U.S. government to subsidize Digital to Analog set top boxes.

[techs]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2005-10-20-digital-tv-subsidy_x.htm

Congress took steps Thursday toward minimizing the financial impact of the nation's transition to digital TV on consumers.
The Senate Commerce Committee, by a 19-3 vote, passed a bill that provides a $3 billion subsidy to ensure that analog TV sets don't go dark when the switch to digital TV is completed. The bill also requires TV stations to start broadcasting solely in digital starting April 7, 2009.

Lawmakers estimate that a box that's needed to convert digital signals to analog will cost about $50. The $3 billion subsidy assumes the government would pay $40 toward that cost, covering most or all of the estimated 73 million sets that rely on antennas instead of on cable or satellite TV. Consumers would have to pay $10 toward the cost.

Some House Republicans had said they wanted to subsidize boxes for low-income consumers only. Democrats, though, said it would be a nightmare to carry out such an income test

 

[nageov3t]

so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

 

[magomago]

I'm still confused exactly what the bill is supposed to do...I see what it does: but I don't see the purpose. Did the government fund everyone to help pay for a transition to DVD from VHS?

Just sounds like more wasteful spending...

 

[dmcowen674]

More Republican separation between the rich and poor in black & white.

This should be completlely unnaceptable to any real American.

It is so sad to see the Sheeple going along for every ride the Republicans put them on 🙁

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
More Republican separation between the rich and poor in black & white.

This should be completlely unnaceptable to any real American.

It is so sad to see the Sheeple going along for every ride the Republicans put them on 🙁

Is there any truth to the rumor it will only get FoxNews?

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Sorry obesity to me goes hand and hand with laziness. Spending the majority of your free time in front of the box to me is lazy. Spending my money in so you can do so with HD annoys me.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
More Republican separation between the rich and poor in black & white.

This should be completlely unnaceptable to any real American.

It is so sad to see the Sheeple going along for every ride the Republicans put them on 🙁

Is there any truth to the rumor it will only get FoxNews?

Bahahahahah I wouldn't put it past them.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Sorry obesity to me goes hand and hand with laziness. Spending the majority of your free time in front of the box to me is lazy. Spending my money in so you can do so with HD annoys me.

or it could be that people are too busy to eat healthy or get exercise.

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: loki8481

or it could be that people are too busy to eat healthy or get exercise.

Do you honestly think that's true or just a cop out? I would think for some it might be true but not for the majority of people.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481

or it could be that people are too busy to eat healthy or get exercise.

Do you honestly think that's true or just a cop out? I would think for some it might be true but not for the majority of people.

I think it's true for some and not true for others.

I don't think it's really possible to make blanket statements, but I can definitely say in my own case that the amount of exercise I get in a day decreased dramatically when I graduated college and started working 45-50 hours/week.

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I don't think it's really possible to make blanket statements, but I can definitely say in my own case that the amount of exercise I get in a day decreased dramatically when I graduated college and started working 45-50 hours/week.

Come on, just .5 hours a day and you'll see a huge difference. Just do 50 or so pushups a day followed by some reverse dips using 2 chairs and some situps.

 

[EatSpam]

What a waste of money. But this is America... if the people aren't watching TV, they might start to think and get pissed off. Can't have that.

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Really? Then why do we "need" illegal immigration to "do the jobs that Americans won't do (for pennies a day)?"

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: magomago
I'm still confused exactly what the bill is supposed to do...I see what it does: but I don't see the purpose. Did the government fund everyone to help pay for a transition to DVD from VHS?

Just sounds like more wasteful spending...

Not the same thing. You can still buy VHS. The Fed didn't mandate that all VHS sales should cease on a specific date. The DVD vs. VHS issue is a matter of market forces. The Fed is mandating the cessation of analog broadcasts thereby rendering many TV's useless.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Yea, we got there through severe automation. Robots galore! 🙂


To the OP, sorry, but I don't think that the government should be involved in subsidizing entertainment. If you can afford the TV bill, you can get the digital box. Otherwise, you watch snow. My 2 cents.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Yea, we got there through severe automation. Robots galore! 🙂


To the OP, sorry, but I don't think that the government should be involved in subsidizing entertainment. If you can afford the TV bill, you can get the digital box. Otherwise, you watch snow. My 2 cents.

The requirements apply to over the air broadcast stations.

How the Cable companies will handle the situation is unclear.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Yea, we got there through severe automation. Robots galore! 🙂


To the OP, sorry, but I don't think that the government should be involved in subsidizing entertainment. If you can afford the TV bill, you can get the digital box. Otherwise, you watch snow. My 2 cents.

The requirements apply to over the air broadcast stations.

How the Cable companies will handle the situation is unclear.

To me, doesn't matter. No subsudizing. If they want TV, then they can find a way to buy the box. Otherwise, snow.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Yea, we got there through severe automation. Robots galore! 🙂


To the OP, sorry, but I don't think that the government should be involved in subsidizing entertainment. If you can afford the TV bill, you can get the digital box. Otherwise, you watch snow. My 2 cents.

The requirements apply to over the air broadcast stations.

How the Cable companies will handle the situation is unclear.

To me, doesn't matter. No subsudizing. If they want TV, then they can find a way to buy the box. Otherwise, snow.

But they no one is going to support Digitial TV. Analog was susposed to go dark at the start of the year 2000. Analog is going dark so that the goverment can resale the frequencies. Why should people using analog TV be the ones to have to pay for the conversions when they don't get any benifit?

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
More Republican separation between the rich and poor in black & white.

This should be completlely unnaceptable to any real American.

It is so sad to see the Sheeple going along for every ride the Republicans put them on 🙁

WTF Are you talking about?

How is this seperating rich and poor?

 

[CanOWorms]

I think that some people would be mad that the government is subsidizing the media/tv/entertainment/etc. industry if they go through with this, and they'd be criticizing the government for forcing poor people away from TV if they didn't.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: magomago
I'm still confused exactly what the bill is supposed to do...I see what it does: but I don't see the purpose. Did the government fund everyone to help pay for a transition to DVD from VHS?

Just sounds like more wasteful spending...

Not the same thing. You can still buy VHS. The Fed didn't mandate that all VHS sales should cease on a specific date. The DVD vs. VHS issue is a matter of market forces. The Fed is mandating the cessation of analog broadcasts thereby rendering many TV's useless.

At least somebody in this thread knows what they're talking about.

This is not about HDTV. This about digital broadcasting. That antenna on the back of old TVs that you had your little brother hold straight while touching the lamp next to him? It doesn't support a digital signal. That's what's going to quit working. The box being referred to can convert a digital signal to analog, the analog signal that has been in use since televsion was bestowed on the US over 50 years ago.

The airwaves are considered a public utility, and the government sells the right to use them. They now want to switch from an analog to a mandatory digital system. This means that anybody who uses a rooftop or rabbit ear antenna to watch TV will be affected. Doesn't it make sense that if the government does something which costs people money that they should reimburse them?

I would have to imagine the sales of bandwidth won't take long to pay for this initial outlay of cash to buy converter boxes. Who knows, maybe some people won't get the boxes and will actually get out from in front of the TV. Then they'll have more time to browse intellectually stimulating sites like P&N. :roll:

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
More Republican separation between the rich and poor in black & white.

This should be completlely unnaceptable to any real American.

It is so sad to see the Sheeple going along for every ride the Republicans put them on 🙁

WTF Are you talking about?

How is this seperating rich and poor?

Dave is an idiot. You know this. This isn't new.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: loki8481
so it's a subsidy to both the entertainment industry and television manufacturers?

To help keep Americans lazy and glued to the boobtube.

Americans lazy? We are the most productive major industrial country in the world. We didn't get that way through laziness.

Yea, we got there through severe automation. Robots galore! 🙂


To the OP, sorry, but I don't think that the government should be involved in subsidizing entertainment. If you can afford the TV bill, you can get the digital box. Otherwise, you watch snow. My 2 cents.

The requirements apply to over the air broadcast stations.

How the Cable companies will handle the situation is unclear.

To me, doesn't matter. No subsudizing. If they want TV, then they can find a way to buy the box. Otherwise, snow.

But they no one is going to support Digitial TV. Analog was susposed to go dark at the start of the year 2000. Analog is going dark so that the goverment can resale the frequencies. Why should people using analog TV be the ones to have to pay for the conversions when they don't get any benifit?

Why sould we taxpayers pay for EVERYONE else to get TV? If the networks and advertisers want them all to be able to receive TV, then maybe the advertisors and networks should pay for the boxes, not the government.

Too much government waste ....you want a tax cut? Cut garbage out like this by the billions!

Why should I pay for Joe Blow down the street to get a box? Do I get 2 more boxes for the extra analog sets in my house? I'm sure I dont. bah.

If the government is paying for it, then it's not a "mandate" anymore, is it?