More Details On Proposed DTV Delay: This Just Gets Better And Better
from the idea:-bad,-details:-worse dept
As mentioned, the House has rejected the attempt to push through the delay to the digital TV transition that the Senate approved earlier in the week. The measure needed a two-thirds majority to pass in this attempt, which it did not get. However, it did garner a simple majority, which means it will probably be brought to the floor and passed in the next few days. But it's worth looking more closely at some of the details to understand that this proposal seems likely to make things worse. While the general gist of the measure is that it would delay the transition until June 12th, it actually says that broadcasters can switch off their analog signals any time between February 17 and June 12. So it removes the hard deadline date, instead letting broadcasters make the transition whenever they like in a four-month period. If there's already so much confusion over the transition that a delay is needed, how will the switch from a hard deadline to a whenever-you-feel-like-it plan help? It would seem that one way to ensure people find out about the transition would be to let it happen: if people lose their TV signal (and really care that much), they'll take some action to rectify it. Of course, that still wouldn't solve one of the big issues of the transition: the bungled converter coupon program.
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Filed Under: congress, delay, digital tv
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Why would they?
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Re: Why would they?
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Re: Re: Why would they?
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Re: Why would they?
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Re: Why would they?
It's expensive to run both a digital and analog transmitter, and most stations have already calculated their annual budgets based on a Feb. 17th end of analog operations. For example, a local station here is running a 5,000kW analog transmitter, and a 1,000kW digital transmitter. Ending analog broadcasting would mean a huge savings in just the power bill alone.
Cable and satellite penetration is high enough in most larger markets that broadcasters are willing to bite the bullet and take the temporary viewership hit.
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Re: Why would they?
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And while they're at it, throw the metric system in with it for good measure (pun not intended, but it works :).
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Re:
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It is 0 degree outside
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The linked article speculates that Congress is doing this to deflect the blame from themselves to the TV stations looking to finally forward.
Just bite the bullet and stick with the original date.
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I still say...
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Conversion to digital
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Re: Conversion to digital
or
dont give a shit
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dtv
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Re: dtv
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Re: Re: dtv
No, cable TV companies don't provide their signal through the analog tuner. They provide a composite video signal that feeds into the video input jack. The days of piggybacking cable TV into your home via channel 3 or 4 are obsolete.
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Let's keep delaying the time every time the deadline comes up.
Couldn't they just cut off analog at any time? Was there some mandate saying they have to have analog tv up until that date?
...and when that day comes, they can delay it again, just to show how committed they are.
I found a source saying "full transition to digital by December 31, 2006" So this wouldn't be the first delay.
http://tv.about.com/od/hdtv/a/ishdtvoverrated.htm
Even now I found online sites that still sell 'standard definition television' so it's not completely dead, yet. I wonder how popular they'll be when the final final deadline passes.
How much pollution will this cause? Will people be throwing out all their old tv s and buying new ones. "If I have to go shopping I might as well replace my old tv instead of getting a converter box"
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Re: Let's keep delaying the time every time the deadline comes up.
It's actually been pushed back for the better part of a decade.
Even now I found online sites that still sell 'standard definition television' so it's not completely dead, yet. I wonder how popular they'll be when the final final deadline passes.
Um. Standard definition TVs have nothing to do with this.
It's about the switch from analog to digital over the air signals. Standard vs. HD TV are a totally separate issue. Any standard definition tv you buy today will be digital compatible.
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Re: Re: Let's keep delaying the time every time the deadline comes up.
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oh and AC #13... those "standard definition TV's" are DTV ready tho...
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Easy. By spreading the deadline over a period of nearly four months, the FCC will spread out the complaints over that same four month period. If I worked at the FCC, I'd prefer to have the complaints spread out over four months rather than have them all occur on the exact same day.
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Re: Ima Fish
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Re: Re: Ima Fish
Carlo asked how it helped. I explained that it clearly helps the FCC. Enough said.
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Better to just cut over on the 17th, but the spread out soft deadline isn't all bad.
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I totally agree. Let's yank that bandage!
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You mean the bungled Bush-Cheney-Martin DTV Coupon Program
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Re: You mean the bungled Bush-Cheney-Martin DTV Coupon Program
Bungle 2 - The idiots in Louisiana are rebuilding in a disaster prone area.
Bungle 3 - Saddam Hussain is dead.
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Re: You mean the bungled Bush-Cheney-Martin DTV Coupon Program
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Millions fewer to watch TV commercials
Thus, more economic gloom will result at just the wrong moment. It's possible that other media (friendlier to Republicans) will pick up some audience, but TV being a more convincing medium I would expect sales to be lost overall.
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tv switcheroo
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free country???
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This is just stupid!
This conversion is not news! It's been talked about for 10 freakin years! Maybe having no TV will do the unprepared idiots some good. Make them have to start reading again and think for themselves. No more idiot box to tell them what to do or how to think.
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