Posted on 01/08/2009 12:04:22 PM PST by raccoonradio
President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting.
In a letter to key lawmakers, transition team co-chair John Podesta warned today that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcasts won’t be ready.
The incoming administration is pushing for a delay in part because the Commerce Department has run out of money for the coupons that subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers. People who don’t have cable or satellite TV or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their analog TVs working.
Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not giving consumers enough help with the TV transition.
LOL! Not even AFTV?
With a pair of amplified rabbit ears and analog TV, I get four snowy channels.
With the same rabbit ears feeding into the Dish Networks box, I get 20 channels as crystal clear as digital cable. No snow, no ghosting, no multipath. Once I install a fishbone antenna, I should be able to receive over 40 channels.
Yeah, that’s it. People get emergency information from their TVs. If they stop working, it could be a danger to the public.
Okay..I have an old TV..with an antenna. Can I still view my old VHS tapes without doing anything? It’s the 3rd TV in the house...so I don’t care about the TV programs on this set.
I hate it when this happens - but you have a point - I didn't think it through. (translation: you're right - I'm wrong) Thanks for clarifying...
All of this stuff is by satellite, so maybe we're not impacted?
Do you think the gov’t is going to somehow prevent your VHS tapes from playing on your TV?
They’re not. This is about broadcasts.
Absolutely. The only thing you won’t get is broadcast transmissions. The old TV is still a perfectly good monitor for game systems, DVD players, VCRs, etc.
You’re fine. Satellite and cable already take the feeds from whatever stations and re-transmit them on their systems.
I hate it when this happens - but you have a point - I didn't think it through. (translation: you're right - I'm wrong) Thanks for clarifying...
Pssssst...radio carries EBS alerts also. ;-)
That would be my guess. If it's by satellite these days, it's digital.
Even XM/Sirius. Always in the middle of a great '70s song they run the test track.
Ebay is loaded with hundreds of boxes for sale - looks like recipients are just laundering the cards via purchased component auctions.
Funny and all too true! Simply throwing around the terms “analog” and “digital” causes a panic reaction from some people.
Why don’t the NETWORKS pay for the boxes, if they want people to watch their cr*ppy shows?! (since cable subscribers are already covered)
“I don’t consider watching tv a government bailout issue. If the coupons have been used, why can’t the customer pay his $70 without the government kicking in $40?”
I don’t see any logical reason why these things cost $20, much less $40, $50, or even $70.
At its core, it is nothing more than a simple electronic board with a standard chip that can be mass produced for virtually nothing. Heck, once you start mass producing them the power supply would probably cost more than the actual box.
“Three words: Emergency Broadcast System.
I hate it when this happens - but you have a point - I didn’t think it through. (translation: you’re right - I’m wrong) Thanks for clarifying...”
The radio doesn’t work anymore?
The radio is a much better source of emergency information. Unlike your TV, you can actually carry your radio with you.
“Ebay is loaded with hundreds of boxes for sale - looks like recipients are just laundering the cards via purchased component auctions.”
I’m such an idot. Of course.
Get the coupon. Buy a box that doesn’t cost more than the coupon. Put the box on ebay.
Even if you only make $10 per box you are making money.
It's Y2K9 for analog TV.
special interests have been delaying this over and over and over... no more... the end is nye... give back analog spectrum... you’ve got digital... you cannot have it all.
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