June 12 not 2/17

[ne1410s]

Senate has voted to put off digital only TV signals until June 12.

There are 2.5 million people on the waiting list for the forty dollar coupons.

[ne1410s]

I'm often mistaken for being invisible...

[Jeemie]

Senate has voted to put off digital only TV signals until June 12.

There are 2.5 million people on the waiting list for the forty dollar coupons.

Good...that gives us a few more months to lobby them to put it off until the market demands it, not when the TV moguls do.

[BackInTex]

Senate has voted to put off digital only TV signals until June 12.

There are 2.5 million people on the waiting list for the forty dollar coupons.

Good...that gives us a few more months to lobby them to put it off until the market demands it, not when the TV moguls do.

I thought the point was to free up the analog wave lengths so the govt. could resell them for other uses.

Besides, most of those 'not ready' probably need to get away from the t.v. for a while anyway. It will do them some good.

T.V. is not a right. I reread the constitution. It isn't in there.

[ne1410s]

bit:

I thought the point was to free up the analog wave lengths so the govt. could resell them for other uses.

The broadcasters, which have already paid 19 billion dollars for the freqs, will get 116 extra days at the end of their contracts.

[jaybee]

Prolly just didn't want anyone to miss Survivor.

[Ritterskoop]

Since my dad put in the converter box, he cannot get a signal except for an hour or so in the mornign on the local CBS affiliate. Their tower is on the other side of town, farthest away.

I'd hoped the signal would improve Feb. 17, but now what? Does he need a new antenna?

Why is the signal worse than before he got the box?

[andrewjackson]

I think this is going to cause a lot of problems. Broadcasters have been aiming at this date for two years. I'm skeptical that the extra time is going to significantly reduce the number of people that are unprepared.

U.S. households as of December 2008:

Cable - 61.3%
Satellite - 28.4%
No tv at all - 1%

It is estimated that almost half of households which rely on broadcast alone are prepared for the digital transition either by having DTV capable TV or having a converter box.

That leaves 5-6% of households unprepared. My prediction is that by June that number won't have changed much.

[andrewjackson]

Since my dad put in the converter box, he cannot get a signal except for an hour or so in the mornign on the local CBS affiliate. Their tower is on the other side of town, farthest away.

I'd hoped the signal would improve Feb. 17, but now what? Does he need a new antenna?

Why is the signal worse than before he got the box?

The signal might be worse because a lot of stations are currently broadcasting their DTV signal on UHF frequencies and were planning to switch back to the UHF frequency after Feb. 17.

I have no idea what is going to happen now. This is one of the problems with delaying the end of analog broadcasting.

[silvercamaro]

I think this is going to cause a lot of problems. Broadcasters have been aiming at this date for two years. I'm skeptical that the extra time is going to significantly reduce the number of people that are unprepared.

U.S. households as of December 2008:

Cable - 61.3%
Satellite - 28.4%
No tv at all - 1%

It is estimated that almost half of households which rely on broadcast alone are prepared for the digital transition either by having DTV capable TV or having a converter box.

That leaves 5-6% of households unprepared. My prediction is that by June that number won't have changed much.

I think you are exactly right. I suspect that the vast majority of those who don't yet have converter boxes are folks who were waiting for the last possible moment to buy them, because they don't want to spend the money or don't have it. Now, with the delay, many of them will discover that their coupons will expire before they again think about getting the boxes.

[silverscreenselect]

I think this is going to cause a lot of problems. Broadcasters have been aiming at this date for two years. I'm skeptical that the extra time is going to significantly reduce the number of people that are unprepared.

U.S. households as of December 2008:

Cable - 61.3%
Satellite - 28.4%
No tv at all - 1%

It is estimated that almost half of households which rely on broadcast alone are prepared for the digital transition either by having DTV capable TV or having a converter box.

That leaves 5-6% of households unprepared. My prediction is that by June that number won't have changed much.

Even those who have satellite or cable don't necessarily have all their TVs hooked up to it. Mrs. SSS has been lobbying me to get her a new TV for the kitchen since the $10 set we have in there isn't a good candidate for a converter box. This gives me four more months for that.

[andrewjackson]

I think this is going to cause a lot of problems. Broadcasters have been aiming at this date for two years. I'm skeptical that the extra time is going to significantly reduce the number of people that are unprepared.

U.S. households as of December 2008:

Cable - 61.3%
Satellite - 28.4%
No tv at all - 1%

It is estimated that almost half of households which rely on broadcast alone are prepared for the digital transition either by having DTV capable TV or having a converter box.

That leaves 5-6% of households unprepared. My prediction is that by June that number won't have changed much.

Even those who have satellite or cable don't necessarily have all their TVs hooked up to it. Mrs. SSS has been lobbying me to get her a new TV for the kitchen since the $10 set we have in there isn't a good candidate for a converter box. This gives me four more months for that.

I guess it depends on what the main consideration is on the deadline. I thought that the main concern in delaying the switchover was the households that might have not TV service at all. If the delay is to allow more time so that every possible tv becomes DTV-ready then I am even less optimistic that the delay will accomplish much.

[minimetoo26]

Prolly just didn't want anyone to miss Survivor.

Or American Idol! That ends about three weeks before the new deadline.

This is all Ryan Seacrest's fault! (He doesn't need my lousy 10 bucks with all the gigs he has running...)

[TheGh0stOfJohnStevens]

Prolly just didn't want anyone to miss Survivor.

Or American Idol! That ends about three weeks before the new deadline.

This is all Ryan Seacrest's fault! (He doesn't need my lousy 10 bucks with all the gigs he has running...)

Someone who doesn't deserve to will make it to the Top 5....

The winner will be working at Mecca in 3 years....

There will be someone LB's mom can't stand who mini likes, and they will be voted off early....

Simon will be rude...

Paula will be a mess...

Ford will spend a lot of bailout money on commercials....

Now, does everyone really need to tune in this year?

[Jeemie]

Senate has voted to put off digital only TV signals until June 12.

There are 2.5 million people on the waiting list for the forty dollar coupons.

Good...that gives us a few more months to lobby them to put it off until the market demands it, not when the TV moguls do.

I thought the point was to free up the analog wave lengths so the govt. could resell them for other uses.

Besides, most of those 'not ready' probably need to get away from the t.v. for a while anyway. It will do them some good.

T.V. is not a right. I reread the constitution. It isn't in there.

I know it's not a right, but this idea was cooked up by the broadcasting moguls, not the government, acting "for our benefit".

Last I looked, TV wasn't a right, but we the people owned the airwaves.

BTW, you DO realize the braodcasters and carriers got the new digital licenses for FREE, don't you?

[minimetoo26]

Prolly just didn't want anyone to miss Survivor.

Or American Idol! That ends about three weeks before the new deadline.

This is all Ryan Seacrest's fault! (He doesn't need my lousy 10 bucks with all the gigs he has running...)

Someone who doesn't deserve to will make it to the Top 5....

The winner will be working at Mecca in 3 years....

There will be someone LB's mom can't stand who mini likes, and they will be voted off early....

Simon will be rude...

Paula will be a mess...

Ford will spend a lot of bailout money on commercials....

Now, does everyone really need to tune in this year?

Beast might like that new Kara chick. She's cute....