Digital Cutover To Be Delayed ? ? ?

[TheRover]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/CA6627445.html

According to Broadcasting and Cable magazine's website:

Consumers Union (CU) late Wednesday asked the heads of the congressional committees with telecommunications oversight, as well as the current and future administrations, to consider delaying the Feb. 17, 2009 transition date.

And at least one of those key Congressional players, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee, says the date may have to move.

[EDIT]





[EDIT-post truncated because citation exceeds amount permitted under Fair Use]

 

[radiolives]

How much longer? You already got one market Wilmington, NC who went early as a test market. Plus some of the tv towers are falling apart. To name one FOX 25 in Boston. And also I believe CW 28 in Providence, RI is on digital full time as something happen to there tower. Not sure about that. But just get done with this already. Most people have cable anyway and won't see a different. The other day I saw a couple get a DTV box at WalMart.

 

[landtuna]

There will always be a small portion of the viewing public that "doesn't get it" and will never be ready. Converter boxes and coupons became available over ten months ago with publicity to match. That is more than enough time for people to make accommodations.

 

[TheRover]

Ahhhh, delaying the digital cutover date, allow our Govt. to show us how compassionate they are ..... while, behind our backs, they wreck our futures with these pie in the sky bailouts for the most most hallowed financial "institutions" and the like....

Soooooo Compassionate.....

So many will say.... I was saved by "Corporate Compassionism" ???

 

[quadraphonic]

Government wanted to push us on the train for the digital revolution.
They've tried for months now.
It's inevitable they will extend it "for their good," cause that's how gubment works errrrrrr allegedly.

 

[FreddyE1977]

the Obama Transition Team officially asked Congress for a delay this afternoon, so have no doubts
that one will take place.

Now, for the gloating... ;D

I predicted on these boards well over a year ago that the DTV conversion date would prove to be
a total train-wreck, and that the government (Congress in particular) feared nothing worse than
the wrath of angry citizens who've had their TV messed with. This has been one huge, hilarious
game of Chicken, and the government has just blinked. Look for this date to stretch out
another six months at a minimum, and for several more rounds of appropriations for converter
boxes. I must say, I do feel for the broadcast industry professionals who have worked their
tails off in order to meet this deadline.

So it appears that the government may freely mess with your paycheck, your healthcare, and
your civil liberties. But you will only get that remote when you pry it from my cold, dead hands!

I will say, I thought the panic and gnashing of teeth would have set in long before T-minus 41 days.
But in your heart, you knew that Washington would never be able execute anything like this effectively.

Let history always be your guide. The UK had set a shut-down date for their 405-line VHF
system for sometime in 1969.

The last 405-line transmitter shut down on Jan. 2, 1985!

 

[landtuna]

FreddyE,

On the contrary, I think the gubmint, for once, has done a good job of execution on the viewer part of the DTV conversion. They had coupons and converter boxes ready for delivery and have publicized the cutover endlessly. It isn't their fault if people wait until the last minute to order their boxes (it was always a limited program after all) or don't do their homework.

About the only fault I can find with this program are the physical limitations of UHF/digital as opposed to VHF/analog and people in rural areas (or in some cases heavily built up areas) losing stations.

 

[KyDXIn]

Let history always be your guide. The UK had set a shut-down date for their 405-line VHF
system for sometime in 1969.

The last 405-line transmitter shut down on Jan. 2, 1985!

And here is proof:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG52HcgKaD4

 

[fybush]

FreddyE,

On the contrary, I think the gubmint, for once, has done a good job of execution on the viewer part of the DTV conversion. They had coupons and converter boxes ready for delivery and have publicized the cutover endlessly. It isn't their fault if people wait until the last minute to order their boxes (it was always a limited program after all) or don't do their homework.

About the only fault I can find with this program are the physical limitations of UHF/digital as opposed to VHF/analog and people in rural areas (or in some cases heavily built up areas) losing stations.

Yup. I, too, sympathize with those who stand to lose reception in the short term, but that's nothing that an extension of analog service until June (or December, or whatever revised deadline ends up getting set) will fix.

Indeed, the real fixes - possibly higher DTV transmission power, certainly better antenna and receiver designs, and perhaps the use of DTS on-channel boosters - can only start happening after the sunset of analog.

In the meantime, pushing the deadline back will accomplish nothing. The people who are determined to wait until the last moment (or after) to think about converting will still wait until that last moment, whether it's 45 days away or 180 days away. The broadcasters who are suddenly stuck with power bills for their analog transmitters that they hadn't budgeted for may still go ahead and shut the things down, or ramp them down to low power. (And the analog signals that are already gone, or about to be gone, aren't coming back no matter what the gubmint legislates.)

As for the goodwill of all those broadcasters who have given up airtime and promotional efforts and staffing time - voluntarily or otherwise - to pound the "February 17, 2009" date into viewers' heads? They will not take this kindly.

 

[radiolives]

Hopefully a new law doesn't get passed. As that has to been done to take away the law that says Feb. 17, 2009 is the final date. Lets see nothing can happen until Jan 20, 2009 as thats when Obama is president.

 

[mleach]

There will always be a small portion of the viewing public that "doesn't get it" and will never be ready. Converter boxes and coupons became available over ten months ago with publicity to match. That is more than enough time for people to make accommodations.

Thats true about people who will never "get it", but what about those who have for no fault of their own ( and its quite common in this economy) bad credit?
I have family who live 20 miles west of Cumberland, Maryland (western part of the state ). Recently both my brother-in-law and his wife had lost their jobs and currently live on unemployment. Becuase of their job loss their credit is...I can't use the word here. The local cable system does credit checks and they were denied service. They tried Dish Network and Direct TV..again.denied service ( that is what they told me anyway ). The converter box? Well yes they could buy that but from what I heard there may be places that could get analog signals ( now they do thanks to their antenna) but once everything goes DTV, they may not get those signals. For the record Cumberland is in DC DMA...but DC is well over 100+ miles away and Pittsburgh..forget it.

I have to wonder how many others out there who are in the same boat as my brother-in-law and his wife are?

 

[KyDXIn]

About the only fault I can find with this program are the physical limitations of UHF/digital as opposed to VHF/analog and people in rural areas (or in some cases heavily built up areas) losing stations.

Yup. I, too, sympathize with those who stand to lose reception in the short term, but that's nothing that an extension of analog service until June (or December, or whatever revised deadline ends up getting set) will fix.

Indeed, the real fixes - possibly higher DTV transmission power, certainly better antenna and receiver designs, and perhaps the use of DTS on-channel boosters - can only start happening after the sunset of analog.

In the meantime, pushing the deadline back will accomplish nothing. The people who are determined to wait until the last moment (or after) to think about converting will still wait until that last moment, whether it's 45 days away or 180 days away. The broadcasters who are suddenly stuck with power bills for their analog transmitters that they hadn't budgeted for may still go ahead and shut the things down, or ramp them down to low power. (And the analog signals that are already gone, or about to be gone, aren't coming back no matter what the gubmint legislates.)

As for the goodwill of all those broadcasters who have given up airtime and promotional efforts and staffing time - voluntarily or otherwise - to pound the "February 17, 2009" date into viewers' heads? They will not take this kindly.

I've already switched from analog to digitial and I do like the quality of the picture on the channels that I receive. I really appreciate the $40 coupon for the DTV convertor, and I did my homework by researching which box was the best one. But comparing the digital signal with my analog signal, I only get about 1/3 of the channels as I used to receive. The DTV convertor is only half the problem. The digital signals are so weak that the only way I will be getting the same channels will be with an outdoor antenna, and I figure a good outdoor antenna will cost me in the $200 range installed. I'm not in the sticks either, cause by air I'm only about 25 miles from the tower locations.

What good is a digital box if the signals are so weak they can't be received by the box? I'd rather have a snowy signal than no signal. The FCC either needs to have the TV stations increase power on their digital signals or help us with getting better antennas, especially in these times. I'm on a limited budget due to layoffs and the necessities come first. My home is wired for cable but I don't want to be out $40 each month for basic cable. If I scrimp and save, maybe I will be able to afford a better antenna in a year or so, but seems there is always something breaking that takes what I've saved. I'm sure there are others in the same situation.

 

[philosofy]

Thats true about people who will never "get it", but what about those who have for no fault of their own ( and its quite common in this economy) bad credit?
I have family who live 20 miles west of Cumberland, Maryland (western part of the state ). Recently both my brother-in-law and his wife had lost their jobs and currently live on unemployment. Because of their job loss their credit is...I can't use the word here. The local cable system does credit checks and they were denied service. They tried Dish Network and Direct TV..again.denied service ( that is what they told me anyway ). The converter box? Well yes they could buy that but from what I heard there may be places that could get analog signals ( now they do thanks to their antenna) but once everything goes DTV, they may not get those signals. For the record Cumberland is in DC DMA...but DC is well over 100+ miles away and Pittsburgh..forget it.

I have to wonder how many others out there who are in the same boat as my brother-in-law and his wife are?

I hate to say it but if they are both on unemployment and not working maybe having cable or sat tv shouldn't be their highest priority right now. You can get emergency weather alerts via radio and just about any news that you want with a cheap pc and dial up connection. It sucks to have horrible credit (been there done that) but once they get back on their feet they could inquire about a deposit and get service at that time instead.

 

[Markxxx]

The thing people don't understand is digital is not analog

Look at me I live in Chicago only 3 miles from Sears Tower.

With a converter box I went from getting 16 analog channels to ONE channel and two others pixilated constanstly.

With an new RCA television with a digital tuner I get NONE. Not one single DTV station.

So now I am going to be forced to get cable for something I am now getting for free.

In a sense what you're saying is the hell with poor people. It's like saying let's free up bandwidth so people can have cell phones. Which is again toys for the rich at the expense of the poor.

I realize TV isn't a necessity but digital has had TEN years to address this and they haven't bothered.

I see commericals like "Just get a converter box and you'll be fine." Well that is an obvious lie.

What they should do is convert over market by market, starting with New York City, then when NYC is deemed to be converted OK, then LA, then Chicago, then down the line.

Lastly we'll see what kind of President Obama will be. Is he gonna be the kind of person who says "Well I asked, and they didn't OK it." Or well he actually DO anything about a problem

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Not even the Indianapolis Star knows when the big switch is. From the front page at www.indystar.com:

Obama urges delay in digital TV switch
Too few to be ready by Feb. 1 deadline, he says. - 6:39 PM

 

[Tom Wells]

Ah yes, Digital is certainly not Analog, is it? Analog can work well, poorly, or somewhere along a whole scale.
Digital just works or doesn't, and you can't even just tell it to "just go ahead and decode while I fiddle with antenna".
You can't see or hear anything while you adjust antennas or select a different antenna.
Most new TVs, if they decide there's no signal on that channel, go blank and you must tune away and then back to the desired channel again to see if your new configuration works (for that channel), and you have no idea if your changes to make the channel work
are in opposition to good reception on all the others.
I suspect we'll be building a 'reception chart' with notes to remind us of antenna angles, etc, for each DTV station to save tuning time.
Sorta like some of the earliest three-dial TRF AM broadcast radios came with blank logbooks for each dial's settings for a particular station.
We'll also learn to turn on the TV in advance of a scheduled program, so there's enough time to fiddle with tuning BEFORE the show starts.

I'm enjoying this slow-motion crash.

Wait 'till they introduce digital automobile steering! I hope I die before this happens.

As Hank Williams Sr. sang, "I'm not gonna worry wrinkles in my brow, 'cause nothin's ever gonna be alright nohow."

 

[daryll]

Our government at work

Since when did running out of money for a project stop our government from spending? Now we may have an antenna subsidy. Hmmm. They're finally admitting the 2.17.09 date was an incredible mistake. Why did it take them three years plus to determine old folks don't go on their roofs in the dead of winter? I hope the NAB bucks this since many of its members are spending millions to comply with yet another unfunded government mandate to go digital.

How long does it take to educate the general public on something before they "get it"?

 

[jnewkirk77]

Re: Our government at work

Since when did running out of money for a project stop our government from spending? Now we may have an antenna subsidy. Hmmm. They're finally admitting the 2.17.09 date was an incredible mistake. Why did it take them three years plus to determine old folks don't go on their roofs in the dead of winter? I hope the NAB bucks this since many of its members are spending millions to comply with yet another unfunded government mandate to go digital.

How long does it take to educate the general public on something before they "get it"?

Right on. But how many more delays should we expect? It's already been pushed back at least once, has it not?

I've been ready for this for darn near five years, paid for it myself. And NOW we're going to backtrack? I don't think so. People need to wake up, realize the future is here, and hook up to it. It isn't that hard. My 87-year-old grandfather can do it.

 

[oldschooltv]

Yup. I, too, sympathize with those who stand to lose reception in the short term, but that's nothing that an extension of analog service until June (or December, or whatever revised deadline ends up getting set) will fix.

Indeed, the real fixes - possibly higher DTV transmission power, certainly better antenna and receiver designs, and perhaps the use of DTS on-channel boosters - can only start happening after the sunset of analog.

In the meantime, pushing the deadline back will accomplish nothing. The people who are determined to wait until the last moment (or after) to think about converting will still wait until that last moment, whether it's 45 days away or 180 days away.

I agree. Tonight when I saw NBC Nightly News' teaser about "big changes coming to the rollout of DTV" I was hoping that they were considering increasing transmitter power or allowing more satellite stations to fill in the gaps. Afterall, someone should be on our side and address the fact that millions of us will be losing dozens of stations after the switch to digital. Unfortunately, the report was about how the feds want to reward the lazy part of our population who will continue to procrastinate no matter how much time you give them. Leave it to our government to reward them while s*rewing the rest of us... :

 

[radiolives]

I have cable but picked up the Zenith Converter Box with the coupon. It works great easy to use and set up. I picked up three channels with the fourth being a extra channel from the channel itself. The antenna I am using is one of those square radio antennas. I just un did the wires so they won't touch works good. The farthest channels are a little over 50 miles away. Just only can't get one as I don't think they are at full power. But over all it works great.