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Jan 9, 2009 07:15 PM | 15
Lovers of analog TV may get a reprieve from the scheduled February 18 transition to digital television. President-elect Barack Obama wants to delay next month's nationwide transition, arguing that there isn’t enough money to back the program.
As of now, February 17 is the last day that broadcasters will be allowed to transmit analog signals. But Congress, which signed off on the switch to DTV four years ago, has temporarily run out of coupons for people to buy discounted converter boxes that translate digital signal transmissions to analog sets, according to The New York Times. Nearly 19 million of the coupons have been redeemed, but more than one million more requests are on hold. (The coupons are for $40, and basic converters cost about $50, the Times notes.)
And hundreds of thousands more requests daily are expected as the deadline fast approaches, John Podesta, who's heading up Obama's transition team, said in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to delay the move. As of last month, 7.8 million households, or 6.8 percent of those with TVs, hadn’t upgraded their sets, Nielsen Media Research estimated, according to the Times.
NBC Universal and News Corp., which could lose viewers if people don’t have converter boxes, support a delay. Rep. Edward Markey (D–Mass), outgoing chair of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications, also says Congress should consider putting off the transition, according to Ars Technica.
But Business Week notes that a delay may rankle wireless providers who plan to use freed-up sections of the airwaves for advanced services such as mobile video.
Here's one Scientific American editor's recipe for receiving HDTV over the air.
Image © iStockphoto/Matjaz Boncina
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15 Comments
Add CommentI bought a converter box last month and have been very dissatisfied with the reception. Half the time, the station that I want to watch has a weak or non-existing signal. Then, I get a block of close captioning that I can't get rid of. Then, to add insult to injury, the converter box turns itself off every four hours. When I turn it back on, I've lost the channel that I was watching. My only hope has been that the deadline will come and all of the bugs will get ironed out. But, now they're talking about delaying the deadline. Is this a government conspiracy to force me to pay for cable?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am in television and personally know some of the people behind the conversion. They warned me months ago that the FCC should lock their doors on the night of the transition and Congress should run for the hills with as many angry constituents they will have. Millions of Americans will have nothing but static and are not prepared.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut, now with the looming depression, it is a TERRIBLE idea to go through with the conversion on schedule.
During economic disasters like this the ONLY solace will be entertainment like TV -- and on top of that, citizens are going to need access to information on how to get through this looming financial meltdown heading our way this spring.
So, even as someone who will benefit from the switch and a Hi Def Producer as I am, DELAY THE CONVERSION national association of broadcasters... by at least 3 months.
Trust me.
Or you're going to have a lot of chaos and you will be FORCED to reverse the conversion which will be devistating to broadcasters.
Instead, make the greedy telecoms wait a few more months.
This whole issue sounds trivial. Think of it like cutting off telephone for millions of people during a crisis and you've got the risk here.
I got my coupon last May, got a box, plugged in rabbit ears and it worked great. I did what we were supposed to do and it turned out as planned. Now, those people who waited for the price of the box to drop might have to pay retail, and they are complaining that they didn't know February 17th was coming? What a bunch of cry babies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBy the way, the picture is super and the sound through my stereo is delightful. This is the best thing since color TV.
Why not just provide some economic stimulus with the program? Reauthorize the program for another 4 months, allow the $40 to be used on either a converter box, OR $30 off the purchase of any device with an HDTV tuner in it. Since these things require an FCC ID number, it should be pretty simple to verify that the right devices are being purchased [it's more work for the FCC, but that's what our government servants are paid for, right?]
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEven if they don't stimulate US TV set makers, the retailers will be happy that you stopped in.
"During economic disasters like this the ONLY solace will be entertainment like TV"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYeah, everybody thinks their industry is the most important industry in the world, and if TV is good at promoting one thing above all else, it's TV.
Television is not necessary for life. Watching it is not necessary, nor even beneficial to physical, mental, and social health. It may provide a momentary escape, but when it becomes more to a viewer than light storytelling, that viewer has real needs that aren't being met in real life, and seeking fulfillment vicariously is a surefire way to worsen the problem.
No, the only solace for humans in any situation is not become mute spectators as their lives pass by meaninglessly. It's get up off their couches, start using their brains, and engage with the real world again.
But yes yes, lets all panic. What will those poor, downtrodden Americans do when they can't sit on their butts and watch digital TV? Oh my god, they'll have to start thinking for themselves! (GASP!) Just imagine all the exciting new products made in chinese sweatshops marked up a million percent by a dozen american middlemen that they'll miss out on!!! What if instead of sitting in front of their pacifiers every night, they decide to get up and do something? The horror! Who knows what they could do! Oh my god, there are millions of them! That could be dangerous! I knew we shouldn't have let the discovery channel try to educate them beyond a 4th grade level! Now they'll all go to radio shack and build killbots and take over the world!!! AAAAAAAAAAH!
Television. Whoopdedo.
I bought a converter over a year ago. Don't need it, but got one just in case. No it is not a conspiracy... Obama seems to think that all those people who haven't bought a converter need one, but the fact is, if you have a digital tv, you don't need a converter. You don't have to have an HDTV, just a digital one. If anything, Obama thinks he can force people to race out and buy a $4000.00 dollar HD television set which would only mean that he has stock in one of the companies that makes them. Your converter will not work until the stations and cable companies all make the transition next month. That's why it's not working yet. If you have an old analog TV set or use an old fashioned antenna... (Usually very old folks who haven't bought a new appliance since the 1950's) then you will not be able to get a signal on your TV set. Obama is also not taking into account the people who just don't watch tv, or don't look at it at home. I can watch television on my computer. some people just watch their phones, and blackberries. The point is, this change needs to be done. This country needs a serious update.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Reason Some are having problems with there converter boxes is that the new digital signal isn't in use till FEB. Un plug the darn thing till FEB 17 and then on that date plug it back in instead of complaining your not getting a good picture for a signal that isn't even being broadcast on a wide spread basis yet.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe reason your not getting a good digital signal RCL is that until FEB 17 most stations are not broadcasting it yet. Do you think all stations are going to run 2 multimillion dollar transmitters at the same time? Un hook the darn think till Feb 17 then re install it once the transition takes place. Some of the boxes have a analog pass through that is intended to let you receive both signals at the same time but not all and even then this will only help if the station your broadcasting is only sending one or the other of the signals.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI bought a converter and tried it with my rabbit ears and had crappy reception. I lost most of my channels. Those only came in a good when the weather was optimal. Mostly the sound would drop and picture would freeze. Last week I paid $70 for an antenna and now I get decent signal but still the crappy programming. In fact I get more of those lowest-common-demoninator shows. To me it looks like I've just been duped into paying $100 to get worse television reception, more idiot channels that I don't watch, and given more money to big business for toys I don't need, and allowed the government to sell and make more money on us by letting them create more "air space" to regulate and sell.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLolz to hotblack. TV is the U.S. version of the Hindu caste system. It keeps the dumb and lazy exactly where they are in life; growing potato eyes and later, rotting on the couch. Who knows, maybe our unemployment rate will actually decrease if digital comes on as planned. Oh! I didn't go there! Oh yes I did.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs far as the coupons go and folks not getting/filing for/using them, people have only had god knows how long to apply/get/use the things. Why don't they just give everyone who hasn't applied by now a "bailout" and supply them with free converter boxes or better yet new digital tv's.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a viewer of "free"(yeah,right!) over the air digital television, about the only difference is clearier crappy local television rather than crappy local analog tv. At least in the Corpus Christi, Texas areas. And I suspect the same will be true in most markets.
what is RCL ? I thought the standard was all ready set. All that will happen after the transition is the frequencies will be reallocated.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSome of the rich responsible lawyers in this great nation of ours needs to take a responsible approach and file a lawsuit to block the transition totally. why? because three things will happen with those coupons. First, people will get the coupon but the boxes will not be available the coupons will expire and people will be left holding the bag having to pay full price. Secondly, the poor and those without access will not get coupons and will not be able to afford their only means of keeping up with news crucial to their survival. Third, the elderly and those confused about the entire transition will not be able to get the materials or install them properly and then be left without their connection to the outside world. This is something that is vital to the elderly. I hope and pray there is a responsible individual outthere somewhere with the resources available to do something to stop this awful mistake by our government.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAre you kidding me, dmann? "...crucial to their survival....?" So it is just a miracle that humankind ever made it to the year 1928 since TV didn't exist before that? There is nothing crucial about it. Knowing the rubbish that passes for news these days has no bearing on whether you will live or die. If you really want to know it and can't afford a $50 converter box, go get a radio. This program has been coming for many years now with information about it everywhere you look. The people who don't know about it are the people who don't need it since they obviously don't watch TV anyway. This country needs to move on. Be glad that there was any financial help at all provided. The sad part is that I bet 90% of the people who used the free $40 could easily have bought the $50 box with their own money. Imagine what all that extra money could have been put towards instead of making sure everyone still has access to the crud on TV. This really shows the priorities we have in this country; TV reception instead of education, health care, or whatever else we could REALLY use.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWow I can't believe some of the responses on here.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have had a converter box for over a year now as I refuse to get robbed from cable companies.
Not going to go there plus how does one ever watch or need 800 channels for anyway.
Dtv is the best thing that could ever happen.
Maybe some of the robbing cable companies will have to find another kind of scam.
Any way for you complainers out there I only have rabbit ears on my tv and I get every station around.
I have mine on a stick going outside my window, you will have to turn it slowly as you fine tune the channels in. I just close the window on the wire and it stays put.
For you who say's the box shuts off every 4 hours you need to go into the menu and change it also for the black box.
I love my converter box I love all the crystal clear free channels including 24 hours of free fantastic movies and all the oldies too
I am not going to complain on this one people, this is the best thing that ever happened to tv and my tv is old like 1999.
Sorry folks but I love my converter BOX
Oh yeah some of us are not lazy and we work for a living and we like to come home to an evening of rest and watch the news and weather and maybe a FRREE MOVIEEEEE.
Oh yeah and for all of you who do not know I will keep my old analog set because the back lights burn out very easy in the lcd tvs and you have to have them replaced or have no picture as the screen will go black with and you will only have sound.
SO hang on to those analog sets the new lcd's are crap;
Come on people get with it.