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View Full Version : On Feb. 18, 2009, If Your TV Doesn't Accept Digital Signals, You're Shit Out Of Luck



Gold9472
07-26-2007, 05:59 PM
Senators worried about TV ‘train wreck‘

http://www.leadingthecharge.com/ViewArticle.aspx?id=137933&source=2

By JOHN DUNBAR, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago
7/26/2007

WASHINGTON - On Feb. 18, 2009, tens of millions of televisions that are not equipped to receive digital signals will become useless pieces of furniture. The government is spending $5 million to let owners know so they can do something about it — a sum critics say is too measly.

John Kneuer, chief of the federal agency tasked with ensuring a smooth digital transition, told the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday that the government will be leaning heavily on broadcasters.

Some committee members were clearly worried about the transition. A poll released in January by the Association for Public Television Stations indicated 61 percent of respondents had "no idea" the digital transition was going to take place.

A 2005 report by the Government Accountability Office said 21 million households — roughly 19 percent of the nation — rely on an antenna rather than cable or satellite to receive television signals.

A number of organizations are concerned that many people, particularly the elderly, the poor and minorities, will be caught off guard when the change occurs.

After the first of the year, the government will be making available to each household two coupons worth $40 each that can be used to buy two converter boxes. Congress has set aside $1.5 billion to pay for the coupon program.

But only $5 million has been earmarked for public education.

In April, the agency required retailers to disclose to consumers that televisions that can only receive analog signals are not equipped to receive over-the-air signals beyond Feb. 17, 2009.

Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters, said television station owners are highly motivated to get the word out. "Our very business is at stake here," he said.

"Broadcasters will do our dead-level best to educate Americans on this transition," he said.

beltman713
07-26-2007, 06:11 PM
I thought people who had analogue tv sets would still be able to receive the new signals, they would just wouldn't be able to view it in the digital resolution, only the analogue resolution.

Gold9472
07-26-2007, 06:12 PM
If you have a converter.

beltman713
07-26-2007, 06:20 PM
Damn, what a crock.

Gold9472
07-26-2007, 06:30 PM
People are being forced to spend money on a converter. What is the purpose of changing everything over to digital? Analog has been successful for 50 years. Something tells me there are corporatists at work here. People who stand to make A LOT of money off of this.

beltman713
07-26-2007, 06:34 PM
People are being forced to spend money on a converter. What is the purpose of changing everything over to digital? Analog has been successful for 50 years. Something tells me there are corporatists at work here. People who stand to make A LOT of money off of this.
Exactly! You can damn well bet that the companies making the converters had something to do with this.

And the new digital TVs.

PhilosophyGenius
07-27-2007, 12:48 AM
No wonder, I was flipping through the channesl and saw a blank screen which said the baseball game cannot be shown due to FCC rules and you would need FSN local to watch it. That was odd.

werther
07-27-2007, 07:39 AM
On Feb. 18, 2009, If Your TV Doesn't Accept Digital Signals, You're Shit Out Of Luck


Shouldn't the title of this thread be

On Feb. 18, 2009, if your tv doesn't accept digital signals, you're in luck!

AuGmENTor
07-27-2007, 10:14 PM
Shouldn't the title of this thread be

On Feb. 18, 2009, if your tv doesn't accept digital signals, you're in luck!Precisely!!!

AuGmENTor
07-31-2007, 05:49 AM
Further, you know damn well you will have whatever you need well in advance of any such catastrophe.
If the network providers see that not enough people will have the ability to see their garbage, they will lobby to stop it. They NEED the sheep sitting in front of the idiot box...

werther
07-31-2007, 06:34 AM
good point, hadn't thought of that.