We're actually having a hard time believing this ourselves, but word on the street has it that the Senate is "on the verge of passing a bill that would
delay until June the date when TV stations must broadcast in
all-digital format." Without Congressional action, all TV stations will switch off their analog signals on February 17th -- a date that has been
blasted out to the general populace for years now. The issue is that
millions of Americans are currently on a waiting list for one of those
$40 vouchers, and evidently it'll take a few more months to get additional funding and clear the backlog. It's expected that the new
switchover date will soon become June 12th, and you can find all the fine print just down there in the read link.
[Via
TVWeek, thanks Vanbrothers]
posted Jan 22nd 2009 10:59PM
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
More months of waiting for daily announcements and crawlers to end? Aside from freeing up all the bandwidth for new services, what I was really looking forward to was not having to hear about this anymore.
No, it's Hill Valley. Although I can't imagine Hell being much worse!
-Doctor Emmett L. Brown
That's such crap. I don't want to sound mean in any light but come on. 40 bucks, who cant come up with 40 bucks instead of waiting for a voucher.
@ zioncat
Many people who have to choose between Meds, Food, and Rent.
@TavisJohn:
Anyone who can barely afford rent, medication, and food should not have television in the first place.
@ TavisJohn
Those people should not have a TV in the first place. They should be doing something else with their life. This $40 would come out of my pocket, not his. The people who already pay for digital TV are paying for these losers to continue their laziness.
Dude I understand that those left right now that this close to showtime its the poor the old and the ignorant but... I hate to admit it but I am fully on the "fuck these people" bandwagon. TV is not a necessity. Its a luxury. When they realize their shit doesn't work then they can get it taken care of.
There should never have been a "voucher program" in the first place. Colossal waste of taxpayer money.
When the government forced horses off the roads to make way for cars, it did not subsidize the horse owners.
Wow, you guys really are heartless SoBs. You do realize many of those older people are probably incapacitated or at the very least can't move a lot or drive for that matter. The only thing they have (and had for a lot longer than you idiots have been alive) is TV, which allows them to past their sh-tty life away because our country discourages the ability to end our lives when we're old and in pain.
Or another example: Did you grow up learning your f--king ABCs and 1-2-3s watching Sesame Street? What if your parents had to work constantly to survive and as a kid you were constantly babysat by your senile grandparents? Have some respect, everyone has the right to have access to a TV. People have been accustomed to having TV since its invention, and to pull the plug on millions just because you want your internet connections to get better is selfish and makes you all look like a bunch of snobby a--holes.
@ Dave B
Yes, because pushing back the DTV transition will make these people NOT incapacitated anymore so they can get up out of their chair and walk to Best Buy to get their DTV box. Sooo... Are they so incapacitated they can't pick up the phone and call Geek Squad? It doesn't matter how old or incapacitated you are, when they have been pushing the transition for YEARS and every other commercial is a frickin' "change out your box or you won't have TV," there is no excuse.
I don't see a few more months helping. For whatever reasons people haven't converted yet will keep them from converting by June. Pull the plug, a bunch of people will bitch and moan and be confused - either now or in June - and then they will deal with it in some fashion. It's TV, it isn't like we are cutting off support for old pace-makers in a few weeks and people will start dropping over dead.
Oh I'm all over the "screw 'em" bandwagon. It's been like 2 freaking years we've known about this, and it's 40 freaking dollars. If you didn't get in freaking line for 2 years, that's your own damn fault, and even if you didn't it's 40 dollars. And not 40 dollars for something you need to survive, 40 dollars for a luxury.
And don't give me this crap about old bedridden people that don't have 40 dollars or a family member to pick it up for them, they're all probably in some type of home anyway where that will be taken care of for them. The .000000000000000001% of other people that fall into your ridiculously limited category will be fine.
40 dollars, over 2 years. Give me a freaking break already. I'm sure at this point they've paid way, way over 40 bucks in that 2 year span for utility/phone bill increases, rent increases (because if someone can't afford 40 bucks, they sure as hell don't own a house), gas increases, etc. Stuff gets more expensive over time, deal with it.
Believe it or not, television serves a higher purpose than simply to entertain the unwashed masses. School closings, weather advisories, etc. scroll across the bottom of local stations continuously - even through commercials - while they are only listed on the radio occasionally.
The subsidy program is designed to assist those who can't afford to upgrade - they bought the TV in the first place, and it worked. The government then decided to completely change the signal that's been used for sixty years.
For those with bare-minimum utilities, forty dollars can pay for a month's Internet and telephone service. Forty can feed a person for a week. But, you know, telephone is also a luxury - maybe they shouldn't have that either.
That old crone in the photo is probably a lot more educated than the people that argue over nonsense at engadget.
A got my coupons a week or so back and I didn't even need them since two of my sets have ATSC tuners in them and I have broadband cable anyway. I should sell them to the highest bidder. 13 million tools out there let their coupons expire. $40 bucks off for some cheap-ass converter that's barely worth $20. Yet people are griping that they should push the transition date back. How the hell long is this transition going to take. They talk about the U.S. being a backwards country and maybe they are right. Everyone and their mother and 10 year-old child is walking around with cellphones mashed to their ears and they're worrying about people not being able to afford a converter box. Holy crap. Maybe if they turn the analog signal off it will force people to start reading books again.
@ the first comment
That is exactly what I was going to say sir.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
People have had plenty of time to prepare for this. If they're still watching TV over the air, they've seen the ads.
damnit!!! i just want this damn thing to be over. If you are gonna be affected by this and you haven't got the point by now after hearing it 150,000 times, then you never will. I'm tired of hearing about it!
clap-on! clap-off!
If thats her, than the clap-off to analog television should be a breeze!
hahaha where the hell did they get that picture, it's priceless
Is that a black and white TV?
so much for "change"...
This is NOT change we can believe in.
Certainly not, I was hoping to get more HD channels from this but now that might be delayed. Even though the announcement is loud and clear, people have not gotten the message. If not, too bad, just click the switch anyways. I have to pay for cable, why should I have to pay for someone to see it for free?
What are you talking about? Originally the date was Feb 17 and it has now been "changed" to June 12.
Are you kidding me? Anyone who isn't ready now, isn't going to be ready in june either. Let's get this done and let procrastinators play catchup.
Exactly.
Sadly, no matter what happens, a horde of old people will storm electronics stores demanding to know why their TVs stopped working.
"Ma'am, attach the round cable to the round port. No- no not the rectangle one. The round one. Yes, I know its complex, but I'm here to walk you through it ok? Now, are you sure your tv is plugged in?"
Don't be such an ass. Granma's not up to speed on tech but she's 10 times smarter than you.
Steve, you have obviously never had to walk an old lady through hooking up any sort of electronics over the phone. It sucks, especially because you have to act like plugging in a composite cable is brain surgery to make her feel better about being inept.
Also, since when did the government become responsible for our TV viewing? I think they should have given out 1 coupon per family. You only need one to be able to get emergency broadcasts. Actually, just sending everyone a battery powered portable radio would have been a lot cheaper. Seems kinda socialist that we need our government to support our TV addiction, especially since the only people who need the box are those who won't pony up for cable.
Like I said old people aren't great with technology but most of them are far more intelligent than you or I.
Part of being smart is being prepared. If they aren't ready by now after almost TWO YEARS of non-stop announcements then they won't be ready OR smart in June.
Steve is a granny chaser.
Steve, I think your confusing experience with intelligence. A stupid boy will become a stupid man and grow into a stupid old man. The brain power your born with is what you got.
Too bad 85% of this country is born with next to nothing.
a lot of people wont even realize this but thats EXACTLY what happens with the elderly. i didnt think pre coax tv's existed anymore like 5 or 6 old people have prooven me wrong. Personally i want to shoot whoever came up with that idea because its going to be a nightmare when it actually happens.
yes I actually have helped people hook these up, after you've delt with physically showing someone how to do it at least three times you'll feel the same way. that is until they actually call and ask how to do it AGAIN.
What an awesome picture.
Check out the video, it's even better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTSS8E7bKXg
Gee thanks 20th Century Fox.
Try this one instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w34nNux4Xw
Big John, I almost shit myself watching that video!
I'm still crying from laughing so hard... that video was too funny
This is crap.
Gosh darn it, Barack. Gosh. Darn it.
I like the idea, there are so many people that still don't know about the Big Switch. The government should definitely postpone the date until June so that they can release more commercials and advertisements warning Americans about the impending switch, all while producing more $40 vouchers.
Just kidding, this is a HORRIBLE idea. So they're gonna waste MORE taxpayer dollars to advertise and make more vouchers. Seriously? We'll need a third economic stimulus by the time this is over.
I am so sorry! I read the first line and instantly ranked you down. It's not like it was my decision to do so, it was just instinct! I am sorry. I hope that you will forgive me someday. But you seriously should put a warning at the top of your post saying to read the whole thing.
lol don't worry bro, it's just a comment ranking.
haha, i ranked you down after reading the first line...then read the rest and was like "Damnit!!!".
okay this is getting ridiculous.
same here...my bad bro
Alex, I ranked you down, too. PLEASE, PLEEEEEEEASE forgive me and have mercy on me!!
Hahahaha, joking, I read the whole post before ranking you up ;-)
@ AJ
lol I was like "seriously, this cannot be happening!" but thanks for the reassurance, and for reading the entire post
It's nice to know people have feelings.... :)
Is she talking on the remote?