Senate passes bill to delay digital TV switch

[Anthony P]

Sure, but what makes anyone believe that 4 additional months will somehow inform those who've refused to be informed so far?

exactly, the only half reasonable thing I heard was that if someone was not ready, goes digital the next day (buys TV or box) and sees he needs an antena, it is much easier to add one in the summer then in February.

Honestly I think it will just make things more confusing. How much do you want to bet that there will be some idiot that procrastinated, realizes his TV still works and think (and say) that it was all a scam and you did not need anything.

[Bobby Henderson]

That's exactly what I think will happen in many cases.

The federal government is already lacking in credibility on this issue considering the original analog TV signal cut off date was way back in May of 2006. Then-President George Bush signed a bill to delay the switch to February 17, 2009.

Here we are only 3 weeks from Feb. 17, 2009 and we have yet another freaking delay.


If this doesn't give the analog hold outs a clear signal that it's okay to drag those feet on doing anything I don't know what will. I guarantee you that in the weeks leading up to June 12, President Obama, Senator Jay Rockefeller or Lord only knows who else will come up with yet another DTV delay.

One of the really funny things in this now somewhat approved piece of legislation is that local TV stations still have the option to cut off their analog TV signals after February 17. It costs a LOT of money to broadcast both a full power DTV signal and a legacy analog TV signal.

This bill contains a rather convenient way for the government to shift the blame for the DTV switch over to local TV stations caught between a rock and a hard place. The local TV stations will be forced to do something. Either they'll have to cut off their analog signals as originally planned and piss off a lot of people who waited to the last minute to do anything about DTV. Or they can drop their full power DTV signals back down to low power so only a select few people living close to the tower can receive the signal reliably.

I have an installation appointment scheduled for Dish Network to add a "wing dish" on my roof top during the 2nd week of February. I'm doing that so I can receive the local HD channels for my market from the satellite at the 61.5° position in the sky. I'm able to get 2 of the 4 major network affiliates over the air in HD via my outdoor antenna. The NBC affiliate in Wichita Falls, TX bumped their HD signal to full power at 1 million watts. It comes in great where I live, but I may end up losing that OTA signal if the station is forced to drop the transmission back down to low power, cost saving levels until after June 12 (or whenever the government grows a pair and allows this DTV transition to finally proceed).

[cdmoran]

Here's where we end up paying for a big bailout of the TV industry to offset the costs they will incur over this. All politicians should be locked away where they can't do any more harm.

[tron3]

People will always take more time if you give it to them. I told some people about the changeover at work. One work friend says he's not doing anything until the signal goes.

Lots of you make great points. From "conspiracy" nut cases who should have their heads examined for aluminum hat poisoning, to the lazy last minute "Christmas shopper" syndrome this will NOT be 100% at any date. - PERIOD.

In 2003 I bought my first tube based HDTV. Some weeks later I bought the HD tuner box. I was lucky to get 3 or 4 channels in HD. The other stations simply were not broadcasting yet. In October 2007 my brother gifted me with a 26" HDTV for my bedroom.

I'm ready, been ready, and am waiting for analog to go away so I can rerun my autotuner for the last of the free OTA stations! I don't keep ANY analog stations. Even those with no digital equivilent yet.

The only excuse I would accept is the poor economy slowed the adoption of digital TV. Go ahead congress, I made up the excuse for you. Take it already!

[reiella]

Epic fail... Oh well.

Originally Posted by cdmoran

Here's where we end up paying for a big bailout of the TV industry to offset the costs they will incur over this. All politicians should be locked away where they can't do any more harm.

The station industry is being affected, but the folks getting royalled screwed are the public safety industries [part of the freed band is for that]. This delay pushes their ability for test windowing their new communications network back a year because of the not being able to get good test conditions in the fall.

Telecommunications get screwed too, I believe it's Qwest whose looking at 100m$ cost for the delay. They are currently paying some stations to voluntarily vacate their old signal so they can utilize the bandwidth/waves they purchased. And it looks like they will have to continue to pay those ones, and in order to continue with their expansion, pay more station providers, or delay the deployment of the network they kinda own but can't use.

It sucks all around.

Originally Posted by Terjyn

Sure, but what makes anyone believe that 4 additional months will somehow inform those who've refused to be informed so far?

The other huge unit of cost. You know how much money was spent saying February! FEBURARY FEBURARY! Now, going to get to spend more than that in the same time frame, going June JUNE JUNE REALLY IT'S JUNE! It's freaking epc fail .

[Dynamo of Eternia]

I found this pretty funny this morning...

For months now, all of the local stations that broadcast local news have had their own commercials advertising the February 17th deadline for the digital transition.

This morning, I was watching one of those stations. They did a report on the conversion date being changed to June. Then, like a minute later, they went to a commercial break, and still aired their existing commercial about the Feb. 17th deadline.

[P@t_Mtl]

This delay is a bit of slap in the face to all of the people would took the time and spend the money to make the change in order to be ready for the original deadline.

[raskal66]

All this because the government wants to give your money away to an outlet where you the taxpayer will never see a return on it. The delay was caused by that stupid coupon that subsidizes the converter box. Where in the constitution or the bill of rights does it say that that the people are entitled to free over the air TV provided by the government if you can't afford one?

[Jeff Kleist]

All this because the government wants to give your money away to an outlet where you the taxpayer will never see a return on it. The delay was caused by that stupid coupon that subsidizes the converter box. Where in the constitution or the bill of rights does it say that that the people are entitled to free over the air TV provided by the government if you can't afford one?

They're selling the spectrum, which will then go into the federal budget (you will see benefit). The people own that spectrum, and therefore just like if they decide to build a highway through your house, the law requires them to compensate you for the loss

[1Fish2FishRedFishBlu]

Originally Posted by tron3

The transition date would move to June 12 from February 17 under the bill that was fueled by worries that viewers are not technically ready for the congressionally-mandated switch-over.

Yes!!! Because the 4 years they gave to accomplish this was simply not long enough.


Seriously... if people dont commit to it in 4, is 6 months really going to help those who have already procrastinated?

[slaizer2000]

huge mistake. People have had 2+ years to make the switch or get ready. They should have been the frist to scoup up them coupons when they were available.

So now the tv companies have to fork over moremoney to delay the transition. Or to run both analog and digitla towers at the same time which increases their electric bills. Lets bankrupt the TV stations because the ppor or uninformed can't watch TV. Biggest way to get people to switch is to turn of their signal and force them to address their problem instead of being lazy.

Heck if I was poor and someone offered me a 40 dollar coupon for something so you could get it free you could bet i would stand in line for a day to get the coupon.

If you procrastinated and didn't get updated then who cares if you have to read a book or find some non-tv activity to do until you get a digital to analog converter. Heck you may even have enough free time with no TV to actually find a job.

[surfdude12]

don't worry, the bill has nothing to do with the substance. its a pure ploy for votes.

[mystiksuicide]

Originally Posted by tron3

Didn't I say this could happen in another thread?

As much as I hate the idea, it is nice to know my portable TV's are good for another 4 months.

Besides, if 2.6 million people are really left without a TV signal, it could be catastrophic if terrorists attack. That is a lot of citizens to leave in the dark.

Can't they get the news over the radio? I mean if they are that antiquated they should have a radio

[Marine Mike]

The government ran out of coupons earlier this month, and about 2.5 million Americans are on a waiting list for them.

If the government has been dragging their feet and its not the consumer's fault, then I do not see the issue with this happening.

[pacificvibes]

What is this DTv that you guys are talking about, I've never heard of it

[J6P]

Originally Posted by Marine Mike

If the government has been dragging their feet and its not the consumer's fault, then I do not see the issue with this happening.

This is my feeling as well. If there weren't 2.5 million people sitting on a waiting list for coupons, with no coupons anywhere in sight, I'd be more outraged. The people tasked with managing this over the last three years botched the rollout.

[The Don]

I hope people never catch on and they never officially switch...

[quexos]

Don't complain people. Over here the switch won't take place until 2011 ...

[Driver_King]

I've been with almost everything Barack has gone for thus far; with the huge exception of this. This is absolutely rediculous. I'm calling my local stations to see if they're doing the switch anyways. My local stations have been doing countdowns and special runnings of how the switch is going to effect people. If anything, people just are going to say "The hell with it. I'm going with cable!" So much wasted money...

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by quexos

Don't complain people. Over here the switch won't take place until 2011 ...

What's funny is that many poorer and smaller countries, other than America, have already had the switch done and over for years now.