Help with a speech

[stockstar1138]

Im giving a speech on monday about how cable companies will cease analog broadcasting in 2009. Where can i get information on this subject and where can i get statistics for like how many current tv owners have tvs that accept a digital broadcast. thanks. Its a policy speech by the way, so any input on what i should argue the govt/cable companies to do about this situation and how they should go about doing it is much appreciated. thx.

[TauRus]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

Im giving a speech on monday about how cable companies will cease analog broadcasting in 2009. Where can i get information on this subject and where can i get statistics for like how many current tv owners have tvs that accept a digital broadcast. thanks. Its a policy speech by the way, so any input on what i should argue the govt/cable companies to do about this situation and how they should go about doing it is much appreciated. thx.

What kind of audience will you have there?

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by TauRus

What kind of audience will you have there?

college students and my professor. the objective is to have a problem and argue for a solution to the problem. from everything i have understood when 2009 hits millions of people are going to have incompatible tvs and this is going to cause a huge problem as far as gettting analog/digital converters, paying for the converters, govt. subsidzing converters for the poor, etc. i basically want to create a situation where the audience goes, "oh sh1t, my tv isn't going to work in a year and then come up with how we are going to deal with that problem and fix it"

[SNAP]

Isnt this just for people who dont have cable or sat??

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

college students and my professor. the objective is to have a problem and argue for a solution to the problem. from everything i have understood when 2009 hits millions of people are going to have incompatible tvs and this is going to cause a huge problem as far as gettting analog/digital converters, paying for the converters, govt. subsidzing converters for the poor, etc. i basically want to create a situation where the audience goes, "oh sh1t, my tv isn't going to work in a year and then come up with how we are going to deal with that problem and fix it"

[buckshot]

remember the best way to end a speech is to say ''i'm out *****es'', throw down the mic, and walk offstage. the rest of the speech is just fluff.

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by buckshot

remember the best way to end a speech is to say ''i'm out *****es'', throw down the mic, and walk offstage. the rest of the speech is just fluff.

lol. seriously though. i got a question, why do the cable and sat. companies want to do this. what is their motive? im not questioning whatever motive they have, im just very ignorant on the situation.

[SNAP]

Do some more research.........I believe this only affects people who dont have cable or sat.....just off air TV.

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

lol. seriously though. i got a question, why do the cable and sat. companies want to do this. what is their motive? im not questioning whatever motive they have, im just very ignorant on the situation.

[SNAP]

Check this out:

http://www.news.com/Digital-TV-chang...3-5785519.html

[m_tyson]

Originally Posted by buckshot

remember the best way to end a speech is to say ''i'm out *****es'', throw down the mic, and walk offstage. the rest of the speech is just fluff.

My 7th grade history teacher once told our class to treat your speeches and essays like a woman's skirt: Keep it long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to maintain interest. Boy that was a long time ago. This advice, and poking around the fcc.gov site should help.

[bluperch]

The U.S. government has set the date, not the cable/sat companies. And that's about all I know. You're better off googling this and finding a site that specializes in this.

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by SNAP

Do some more research.........I believe this only affects people who dont have cable or sat.....just off air TV.

its def. more than just that. its everybody. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/07/te...07digital.html

this is going to piss a lot of people off imo. yeah, the govt. is subsiding these by 40 bucks a pop, but seriously there are a lot of families that are going to have to go out and spend 30-100 to keep their tvs going. i just don't want to be the bby employee that on Feb. 18, 2009 has a million senior citizens living off social security complaining that they need these new confangaled devices for their tvs and then get a lecture about how when they were young everything was in black and white and this is horse maneuar and why should they buy this.

[buckshot]

Originally Posted by m_tyson

My 7th grade history teacher once told our class to treat your speeches and essays like a woman's skirt: Keep it long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to maintain interest. Boy that was a long time ago. This advice, and poking around the fcc.gov site should help.

I think that's actually a mark twain quote, one of my old teachers said the same thing.

but the government is supposed to take over the analog signals right?

[m_tyson]

Originally Posted by buckshot

I think that's actually a mark twain quote, one of my old teachers said the same thing.

but the government is supposed to take over the analog signals right?

Was your teacher named Mrs. Anderson in San Diego?

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

lol. seriously though. i got a question, why do the cable and sat. companies want to do this. what is their motive? im not questioning whatever motive they have, im just very ignorant on the situation.

It's to get you to pay extra for there stuff I think. I got a HDTV with a built in tuner so I got the HD channels that I want, but you might or might not have to pay extra. Its like Cingular Wireless making people who have a old model to get a new one or you won't get service anymore. These just want you to make the jump HDTV, and Money, Money, Money.

[Shadowself]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

Im giving a speech on monday about how cable companies will cease analog broadcasting in 2009. Where can i get information on this subject and where can i get statistics for like how many current tv owners have tvs that accept a digital broadcast. thanks. Its a policy speech by the way, so any input on what i should argue the govt/cable companies to do about this situation and how they should go about doing it is much appreciated. thx.

As others have said, do a bit more research into it.

IIRC there was a relatively recent ruling by the FCC that cable companies cannot cease analog broadcasts in February 2009.

There are many broadcasts that don't go over the air at all (cable exclusive channels) that are excluded from the requirement to go to digital in 2009. The cable companies are required to support these (and the people that receive cable and those analog channels) well beyond 2009 -- through 2011 IIRC.

I don't have the time right now to look up the ruling (or access to my own resources at the site I'm currently visiting), but it should be found on their site.

Cable companies didn't and don't like this ruling as it wastes bandwidth on their systems. Virtually all cable companies would go 100% digital as soon as they could.

If you don't need this information soon (before next Monday) let me know through PM and I'll help. If you need it before then, do the searches and good luck.

[mikem471]

Start your speech with "I have a dream".......sure to be a crowd pleaser.

[2blu2]

Long time lurker but I had to make an account for this.

stockstar1138 PLEASE do some research there is soooooooooo much misinformation on this subject.

Your entire topic is simply wrong.

http://www.dtvtransition.org/ (FCC Website on the DTV Transistion)

On February 17, 2009 Television Will Evolve

(In 468 days, 5 hours, 14 minutes, 57 seconds) the era of analog broadcast television in the United States will end as the nation completes its transition to an all-digital system. While this change will mark the end of the traditional analog method of broadcasting over-the-air television, it won’t signal the end of free broadcast television, and your favorite broadcast programs and local television stations will still be available.

If you currently receive analog television over the air or via an antenna, you’ll need to take action to continue watching your favorite stations. TVs accessing "pay" television service such as cable or satellite aren't likely to be affected by the switch.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....&type=category (BB information page on DTV)

By February 17, 2009, broadcasters will be required to convert all of their programming to DTV and will no longer broadcast analog signals. As a result, to receive TV programming, some consumers will need to make changes in some of the equipment they currently use.

It's important to understand that this change applies only to over-the-air television broadcasting. If you receive most or all of your current TV programming via cable or satellite services, you won't be required to make equipment changes. However, since DTV offers a dramatically improved viewing experience, even cable and satellite subscribers should consider upgrading their present equipment to enjoy all the benefits of this new technology.

If you're currently using an analog TV set with an antenna to receive over-the-air programming, don't be alarmed. A simple set-top converter box will be all you need to convert digital broadcast signals into a format your TV can display. These converter boxes will become readily available as the deadline approaches (Best Buy will carry them beginning early in 2008) and electronic coupons worth $40 toward the purchase of a converter box will be made available to consumers (2 coupons per household) to help subsidize their purchase. However, be aware that while the converter will enable you to view free, digitally broadcast programming, your analog television will not deliver the video and audio performance improvements made possible by DTV.

So please don't create a speach about cable & sat being cutoff in Feb 2009. You will just be spreading FUD and will look pretty foolish when nothing happens in Feb 2009.

The FCC Mandated Analog Cut off applies only to:
1) OTA Broadcast only
2) Users with a digital TV (even BB has $199 SDTV Digital TV now) will not be affected.
3) Users can buy a converter for about $100 and get a $40 coupon from the goverment to hook up to their TV (like a STB is hooked up to current TV to view cable or sat).

Sorry it isn't as good of a speech but that is the truth.

Now on the otherhand cable companies are ssssssslllllllloooooooooowwwly moving to all digital. Why? Analog is horribly bandwidth expensive even for low quality SDTV. One analog TV channel takes 2x the bandwidth of digital HDTV OTA signals. So for each analog TV channel the cable companies get rid of they can add 2 HDTV channels or 6 Digital SDTV channels or add more bandwidth for cable modems.

Now most consumers will not be affected at all. If you already have a STB or Cablecard then you likely would benefit from all digital cable (more channels, higher quality, more HD).

The big problem is some consumers have no STB. They get "basic" cable and plug their analog TVs directly to the coax and pull in the analog channels. Analog TVs only have an analog tunner so if the cable companies go all digital they need to provide STB.

So provide STB right? No big deal. Well there are about 80 million households using analog only cable. So 80 million x $200 ea for a STB x average of 2 TV per households = $32 BILLION. That doesn't even include the million of TV where the main TV is using a STB but the other (kids room, game room, kitchen, etc) are just using analog cable with no STB. That is the "crunch" facing cable companies. Analog is hugely wasteful in terms of bandwith and going all digital would allow ultra highspeed internet, hundreds of digital HDTV channels and more services like HD on-demand rentals BUT going all digital will cost billions.