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This seems like a generic enough thread title to bump for this bit of news:
The Senate appeared close to agreement late Thursday on a bill to delay next month's planned transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12 — setting the stage for a vote early next week. Senate Republicans last week blocked Democratic efforts to push back the Feb. 17 deadline for the analog shutoff. The Democrats cited mounting concerns that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals won't be ready. The Nielsen Co. said Thursday that more than 6.5 million U.S. households are still not prepared for the upcoming transition and could see their TV sets go dark next month. "The shameful truth is that we are not poised to do this transition right," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller, D-W.V., author of the bill to delay the switchover. "We are only weeks away from doing it dreadfully wrong — and leaving consumers with the consequences." Republicans in both the House and Senate have raised concerns that a delay would confuse consumers, create added costs for television stations that would have to continue broadcasting both analog and digital signals and burden wireless companies and public safety agencies waiting for spectrum that will be freed up by the switch. :rolleyes: Despite the delay in coupons, there's still going to be millions of people who won't do a single thing until they're forced to because their screen is static. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
If you haven't gotten the message by now, you're never going to and don't deserve TV. Delaying this is just stupid.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
Jesus, just get it over with already.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
I don't think I can take another 4 months of that scrolling banner on everything.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
Not a surprise. It also won't be a surprise when people are no more ready in June than they would have been in February.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
Stupid.
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Originally Posted by pinata242
(Post 9218816)
I don't think I can take another 4 months of that scrolling banner on everything.
And weekly "are you ready" tests on the local news And commercials And.... This is getting to be longer and more annoying than a Presidential campaign. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Ugh, please, no. Just get it over with. I hope it doesn't pass.
If Congress is so concerned then they should just give the agency more money for the tuner coupons since they ran out weeks ago. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Yeah I think the main issue is that they underestimated the number of coupons that would be ordered. If anything, seems people are too well-prepared for the switchover.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
I wonder what percentage of requests come from people with no need for the coupons.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by pinata242
(Post 9218978)
I wonder what percentage of requests come from people with no need for the coupons.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
TV Week has an online poll where you can vote and leave a written explanation of your vote.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?s...5FgHSMQQ_3d_3d |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Good Morning LA on FOX 11 here did a cool thing with this. They did an quick On Air Test of their Digital System and they said that if you're already set up then you'd still see them on air. However if you're not set up then you'll see a screen with a messages letting you know that you're not prepared and what you need to do.
I was at work when this was done and although the TV in my work area is on Direct TV, I still got the "not ready" message. :lol: Either way i thought it was a good way to say HEY! you need to take care of this. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by Giantrobo
(Post 9220201)
Good Morning LA on FOX 11 here did a cool thing with this. They did an quick On Air Test of their Digital System and they said that if you're already set up then you'd still see them on air. However if you're not set up then you'll see a screen with a messages letting you know that you're not prepared and what you need to do.
I was at work when this was done and although the TV in my work area is on Direct TV, I still got the "not ready" message. :lol: Either way i thought it was a good way to say HEY! you need to take care of this. Here, all the stations get together for a "Test Tuesday" and have a one minute test, at different times scattered throughout the day each Tuesday. The digital service has been on for years (in major markets). These "tests" are just sending different material on the analog and digital channels. Those who are ready should be watching the digital all the time, as the quality is better. It is like tossing out your buggy whip after buying a car. No need to wait until Feb. 17. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by Chew
(Post 9218865)
And nightly 30 minute ads on my PBS channel
And weekly "are you ready" tests on the local news And commercials And.... This is getting to be longer and more annoying than a Presidential campaign. True, and I have a GREAT solution to propose: Pass a law FORBIDDING digital transition PSAs on the digital channel and require them to run 24/7 on the analog channel, scrolled across the middle of the screen and minimum height of 50% of the screen height. Annoy the people who NOT ready, don't annoy me, dammit. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by OldDude
(Post 9220214)
So your DirectTV service is using the wrong feed. That's one of things they are trying to identify. Nothing you can do to fix it, but your service has to fix it (soon!).
Here, all the stations get together for a "Test Tuesday" and have a one minute test, at different times scattered throughout the day each Tuesday. The digital service has been on for years (in major markets). These "tests" are just sending different material on the analog and digital channels. Those who are ready should be watching the digital all the time, as the quality is better. It is like tossing out your buggy whip after buying a car. No need to wait until Feb. 17. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by Giantrobo
(Post 9220258)
The cable box is connected to the tv via s-video cable. But that shouldn't be an issue should it?
Since the cable and satellite companies are advertising a "don't worry, be happy" stance on digital transition, you should: *Call them in a complete (feigned) panic and state of confusion *Threaten to get an antenna and converter box, dropping their service, because they are "not ready" *profit from negotiating a rate reduction. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by OldDude
(Post 9220278)
No. DirectTV is satellite. They are uplinking the wrong feed to the satellite for transmission back to viewers. (But cablecos can have the same error of using the wrong feed and sending it to subscribers).
Since the cable and satellite companies are advertising a "don't worry, be happy" stance on digital transition, you should: *Call them in a complete (feigned) panic and state of confusion *Threaten to get an antenna and converter box, dropping their service, because they are "not ready" *profit from negotiating a rate reduction. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Has anyone used the set top converters? They are terrible. It really reminds me of the switch from analog cell phones to digital. In that time before they put up cell towers everywhere you went from just static and being able to understand the person to digital bleeps and bloops and general incoherence. Same thing with the TV although I don't see there being an improvement to reception.
I wonder how many people are going to switch to cable and satellite because of this. How much is cable charging nowadays for basic antennae channels? |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by tanman
(Post 9220566)
Has anyone used the set top converters? They are terrible. It really reminds me of the switch from analog cell phones to digital.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
I still have two analog tvs with the magnavox set top tuner boxes and I think they work great.
At first, I didn't like them because they would turn themselves off after a few hours, but I found the option in the menu to set it to stay on, which is useful if I want to record something using a -gasp- VCR with a timer. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by tanman
(Post 9220566)
Has anyone used the set top converters? They are terrible.
On that alone, it is better then either of my HDTVs (although SD instead of HD) and is way better than than watching the snow and ghost festival on analog tv. Digital is not too forgiving, it either comes in great or terrible, rather than degrading gracefully like analog. You need better antenna, better tuner for multipath or something. If you get it working right, I think you'll be amazed. It is far superior. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
I have a couple of coupons and am going to get some boxes, but I'm disappointed that the coupons only work on really basic converters. It seems the Gov was more interested in setting guidelines on what these things can't do than what they can.
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Re: digital tv transition '09
Originally Posted by wmansir
(Post 9220713)
I have a couple of coupons and am going to get some boxes, but I'm disappointed that the coupons only work on really basic converters. It seems the Gov was more interested in setting guidelines on what these things can't do than what they can.
Boxes do have some feature differences on S-video, on/off timers to help VCRs and electronic program guide. But just about anything else is "not allowed." If you want HD for an HD-ready TV (no ATSC tuner), Digital Dolby, etc, you have to buy a "real" HD box. |
Re: digital tv transition '09
I'm so tired of seeing commercials for this, I hope it doesn't pass. Get it over with.
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