[Las Vegas Dave]

Interested in the HDTV ping list?
Please Freepmail me (freepmail works best) if you would like your name added to the HDTV ping list, (approximatrely 360 freepers are currently on the HDTV ping list ).
The pinged subjects will be those of HDTV technology, satellite, cable, and OTA HD reception (Over The Air with roof top or indoor antennas), Broadcast specials, Blu-ray/HDDVD, and any and all subjects relating to HD.

LVD
(If you search Freerepublic using the keyword "“HDTV”, you will find most of the past HDTV postings.. )

[Las Vegas Dave]

Pinging the HDTV list.. HDTV pings!

[Chickensoup]

bump

[pa_dweller]

Voter anger (and media hysteria) will be so intense that Congress will be forced to revisit the transition and try to find a quick fix. But there aren't any quick fixes, which means 2009 will be a terrible year for everyone involved. This transition was poorly conceived and even more poorly executed by the government and the industry. Now, they taxpayers and consumers will have to pay the price for their mistakes.

There, fixed it.

[ryan71]

TV sucks. Lost mine 6 years ago.

[R. Scott]

While I wouldn't compare Dish to Detroit ...

I (and my neighbors) were recently forced to change from our chosen providers and use only Dish Network. The provider is Mosaic Communications, handling Dish Network through a central dish here at the apartment complex. Our apartment manager’s home office ordered that Mosaic would be the exclusive provider.
Someone at the home office being paid off?
I’m not happy with their TV lineup. If I want to again watch FOX news I have to subscribe to their most expensive bundle - but I can watch “Free Speech TV”. A couple days ago when the converter box changed channels by itself I saw Cindy Sheehan giving a speech. I thought she retired. When it rains I have no signal. The internet service is touted as “high speed”, but is as slow as dialup.

[DYngbld]

I will hookup a dtv box for anybody that thinks it is to hard to install, and teach them how to do it as well for free. (Provided you live within 50 miles of my house.)
All the locals here have been offering dtv for the last 4 or 5 years, they switched to HD a couple of years back, so the transition to complete HD or DTV is to just shut off the old system.

[MrLee]

I have an AppleTV and love it!! Several people I know have one and they all love them! Why don’t you??

[TexasCajun]

Digital TV has been on the radar far longer than Katrina.

Millions of analog tv users must have decided to ride it out till Big Brother shows up to rescue them on their door-step.

[TexasCajun]

I can buy the most recent Pay-for-View movies from DirecTV far faster than waiting on NetFlix to delivery them.

But I'm paying 5.99 for each HD movies!

I now have my 52" Sharp HD, HD-DVD Player & PlayStation III w/ Blu-Ray player.

That should last me a couple of years, huh Dave?

[jr.ewing.78]

[blockquote]They will be desperate for a simple way to keep watching TV.[/blockquote]

You mean paying someone $50-100 per month to stick a satellite or cable box in between the TV and a piece of coax is simpler than sticking a free (subsidized) DTV conversion box back there yourself? Huh?

I do agree, however, than people might just buy a small HDTV instead though.

[savedbygrace]

I don’t have enough data about #1 to comment, I agree with Swann about 2, 3, & 4, and I hope he’s wrong about #5.

DirecTV is a disaster, but subs don’t know that until they try to cancel their DirecTV service and get hit by the Early Termination Fee, or whatever DTV calls it these days.

If the FCC OKs a DTV/Dish merger, one of the stipulations HAS to be the death of the Early Termination Fees, at least the way DTV currently does it.

In their place, the company would itemize the bill each month to show how much of each payment goes toward the purchase or lease of the equipment. That itemization should also show the current balance the sub would have to pay for an early cancellation of service.

That way, the sub ALWAYS knows what they’ll have to pay if they cancel their service. In fact, DTV should have to make the Early Termination Fees show up prominently on their website when people sign up for the service, with the dollar amount clearly shown in the calculation of the monthly cost. And DTV reps HAVE to make it clear on the phone when they sign up new subs. The fees should never be more than $25, unless the sub fails to return the receiver.

Also, no more multi-year contracts. The technology changes far too quickly for anyone to be locked into a service contract for longer than that. And when a sub actually pays the full price to purchase their receiver, they should never have to pay an Early Termination Fee. Never. Not even if the receiver goes paws up and DTV has to replace it.

DirecTV is run by con-men who specialize in bilking their subs out of hundreds of dollars for those Early Termination Fees, and these con-men should be sent to prison, not rewarded by bonuses and promotions.

Can you tell I have ISSUES?

[Mr Rogers]

27” is a SMALL screen?

Guess that is what I get for not having a TV. I remember when 25” consoles were the rage...

[FreeManWhoCan]

I also think this will be a disaster. I live in Florida where a lot of retirees also live. How can a little old lady understand what has happened when she sits down to watch a little TV like she has done for the last 40 years? This is going to be a mess and I feel sorry for the elderly who will definitely suffer.

[RayChuang88]

The FCC has been pushing that low-cost converter program that allows you to watch digital broadcasts on older television sets. You can get US$40 vouchers that usually covers the cost of the converter boxes, and as such the conversion cost is essentially zero.

One nice thing about digital TV though: no more "ghosting" like you can get with analog over-air broadcasts.

[Poser]

Maybe this is a city/country thing. I live in New Hampshire. I don’t know a single person who is still using an antenna to receive TV signals.

[Dysart]

The government is not ready

Disaster?

Yep. Sounds about right for the roll out of a govt-mandated program.

So let's forge ahead, citizen!

[JimRed]

Feb. 17th is as good a time as any; not much happens between the Super Bowl and the NCAA Tournament anyway...gives ‘em time to sort it out.

[martin_fierro]

This transition was poorly conceived and even more poorly executed by the government and the industry. Now, they will have to pay the price for their mistakes.

I KNOW: LET'S GIVE 'EM A BAILOUT!

[TruthWillWin]

2. The Digital TV Transition Will Be a Disaster
On February 17, 2009, all full-powered local TV stations will switch from analog to digital signals, meaning viewers will need a Digital TV, a converter box or a pay TV service to keep watching television. However, all signs point to a looming disaster when the transition occurs.

I think not. Sounds a little like the "chicken little" sky is falling mentality of the Y2K non-event. The problems with the changeover will be very minor.

My prediction. Cable/DirecTV/Dish will all lose 5-10% of subscriptions to consumers purchasing antennas' to take advantage of the excellent pitcher quality of free OTA digital signals. The economic situation will help make this occur.

[CholeraJoe]

5. DIRECTV and Dish Network Will Merge

Naysayers also said that regulators would never allow Sirius and XM to merge either. Guess what? There's only one Satellite Radio Service now.