Will you miss analog TV at all after Feb 2009?

[tron3]

No point in having a poll because I am sure the answer would be a resounding "good riddance". So, now you are wondering, why would I make such a statement?

A great many people, like myself, still receive only terrestrial transmission for TV. I know, sounds shocking coming from a "blu-blood" guy like myself, but as of now, I do not pay for TV. I get great digital reception with more channels and only 1% or 2% of the reception problems I had with analog.

Which is why I might miss analog. Sometimes the picture looked like crap, but you know what... you still received a picture. Because digital uses UHF channels the digital signals tend to "bounce" more than VHF which passed more easily through buildings and such. Getting digital broadcasts in your area may be harder than some of those "fringe" channels in analog. Pretty good chance you will loose the digital equivilent altogether unless there is a big signal boost.

Ultimately I fear a large portion of the public being without TV come 2009 if a disaster strikes. Many a person will not be on notice of a pending storm or other evacuations in time of catastrophy. I am doubtful EVERYONE in America is going to have a new digital TV. Even with those cheap SD digital tube TV's hidden in the back of best buy. The FCC will only allow the switch if 80% or more of the public have digital TV, or digital tuner converter box.

Not to mention what will happen to our landfills with millions of TV's filling them? Will a "perfectly good TV" still be "perfectly good" once you can't get a picture on it?

I suppose another part of me is nostalgic for that soft focus warmth you get with standard definition on a tube tv. After all, even the youngest schrews spouting "analog sucks" still grew up with at least SOME analog TV. Will we all soon forget the "horror" of SDTV and become jaded? Some day you won't even have the option of switching back just for the comparison.

"What's wrong with this picture, daddy?"
"That's an old DVD you're watching, Billy. That's what they used before HDTV existed."
"Is this how all TV looked like when you grew up, Daddy?"
"Sometimes worse than that, Billy. ... Sometimes worse than that. But we were glad to have it."