Help me understand the digital TV delay

[ckay87]

What IS the big deal? I honestly don't understand it. If by some freak of nature, someone does not know about this transition by now and they have not prepared their tvs, what is the WORST thing that could happen?

There's Mike the Hermit, he turns on the set one morning and it doesn't work. Know what he does? He says "oh crud, my tv is broken." Then he does something about it. Problem solved.

Not to mention that TV couldn't be too essential to Mike there or he would have known everything he needs to know.

What is the concern?

 

[Golf4food]

If they haven't prepared by now in the THREE FREAKING YEARS this has been coming (and actually approved TEN years ago) then they aren't going to finally wake up and prepare in the next three months. Another delay is just stupid.

 

[TinklednPants]

What are you guys talking about? DIgital TV what?












....just kidding.

 

[onelilspark]

I heard someone talking on the radio this morning how it'll help "millions of Americans" by delaying the switch. REALLY? Because you know, I thought the airwaves freed up by the switch would help "millions of Americans" when the Emergency services could finally use them.

Silly me.

 

[cheermom1]

What are you guys talking about? DIgital TV what?












....just kidding.

I hear ya though everyone should be ready by now!

 

[eliza61]

The hold up is that the millions of poor people who cannot just run out and buy a new tv or install cable must be able to also make the transition to digital. There were vouchers made available so you could get a "box" to put on your old tv (atenna) to make it work with digital but the government ran out of vouchers.

 

[ragdoll]

Evidently our elected officials just don't have enough important things to worry about so they need something to keep them busy.

 

[wall*e2008]

The hold up is that the millions of poor people who cannot just run out and buy a new tv or install cable must be able to also make the transition to digital. There were vouchers made available so you could get a "box" to put on your old tv (atenna) to make it work with digital but the government ran out of vouchers.

But they have been telling us that there was a finite number of vouchers and to get it right away. I got my voucher and converter box months ago. BTW those old antennas will not work either.

Honestly anybody who watchs tv on a regular basis knew about this. If they rarely watched then they probably don't care about the need for a voucher anyway.

In the poor areas of town all you see are dishes (most HD) on the homes. They don't need a converter box.

I don't want the delay, since I am sick of those stupid conversion commercials.

 

[corndog]

The hold up is that the millions of poor people who cannot just run out and buy a new tv or install cable must be able to also make the transition to digital. There were vouchers made available so you could get a "box" to put on your old tv (atenna) to make it work with digital but the government ran out of vouchers.

If they were really that poor, they wouldn't have a TV to begin with.

 

[shirleyb]

If they were really that poor, they wouldn't have a TV to begin with.

And since when did TV become a "necessity" that the government should have even provided these vouchers in the first place?

 

[mousetravel]

Those commercials are getting on my nerves, espeically when they're constantly having something scrolling over the top of the screen.
I agree with others. They have blasted this transition in our face for too long for someone to "not be ready".

 

[Scurvy]

The hold up is that the millions of poor people who cannot just run out and buy a new tv or install cable must be able to also make the transition to digital. There were vouchers made available so you could get a "box" to put on your old tv (atenna) to make it work with digital but the government ran out of vouchers.

They can't just run out and buy the tv, but they didn't have to. They've had years to get ready but for whatever reason, it wasn't a priority for them. Now suddenly it is - but really, I imagine many of them still won't do anything to get ready and they'll be complaining about it again in June.

 

[Trish Bessette]

I agree with all of you however I'm one of those that aren't totally ready. Not due to my fault either. Last summer I applied for the coupons which I got. Since then it seems to be nothing but a money pit...

Purchased 2 converter boxes - $57 after coupons

Decided to purchase new 42" HDTV TV - $900 - not complaining but figured this would be all I need to accompany the new change - WRONG

Waited for 1st "test" our local stations did in January and noticed my TV FAILED...

Back to Best Buy and asked what is going on...told me I need new antennas which is another $110 He also said that he thinks this will be a big problem and not as easy as everyone is portraying it to be.

Back home a few nights ago with new antennas and channels are coming in worse!

Now, I call Directv (my satelite provider) and talk to them. They suggest adding local channels to my package which means a new box which means a fee plus time off from work for them to come and install ANOTHER dish - just what I want on my house.

All this and I still haven't tried the new antenna on my bedroom TV that isn't connected to our satelite so I don't have that to fall back on.

Not to mention the 2 TV's in my DD's rooms....more cost, more converter boxes, new antenna costs...

As you can see, I've been proactive since early last summer. I'm not one of those "poor people" however this has been the BIGGEST pain and much more expensive than I ever thought.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

If they were really that poor, they wouldn't have a TV to begin with.

Yes

And since when did TV become a "necessity" that the government should have even provided these vouchers in the first place?

Yup

Marshall McLuhan was a genius!

 

[OK!]

I was SO annoyed when I heard on the news this morning that they'd approved the delay...I can't take FOUR MORE FREAKING MONTHS of these stupid announcements, countdown tickers, etc. Grrrrrrr!

If people haven't bothered to get ready for the transition by this point, what the heck good is 4 more months going to do? It's not like the entire universe hasn't been warned!

 

[johnnymo99]

Waited for 1st "test" our local stations did in January and noticed my TV FAILED...

Back to Best Buy and asked what is going on...told me I need new antennas which is another $110 He also said that he thinks this will be a big problem and not as easy as everyone is portraying it to be.

Back home a few nights ago with new antennas and channels are coming in worse!


Not to mention the 2 TV's in my DD's rooms....more cost, more converter boxes, new antenna costs...

As you can see, I've been proactive since early last summer. I'm not one of those "poor people" however this has been the BIGGEST pain and much more expensive than I ever thought.[/QUOTE]


I agree this is going to be a much bigger problem then people realize. I purchased 2 converter boxes for our 2 tv's without Directv. With an analog signal I get 12 channels and with the digital signal I will now get 2. This switchover is working out great for me. Now I will have to either pay to get a roof/attic attenna or pay extra for Directv for the other 2 tv's. I know for a fact that there are some areas of Cuyahoga County(cleveland) that because of topography and other factors are going to be losing one or more mainline stations and these suburbs are close in to the city and tv broadcasting towers. I really think once the switchover occurs you'll see many stories of people losing their stations. The feds should probably also be issuing coupons for roof/attic attennas.

 

[Scurvy]

I agree this is going to be a much bigger problem then people realize. I purchased 2 converter boxes for our 2 tv's without Directv. With an analog signal I get 12 channels and with the digital signal I will now get 2. This switchover is working out great for me.

I think that many stations are not yet broadcasting on their digital wavelength, and I know that most of them are not yet broadcasting at full strength. While some people might have trouble picking up the signals now, once the switch has happened most people should be able to pick up better signals than they currently get.

 

[Zandy595]

I'm surprised the tv's that are so old they need a digital converter even work still. How old are these tv's anyway? I have two that are over 20 years old and they don't need converter boxes. Those of you who are having the problems, is it because you have a dish or don't have cable?

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I'm surprised the tv's that are so old they need a digital converter even work still. How old are these tv's anyway? I have two that are over 20 years old and they don't need converter boxes. Those of you who are having the problems, is it because you have a dish or don't have cable?

I thought if you had a dish you were OK w/out a converter box!?

 

[Scurvy]

I'm surprised the tv's that are so old they need a digital converter even work still. How old are these tv's anyway? I have two that are over 20 years old and they don't need converter boxes. Those of you who are having the problems, is it because you have a dish or don't have cable?

Are you sure your TVs won't need boxes after the switch? It's only been for the last 3 years or so that TVs were required to be compatible with the digital signal. Most that were sold before that point will require the converter boxes.

ETA - Of course, if you have cable or direct or dish network you still won't need the converter. Only people who pick up the signal over the air will need the boxes.