Senate Nears Deal To Delay Digital TV

[admin]

Key senators have reached a compromise on a bill that would delay the nation's switch to all-digital television from next month until June 12. A vote on the legislation is expected early next week.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/23/AR2009012303608.html

[drfsupercenter]

I think that's stupid... there's no way 100% of people will ever be ready for it. The date's been set for over a year... so obviously the people who aren't prepared didn't care much or they would have done something.

I have cable so it really doesn't affect me, but one thing I'm looking forward to is the stop of "frame ghosting". Our cable (by nature) is about a half-second lagged from the broadcast... and on channels like NBC and FOX, the signal is so strong the TV picks up bits and pieces of it just with its coax port. Which means that I see a full picture from the cable and parts of an image from the over-the-air, and it completely ruins those channels.

[doctorhardware]

Drfsupercenter, are you saying that you are receiving the channels on the coax connector on the TV that has no coax connection. If that is your problem what you need to do, is install a 75 ohm coax terminator, on the open coax connections on the TV. You can get them at radio shack.

[doctorhardware]

So will the Government refund the money to the companies that purchesed the bandwidth. The bandwidth would have been freed up after digital TV was put in to service.

[drfsupercenter]

Drfsupercenter, are you saying that you are receiving the channels on the coax connector on the TV that has no coax connection. If that is your problem what you need to do, is install a 75 ohm coax terminator, on the open coax connections on the TV. You can get them at radio shack.

No. This problem really only happens on the non-HDTVs. (It does on the HDTV too but I just watch FOX HD instead of FOX... etc)

I have a coaxial cable plugged in the back of the TV. I don't like cable boxes, never have. We have standard analog cable, so we just plug a cable from the wall into the TV. Well, apparently the coax jack on the back of the TV acts like a small-scale antenna as well. Because when I go to one of the local channels, I'm seeing two images. Even if I unplug the coaxial cable, I see some static with parts of an image there.

I don't need to buy anything fancy - as the problem will go away once all the channels become digital. It's just the analog feed that's conflicting with my cable.

I know the bandwidth will be freed up... but why would they want to delay it? That just means it's tied up LONGER for people who actually want to use that bandwidth. The issue was (from a different article I read) that some 6 million people weren't prepared for the DTV transition so their TVs will go fuzzy. To which I say, they've had over a year... so they either don't care or just don't pay attention to anything. Our broadcast-level channels have been talking about the transition for months.

[doctorhardware]

I am sure that people have started to complain that would not be able to watch TV.
That is why an extension is need, so that they can get the credit card that has the $40 dollars on it to purchase the digital tuner.

[BR7]

True,but I think the people were given enough time to get their ducks in a row on this.Why should this be put on hold because the were lallygagging

[drfsupercenter]

Yeah seriously... I actually heard they ran out of money for the coupons, and now they have to wait for some to expire before reissuing them.

And really, I think those converter boxes are a huge ripoff. I have two myself, as hey... the government's giving out free money, why wouldn't I want it?
I made a makeshift "Watchman" that way... I just plugged some rabbit ears into a converter box and in the "line in" on my 8" portable DVD player. Now I can watch local channels without leaving my computer

But really, it's just a tuner inside a box, why would they be worth $50? If those coupons didn't exist I would bet anything they'd go for about $20.

And if you think about it, 6 million people is a very very small percent of Americans. It sounds like such a big number, but I'm sure it isn't... there's probably way more than 6 million people who don't even have TVs. And, you can buy converter boxes without a coupon... it'll just cost more.

[PurpleDemon]

Funny,

I bought my boxes well over a year ago with the coupons. I think my cost for 2 boxes was about $15.00

I bought them because I was informed from so many different sources to get it done.

Their advertising campaign was incredible and could of not been better. There is no logical reason for the delay other than procrastination.

Bring on February 17, 2009

[gonwk]

Funny, I bought my boxes well over a year ago with the coupons. I think my cost for 2 boxes was about $15.00

You are lucky you got Coupon ... because they are totally out.

I thought I would never need a Converter since I would stay with my Cable Company ... but now they have made me mad ... for messing up my charges one too many time ... so if I decide to go Rabbit ears ... I am SOL'ed it.

Oh well!

G!

[drfsupercenter]

You don't even need a coupon... If you go to meritline.com you can get one for $40, free shipping.

Yes I know that would be free with a coupon but still. People are under the assumption that you need a coupon to buy a converter box, and that's not the case at all.

Let me guess, you have Comcast? I hate that company more and more. And I'm glad we got WideOpenWest when it was introduced in our area instead.

[doctorhardware]

That is why I dropped comcast. Now I am getting a bill that I owe them $315.00 dollars. I called them back and told them that since I could not download windows updates for close to a year, so I do not owe them anything.

[admin]

At least you get vouchers and stuff, we don't get anything here in Australia, although our "analogue cut off date" has been postponed once already by 2 years (was supposed to happen last year).

[Budreaux]

You don't even need a coupon... If you go to meritline.com you can get one for $40, free shipping.

Yes I know that would be free with a coupon but still. People are under the assumption that you need a coupon to buy a converter box, and that's not the case at all.

Let me guess, you have Comcast? I hate that company more and more. And I'm glad we got WideOpenWest when it was introduced in our area instead.

You may not need a coupon, or rather your mom and dad doesn;t need one, but trust me, there are elderly people out there that watch their rabbit ear tvs everyday that will need the coupon.

Once you get out in the world a bit more and realize the level of dependency some of our elderly people and vets have on their small monthly check, you'll realize that after they buy their needed medication and food for the month, they don't have much to make it on afterwards.

This was a decision made to help those folks out, and I for one am fine with that. How long now have we been running analog? A few more months isn;t goihng to hurt anyone. Once they get the supply of coupons built up and redistributing again, they make the change.

[doctorhardware]

Some of the cable companies use to give out free basic cable to the elderly. But the companies no longer do this, which is too bad.