Digital Transition

[daleduke17]

Ok, the Government, in their infinite wisdom, has decided to delay the transition to digital television...even though the existing deadline was less than two weeks away.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29003127...5829?GT1=40000

One of the paragraphs irritated the hell out of me:

Yet the signs of trouble were there: the coupon subsidy program was running out of money, waiting lists were growing, and not enough public education in general was being done about the transition, the coupon program or how to hook up the converter boxes, which some have found troublesome

the coupon subsidy program was running out of money
- OMG...people might have to spend their own money on the converter box.

waiting lists were growing
- Yeah, God forbid someone have to wait for something. Best Buy had a stack of them when I was there Saturday.

and not enough public education in general was being done about the transition, the coupon program
- BULLSHIT. Every couple of commercial breaks there is something, there is stories EVERY NEWSCAST on it, and crawls at the bottom of the screen damn near all day. I watched a 30 minute news program tonight. 2 commercials (at least), along with a crawl. Another station has it on the website, crawls during the news and other shows, and more commercials than they really should have.

or how to hook up the converter boxes
-RTFM. Is that really that hard? READ THE FUCKING MANUAL.

Seriously, are people really this dense and stupid nowadays? If you aren't ready, find out on 2/17 (sorry, 6/12) when you get all static. Why should we be giving in to the lowest denominator of the country instead of the letting people figure it out themselves? Oh, wait, this is a country of No Child Left Behind. God Forbid someone have something that someone else doesn't have.

Holy shit, I'm going to miss Days of Our Lives on February 17th! GUBMINT, SAVE ME!

Obama, please, FLIP THE FUCKING SWITCH ALREADY.

[Greenday]

How could you not know it was going to happen? There's no excuse for it. Yea it sucks, but that's how technology works these days. It's like complaining that no videos are made on VHS these days. It's been phased out. Eventually DVDs will be phased out for something else (like Blu Ray). Get used to it. This isn't something we are "entitled" to. You CAN live without TV.

[daleduke17]

How could you not know it was going to happen?

People don't read signs.

There's no excuse for it.

Yeah there is, it's called stupidity.

This isn't something we are "entitled" to. You CAN live without TV.

But President Obama has told me I'm entitled to money, work and all sorts of other things. President Obama is going to have the government give me anything I want.

[Boozy]

I was surprised to hear that the government is subsidising the converter boxes. But when I looked into the cost of the subsidy program, I was shocked to find that it is costing the taxpayer nearly $1.5 BILLION dollars.

$1.5 billion. So people can watch TV.

[Greenday]

$1.5 billion. So people can watch TV.

You act like it's possible to survive without TV.


What do you mean there once was a time where TVs didn't exist!? What did people do with their lives!?

[AdminAssistant]

I have to say that this whole 'conversion' smacks of the government (and tv companies) making people pay for what was once free. I'm tired of the whole damn thing.

[linguist]

i think a lot of people miss the point that it's not just about the ability to watch tv. it's also about having access to potentially lifesaving information via severe weather alerts, the emergency broadcast system, etc. once the switch happens, those who only have access to this information via over-the-air tv will lose it without the converters, and not everyone can afford to pay out-of-pocket. for example, the area i work in is primarily low-income elderly residents. i see these people often, and many i've talked to have been on the waiting list for months for the converter coupons. those that have the coupons often are not able to get the converters because my store (the only store in the area that carries them) only gets them in lots of 10 or so, no matter how many are ordered, and those are snapped up as soon as they arrive. additionally, many of these residents are confined to public transportation, which sucks in my town and won't take them to the areas where they can get them from other stores.

[linguist]

I have to say that this whole 'conversion' smacks of the government (and tv companies) making people pay for what was once free. I'm tired of the whole damn thing.

television's never been free. television broadcast licenses are granted by the fcc, which you pay for with your taxes.

[AFPheonix]

i think a lot of people miss the point that it's not just about the ability to watch tv. it's also about having access to potentially lifesaving information via severe weather alerts, the emergency broadcast system, etc. once the switch happens, those who only have access to this information via over-the-air tv will lose it without the converters, and not everyone can afford to pay out-of-pocket. for example, the area i work in is primarily low-income elderly residents. i see these people often, and many i've talked to have been on the waiting list for months for the converter coupons. those that have the coupons often are not able to get the converters because my store (the only store in the area that carries them) only gets them in lots of 10 or so, no matter how many are ordered, and those are snapped up as soon as they arrive. additionally, many of these residents are confined to public transportation, which sucks in my town and won't take them to the areas where they can get them from other stores.

Thank you.
The only people that need converter boxes are people who have old as fuck tv's, and most of those are poor people or extremely old people who aren't really tech-savvy. There's a goodly portion who live out in the boonies who don't have a whole lot of shopping choices unless they drive a ways to get into town.

[Greenday]

As far as "needing" TV for emergency news, there's also the internet, radios, phones, etc. So no, you don't need a TV.

[linguist]

As far as "needing" TV for emergency news, there's also the internet, radios, phones, etc. So no, you don't need a TV.

if you're poor to the point you can't afford a converter box, chances are you can't afford the internet. also, emergencey information across the internet only works if you happen to be on at the moment it's posted.

radios are fine, but most stations don't broadcast severe weather alerts, so tornado warnings, etc. don't get heard.

phones only work if you have someone willing to call you, or can afford a phone to begin with. many of the elderly i posted about in my previous can't afford phones, or don't have family or friends who can call them if something happens.

[Greenday]

if you're poor to the point you can't afford a converter box, chances are you can't afford the internet. also, emergencey information across the internet only works if you happen to be on at the moment it's posted.

radios are fine, but most stations don't broadcast severe weather alerts, so tornado warnings, etc. don't get heard.

phones only work if you have someone willing to call you, or can afford a phone to begin with. many of the elderly i posted about in my previous can't afford phones, or don't have family or friends who can call them if something happens.

Ok, so that leaves us with a radio...

[Evandril]

As far as "needing" TV for emergency news, there's also the internet, radios, phones, etc. So no, you don't need a TV.

Heh...because if you have an old as dirt TV, and need a free converter, you've definitally got internet access? Radio I can see, but TV's are still a VERY good way to get information out to everyone in an emergency. How many people watch TV constantly, compared to who listens to the radio? And as far as phones go...Yeah, good luck with THAT in an emergency! Who exactly is going to be calling *EVERYONE* in an area in the same time it'd take to broadcast an announcement?

[Boozy]

I actually hadn't thought about the emergency broadcast system issue, nor weather reports.

So the real problem is how poorly this thing has been organized. The government should have focused on getting the converter boxes to those in isolated areas and/or the invalid first.

[daleduke17]

radios are fine, but most stations don't broadcast severe weather alerts, so tornado warnings, etc. don't get heard.

Where do you live? Around here whenever there is a Watch/Warning/Advisory, the local radio stations (AM and FM) all broadcast alerts. Some even have the EAS alerts directly from the National Weather Service.

Also, how do people nowadays who don't have television access emergency information?