away, and we can barely pick it up, and its analog.

please, do the transition.

there is no such thing as a digital antenna.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

Why is television being treated as a right? Can't afford the boxes? Too damn bad, read a book.

because of the Emergency Broadcast System... the government has to have a method of notifying you of a emergency.....

 

[GTaudiophile]

Nothing like the absence of government support to cause people to want to advance themselves...take away their analog TV and they will go digital.

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

Why is television being treated as a right? Can't afford the boxes? Too damn bad, read a book.

It isn't. It really has to do more with public interest. The government's policy is causing the property of a great many people to suddenly become useless. It is only trying to "ease the pain" created by its own policy, which many citizens really didn't see the advantage of enacting. It was a trade-off the government made in order to do what it wanted - switch to digital broadcast to free up the analog spectrum. Most of us (except for us AT-er types) would still be happy will good 'ol analog broadcast. Besides, television (along w/ radio) is important for disseminating emergency information to the population in a crisis.

 

[frostedflakes]

Ugh, we need to just get this over with.

Also, anybody know what this means for Verizon, AT&T, and the other corporations who bought the old analog TV spectrum? I didn't even know if Congress would have the authority to do something like this considering the government no longer owns the spectrum come February 17, 2009. Maybe there was some clause in the contracts that would allow the FCC to delay the transition if need be.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

I think a more logical move would be to allow one coupon to be redeemed post purchase by each household that has yet to receive any instead of holding up everyone that's ready for this change to go through. I don't like government waste, I can't STAND government slowing progress.

Why post-purchase? Seems to me that it would be more open to fraud that way. Can you imagine hundreds of thousands of people mailing in receipts from walmart/target/BB and expecting a check in the mail? Sending out prepaid cards like they had been doing that can only be used to purchase a converter box actually makes sense. It cuts down on the possibility of fraud and the necessary manpower to verify all those receipts...

But yeah, fund the program and give people a 1-month or so deadline to apply, and let the chips fall where they may. I would support, however, restricting the coupon cards to 1x per household for the latecomers though...

"Latecomers" were still 40+ days ahead of the changeover when the coupons ran out, and many have been waiting for better boxes beyond the one model Walmart carries in store. The government is pocketing $17 Billion from this changeover, there's no excuse for either a delay or not having coupons available for everyone who needs one.

shinerburke, this isn't a government hand out, this is a government responsibility.

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Nothing like the absence of government support to cause people to want to advance themselves...take away their analog TV and they will go digital.

Advance themselves? For most people, digital TV is not an advancement. It is a hurdle to keep doing the exact same thing they were doing before, and will continue to do exactly the same after going digital.

I can see the advantages of digital TV, but that doesn't mean that it will mean anything to the rest of hte population.

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

Why is television being treated as a right? Can't afford the boxes? Too damn bad, read a book.

because of the Emergency Broadcast System... the government has to have a method of notifying you of a emergency.....

There's a thing called radio and the emergency sirens.

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

Originally posted by: MovingTarget

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

I think a more logical move would be to allow one coupon to be redeemed post purchase by each household that has yet to receive any instead of holding up everyone that's ready for this change to go through. I don't like government waste, I can't STAND government slowing progress.

Why post-purchase? Seems to me that it would be more open to fraud that way. Can you imagine hundreds of thousands of people mailing in receipts from walmart/target/BB and expecting a check in the mail? Sending out prepaid cards like they had been doing that can only be used to purchase a converter box actually makes sense. It cuts down on the possibility of fraud and the necessary manpower to verify all those receipts...

But yeah, fund the program and give people a 1-month or so deadline to apply, and let the chips fall where they may. I would support, however, restricting the coupon cards to 1x per household for the latecomers though...

"Latecomers" were still 40+ days ahead of the changeover when the coupons ran out, and many have been waiting for better boxes beyond the one model Walmart carries in store. The government is pocketing $17 Billion from this changeover, there's no excuse for either a delay or not having coupons available for everyone who needs one.

shinerburke, this isn't a government hand out, this is a government responsibility.

It's a hand out.

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

Why is television being treated as a right? Can't afford the boxes? Too damn bad, read a book.

because of the Emergency Broadcast System... the government has to have a method of notifying you of a emergency.....

There's a thing called radio and the emergency sirens.

Bingo. You don't *need* a TV to receive EBS alerts.

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

Why is television being treated as a right? Can't afford the boxes? Too damn bad, read a book.

because of the Emergency Broadcast System... the government has to have a method of notifying you of a emergency.....

There's a thing called radio and the emergency sirens.

...which was sufficient in the days when people sat around in their livingrooms listening to the radio. Nowadays, radio only hits a significant portion of people driving as opposed to in their homes. A more comprehensive approach is needed. Hence, television EBS. As far as sirens go, those don't reach everywhere and only convey that there is a POSSIBLE danger without carrying any other information, which is inadequate to solely rely on.

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
If you support that government coupon program for the converter boxes, then this is a logical move. The program ran out of $$ and thus many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get the converters, won't.

Why is television being treated as a right? Can't afford the boxes? Too damn bad, read a book.

because of the Emergency Broadcast System... the government has to have a method of notifying you of a emergency.....

There's a thing called radio and the emergency sirens.

...which was sufficient in the days when people sat around in their livingrooms listening to the radio. Nowadays, radio only hits a significant portion of people driving as opposed to in their homes. A more comprehensive approach is needed. Hence, television EBS. As far as sirens go, those don't reach everywhere and only convey that there is a POSSIBLE danger without carrying any other information, which is inadequate to solely rely on.

Weather radios come on automatically in the event of an emergency broadcast, severe weather alert, etc. It's even better than a TV, because I doubt many sit in front of the television 24/7.