With the
money well all dried up and a
monumental transition looming, Barack Obama's transition team is urging
Congress to take a second look at letting the cutover take place as planned on February 17th. According to a letter recently sent to Capital Hill, John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, stated: "With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively-mandated analog cutoff date." Quite frankly, this has the potential to be huge. When would it be rescheduled to? Would additional fundage be applied? How would broadcasters react? Obviously, we shouldn't have to wait long to see how this all pans out.
[Thanks, Tommy]
posted Jan 8th 2009 6:55PM
Sometimes you should pull the switch and see what happens, god forbid someone misses a tv show. OH THE HUMANITY. Stop delaying and be done with it. The amount of scrollers on my stations is beyond annoying, if you haven't heard about by now, you don't watch tv as it is.
Hey, alright! The NObama team is ALREADY delaying stuff! WOOT! Can't wait to see what they do when he's president!
Its not just about shows. You have to consider that some people still get most of their news from tv, not everyone has internet. Especially the elderly who don't understand technology so when the cut off date comes and they know nothing about it they will no longer have any means of receiving the news and emergency warnings.
As others have said, people use it to get their TV. The digital TV switchover is going to create a bunch of problems. I tend to be in the camp of cut over and see what happens... but out here in the west, it is going to cut off a LOT of TVs to people. The majority that will be affected are those under poverty and the elderly. I work for a Public TV station, and we have invested a LOT in public outreach and education... yet still find a bunch every day that know nothing about the switchover.
Agreed with original comment. Education is NEVER where it "should" be when these types of changes occur. Just do it and be done with it already. People will adjust.
agree wholeheartedly. since when was TV mandatory for survival? if anyone who chose to ignore or fail to get more info in response to 4 years of warnings scrolling on tv, in print ads, and talked about on every single news station, then they only have themselves to blame.
it's crap like this that prevents our country from progressing into the future... we have this desire to halt progress indefinitely for the few who are too dumb to even breathe for themselves. if you dont know about the changeover by now, it's because youd ont watch tv anyways.
It'll be like the ending of Cable Guy.
"crap, TV out... hmm, what other entertainment is within reach."
I am a little upset that the vouchers are gone. I have 2 TV's with rabbit ears in the house. I don't like paying for cable or sat, especially since I don't watch much TV. It's not that I didn't know it was coming... I'm just a lazy procrastinator.
If these people get their news from the TV and haven't noticed the warnings and messages over the past year, then delaying it a month or 2 will make not difference at all. You can't fit 2 gallons in a thimble, no matter how slow you pour.
The switchover may decrease the viewing numbers of their propaganda machine, so of course they want it delayed.
Those who do not know about it the day of the cut off, will just have to wake up the next day and learn the hard way. Someone's gonna be pissed, but who gives a damn. It's their own fault. Oh, well.
Here is the problem:
1. The Government raised $19 Billion last year in an auction for the wireless airways.
2. The Government only allocated $1.34 Billion for Set-top boxes.
3. 5 Million Consumers are unable to get Set-top boxes because the $1.34 Billion is spent.
4. In other words, the current government is not providing the services it promised for the transition.
5. The Consumers Union requested yesterday that the transition be delayed.
6. So friends, this is not about progress or lack of progress. The Obama administration has no choice. You do not cut off service to millions of consumers if the digital transition has not been planned and managed properly. How can you say it is the people’s fault if we are now learning that the planning was faulty? How can the government run out of money when $19 Billion was collected for the transition? Where did most of that money go? This is an example of the serious problems that need to be fixed in aspects of the administration of the government.
7. So my conclusion is, if there is a problem, then you have to stop and fix it. The Obama team is doing the responsible thing by reviewing the impact of the transition. If we have waited 6 or more years to transition, then we should be willing to wait a few more months.
8. The people on this site are technologically savvy. How would you like to buy a new Notebook computer only to find out that the manufacturer rushed an incomplete product to market?
Next thing you know, Obama's gonna delay the imminent US transition to the metric system.
...wait...
@deyanimay
WTF?? When your TV stops working, you go and get a new one!! Even old farts know that!! If their TV stops working you think they'll just sit there stupid on the couch forever wondering what happened?? NO! they go to an electronics store to buy a new one and then get edumacated!!
No one's going to be clueless longer than it takes to get to the nearest store.
Anyone here who is against the move for fear of understanding the technology reasons is just as stupid as the people who don't have a converter already. The rebate issue/funding is another story.
Obama broadcasts many of his ideas and plans to the American people through TV. I would be willing to guess that his is more concerned with his reach to the people than the actual switchover.
He takes office Jan. 20th... Feb 17th millions of Americans could be cut off from him. By the time Obama gets bailouts and plans going the switchover will be during the heart of the time he feels HE needs to communicate.
@Bob: NObama team? I see you been sitting quietly in your trailer waiting for this to happen. (you lost, get over it)
There's no good way to tell all the geriatrics they're simply incompetent. Get it the hell over with already.
this switch over needs to happen quit stalling
YES YES!!! I just LOVE the occasional pixelation I get with this new and awesome switchover! Plus switching channels is a breeze! Just about 3 times longer than the old method!
VeganFreak, get a new TV so you can appreciate the all of the good that comes along with the bad you mentioned.
@VeganFreak
Yes, because a $20-$30 powered antenna costs WAY too much.
Good. Just good, for the reasons stated. No coupons, and a lot of the little old ladies don't know wth DTV is.
Yeah, those commercials that explain it aren't clear enough. If I saw a commercial saying that if I don't go to the nearest electronics store and get a box for $40 I'll lose TV, I'll just pretend like it won't happen, maybe that will make it go away.
Well your also not a technophobe. So let's say some old lady did buy one of these boxes. Say she attempts to hook it up to her TV. Oops, the converter box only has coax! Well, now you expect her to drive down to RadioShack and buy an adapter, cause her 1970s Sony doesn't have a cable input! Now this confused old lady is going to do all this because obviously she just knows how to. Old lady isn't going to pay attention to a commercial mentioning digital thisorthat. Not every old person has a kid/grandkid that can do all this for them.
So what are we supposed to do ? Wait for the old lady to die so there is no need for her to either figure out how to install the converter or find someone who can help her ?
I work at a local TV station and we are constantly doing tests where we literally interrupt the program on the Analog signal with public service announcements saying "If you see this, you need to get the converter box" and yes we fully expect that the phones will be ringing off the hook for all those folks who aren't paying attention or just don't get it!
It needs to get done... Let's do it and deal with the problems on the other side!
@Jimbo, "Not every old person has a kid/grandkid that can do all this for them."
That's what the GeekSquad, "white glove installation", PC Richard Home Install, is for, stupid!
Once they realize the TV is not working they'll go to the store to buy a new one assuming it's broken... same shit I'd do if my TV stopped working. Then BestBuy et. al. would inform them it's possible they only need a converter (if they're nice).
This is going to be widespread, so everyone's going to be educated real fast as how to fix it regardless if they understand the technology causing it.
Absolutely not, the sooner the transition the sooner the 700 Mhz block can be used for a variety of new purposes. Also remember the "reason" for this spectrum switchover is to allow emergency workers to have a new source of information - What more important, people being able to watch their OTA TV or the emergency workers being able to "more effectively communicate?"
So much for change...
It's Hope and Change. As in they hope you won't notice there isn't going to be much change.
I don't like this "change" one bit.
Oh get over it you idiots... Obama is going to be great, not just for the country as a whole, but particularly with regards to science, technology, broadband, etc. I could only imagine the nightmare of having that crazed nutcase from Alaska around for the next four years ...
For someone who relies so heavily on teleprompters, you'd think he'd welcome the transition to clearer, superior T.V.
Wasn't the purpose of this transition for national security (id est: frequencies for 911) as a response to what happened during 9/11?
We've had plenty of time to make arrangements over the years when this was first announced, why delay it any more because of so many procrastinators?
nope, get it over with already!
Another shining example of democrats holding us back, all for the benefit of the lowest common denominator.
Support and education insufficient? I'm sick of seeing all the commercials about the change-over. They're everywhere. They should do it as planned.
agreed! my 65 year old grandparents are well aware, well prepared and they can't even read. And they knew about all of it and were prepared before i even had a chance to inform them myself. there is absolutely no excuse.
jBiber @ Jan 8th 2009 7:02PM
Absolutely not, the sooner the transition the sooner the 700 Mhz block can be used for a variety of new purposes
this
NO!
(1) They've delayed enough as it is.
(2) We're practically within a month now. If you haven't heard, you're either not paying attention or an idiot.
(3) We're freeing up the spectrum for a reason.
...(a) Digital is better
...(b) We can use it for other things, like that whole emergency coordination spectrum thing.
If you're worried about there not being enough money in the coupon program, then write them a goddamned check and get it done with!
Ahhh, your government at work. No need to get frustrated. Expect incompetence. Expect stupidity.
Don't expect anything different (change).
I'm sorry - but I am tick and tired of those ads and all the mentions on the local news, etc. If someone doesn't even know this is coming I have absolutely no sympathy. I want those ads to STOP and I'm counting down to the day of the switchover. I'm not opposed to a delay - if I wouldn't have to hear about it ever again.
We've known about this for long enough...so if people didn't switch over yet, it's their own faults.
This cut-over has been planned for the better part of the past decade, and every analog TV station in the US is all set to go. To hold up the process now would probably be MORE disruptive to MORE people. It would certainly be of some incremental cost to the TV stations.
Bad idea.
I live in a town with a lot of people with extraordinarily low IQ and although I want this transition to be done and over with, I expect there to be some serious problems with the forementioned people and their reaction to the "loss of TV"
I don't care how low your IQ is, if a commercial comes on and says "purchase this box or you will lose TV in February," that's kind of a no brainer isn't it?
I know, I know, but that doesn't mean they listen. I swear all across the country there will be people saying; Where my TV? Ma ma MY TV no work. MY TV NO WORK duuuuuh. ME MAD!!!!
It's techo-darwinism. if you can't keep up, you lose. let the unprepared fall into a pit of their own demise
Everyone has had plenty of time to get the converter box or a new TV that supports a digital tuner. The people who are stuck out now will be stuck out at the exact date that congress plans (if at all) to push back the date. At some point, the consumer must take responsibility in their (in)action.
Seriously, the current analog TV standard is way older than it should be. Just pull the plug already.
he's not even the president yet.
He will be after he and McCain steal the hope diamond.
Boom, baby.
"Fundage"?
Also, what is it with "insufficient education"? There have been a few networks that have been scrolling the info about the changeover for about a year!
I think the insufficient eductation needs to be lumped in with all the misinformation that stores like Best Buy had been proprogating for such a long time. Part of why the goverment doesn't have any more vouchers are because people like my mom, who didn't understand the transition affects only people who watch over the air TV. She has basic cable and doesn't need the converter box or a new TV in fact.
So I bet that not only is it that there are people who had no clue what's gonna happen in Febuary, but there are going to be a huge number of people who will realize that they stressed out over getting a converter box that they didn't need.
Oy.
regardless how long you push it back, there are going to be people that wont know whats happening to their TVs when the switchover is happening. I say the best thing to do is just go through with it and have be done with. This country doesnt need to waste any more money pushing this back any further.
At this point if you dont know what is happening its your own damn fault.
We need to get ahead of time, we should not let Japan pas us again in tv tech we need to broadcast super high vision by 2015, if Japan can do we we can to.
Actually Japan can keep their stuff have you seen the kind of horrible DRM they're going to have when they switch over in 2011.
I ll take all of the drm in world for these specs http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/14/33-megapixel-super-hi-vision-ultra-hdtv-could-be-on-the-air-in/ i would kill to to a proper working 22.2 system. and the resolution
IMPEACH HIM!
If people haven't been educated about this by then, well tough shit for them. I see ads like crazy about the DTV transition. Now is not the time to second-guess this decision. Just get rid of analog and be done with it.
Wouldn't the switchover be a good thing for the economy? You will have people buying new TVs or new Tuners. You also have the sale of the bandwidth now available.
I wonder if an advocacy group or lobbyist is behind this push?
The lobbyist group behind this would be the Consumers Union.
Didn't they postpone it enough? I think everyone should know about it, I do, and have for a while, I use analog for tv and i don't care about the switchover, i don't watch tv, and when I do, I'm really bored so it's not important.
@Daniel
Japan has passed us in several technology things, they had analog HD (sucked but worked), they had HDTV before us, they had 3G (cellular) before us, and they will probably have Super high vision completed by the time we are 100% HDTV. But we still beat them in other areas (just saying for some people)
(this isn't directed at you Montusama, just you and Daniel make this post the most relevant)
I love how everyone praises Japan so much in technology; you ever wonder why japan has alot of the cool stuff first???????? Gee maybe it has something to do with the fact the they have the the second highest GDP in the world and that the whole country can probably fit inside California. I'm not dissing on Japan or anything I'm a bit of a Japanophile myself. It just annoys the crap out of me that everyone thinks japan is a techno super race when it's mostly just a simply matter of size, the amount of electronic company's they have(they have to test their new stuff someplace don't they), and the ability to get it all over the country in a very sort amount of time. Infact if you go over their for a trip or vacation you'll see their not that much far ahead or have any less techilliterate people then then any other country they're actually somethings that their behind in. So please people keep these simply things in mind next time your talking about how japan is technically superior to everyone.
sorry for the rant this has been boiling in me for months
Digital TV - what's that? I've barely made the transition to color for Christ's sake!!!
Why should anyone here care when the switchover happens?
Several large cable orgs are delaying the deployment of new technology and projects until after the transition. This will hork up every product roadmap in the industry for two years, which delays more/better services to consumers like me.
God help us!
If the cut-over doesn't happen the least wealthy (and statistically least educated and most obese) of the U.S populace might have to get off the sofa, or even read a book! Won't somebody please THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
Team Obama... I love you... but you've got to be ****ing kidding. The only way someone could have missed the DTV transition is my willful ignorance. It's on TV, it's on the radio, it's on billboards. What the hell else do you want?
Team Obama, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways. 0, -1, -2, -3, -4... This just shows how out-of-touch with reality all these idiots are.
I thought Obama "got" it, I guess not.
Just pull the switch already. The digital transition has been in underway for how many years now? The cut off has been set and rescheduled how many times? Has been set to Feb 17 for how long? If people have been too damn lazy to get their coupon and their converter box by now, too bad so sad. If they move the date back again, the procrastinators will again wait until the last minute, then start whining about the expense and the inconvenience. Just get it done already.
This is exactly what this country needs. We need to buckle down and by god, make sure everybody is prepared for the TV change. Thank the Lord above there are no more pressing issues.
Sure, there are more pressing issues. But isn't the bigger issue here whether this is a bellweather on how willing (or unwilling) our population is to embrace new, better technology. It is all well and good to talk about the need to embrace 21st century technologies (be it DTV or alternative energy), but there will always be sacrifice involved - at least at first. Some people will suffer reduced OTA signal quality (and/or need a new antenna), others will really find converter boxes cost prohibitive. Within a few years, people will adapt. Inexpensive TVs (w/ integrated digital tuners and second-hand converter boxes) will flood the market. There may be some short-term angst, but in the long run these are the growing pains of progress (and clearer signal + less bandwidth + more content + emergency notification = progress).
Cut it off. When people realize that they can't get the signal, then that little voice in the back of their head will say "remember that commercial about getting the rebates for the converters?" Oh yeah, you were too distracted to take the time and request them. Now, deal with it and pay for price for them. Besides, tv is not a necessity. There's always radio too. AM radio has better reach than any tv signal. So, pull the switch and get this over with.
gah.....this is ridiculous.
Anyone who doesn't know about the switchover and hasn't made preparations in the like 6+ years its been known about.......doesn't deserve to watch TV...it'll only make them stupider.
If you haven't figured it out by now, you wont with 6 months or a year, so let's get on with it. YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeHaaa!!! Sorry Grandma.
Unfortunately, the technicians who actually have to do the changeover have not been very vocal about the potential downsides.
The frequency and power output allocations for all of the new stations was determined by the FCC only using input from the stations - the transmitters - and not the cable franchises - the receivers.
Doing a switchover that involves antennas on towers in the middle of the winter is an absurd idea.
Wonderful. That site basically says: You're doing it all wrong. Buy our product and services and we'll make it right. How do you fall for that crap?
When else would they do it? Maybe to you winter seems a bad time because your area is covered in snow. Here winter is nice but summer is so prohibitively hot. So no matter what time, it's never gonna be a good time weather-wise somewhere in the US.
Screw that crap. TV is not a right. How much more public funds need to be spent so that people with 5 TVs can get these boxes for their 4th TV in the basement and 5th TV in the basement?
Radio is as far as anyone needs to get news or important announcements. Why should I wait/spend money for people to watch The Bachelor?
All the people who haven't figured it out will soon start wondering why their TV doesn't work anymore. They'll figure it out soon enough. This is a ridiculous lowest common denominator ploy. I'm tired of all of us smart people who PAY ATTENTION to the world around them being dragged down by those that sit around and wait for things to be given to them. Get up and help yourself for a change!
As William F. Buckley once said, "I'd rather have my life ruled by the first 50 people in the Boston telephone book than by the entire faculty at Harvard."
And, thus begins the Mommy-state.
no stalling is needed, to just them funding so those who still need coupons can get them, no stalling needed, only money. Let it go ahead.
There will always be those who are not ready. It can't be delayed forever. Switch it over and those who aren't ready will get with the program or join a bowling league.
If its hard to imagine that people would still not about this after four years, let me let you in on something. Old people are down right stupid. I work for medicare and everyday I hear old people say, whats the Part D (which came out in 2006 and been plastered over every piece of mail they get). Soilet Green doesn't seem like a half bad idea to me now, minus the eating them part.
silly Obama, the internet is now the opiate of the people....
Seriously, run the analog signals for a week telling people what to do.
Good riddance, now only to cut off all SD broadcasting as well and move into real TV
Cheap people be damned!
Looks like the NAB's money was well spent.
TV? That still kicking around?
Oh, good. Another reprieve before I stop getting any broadcast signals at all because the only station that even comes in with a powered antenna and analog transmission here is CBS. Don't ask me why nobody else feels like broadcasting to half the goddamn state, but that's how it is.
People are still confused about what they can and can't use. At a holiday party some people were discussing the new TV they HAD to purchase since they soon would not be able to get cable TV. They said they got this new digital TV that would work after Feb. Another purchased a new TV since they were not going to be able to use their antenna anymore. I didn't interfere.
This is just ridiculous this transition has already taken well over a year. If people can't or just haven't taken the necessary steps to ensure that their precious T.V. programs aren't interrupted than it is no one's fault but their own. Not to mention the fact that if the transition is delayed than Comcast's DOCsis 3.0 will probably also be delayed and that means no 50 Mbps downloads anytime soon.
I've already got DOCSIS 3.0. : )
Do they really think that anyone who does not know about this by now would actually know AND do something about it by whatever date would be determined in the future?!?
Not no, but hell no. Flip the switch. Drop the hammer. Turn the damn thing off and be done with it.
Good - it should be delayed. Not everyone needs this hiRes junk - it's just TV.
I only agree with delaying it if the purpose of delaying is to get the funding for the coupons.
The fact of the matter is people are stupid and people procrastinate... there's going to need to be more coupons left even AFTER the change...
IF people by now don't know that digital TV is coming in a few weeks after all of these years, then they probably don't even watch much TV anyways.
I can understand Obama fighting for the poor folks out there, but this is not a communist society that everyone needs to have the same possessions at the same time. I thought it was time for change?
But what will happen to the series of tubes connecting me to this site? Will the turn off of TV affect my computer monitor? it is like a TV? OH my I am soooo confused. Can congress just send me some money to bail me out of my confusion. I only need a few million.
Has anyone done the research on the city in VA that went DTV only in October? Even knowing they would be the first for quite sometime, they had some 17,000 calls from residents confused or angry about the switch. Ignorance is the American way. Just push it out. And being someone who purchased a 50 inch plasma to have a good transition ...(and enjoy some sweet gaming), i'd like to start putting it to better use.
God forbid the sheep would be without their TV for more than a day. Oh the horror!
The people who lose their TV signal after the switchover shouldn't be watching TV.
Waaaaaaahhhh! Move on.