Senate okays digital TV transition delay to June 12th
By Darren Murph 
posted Jan 26th 2009 8:05PM
posted Jan 26th 2009 8:05PM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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What the shit.
This is so much FAIL! Watching the TV tonight, I saw no fewer than 3 commercials in 1 hour talking about the transition on February 17th.
This delay will confuse people more than anything. Broadcasters can only remedy this situation by displaying messages like, "This is a non-digital channel. Upgrade your equipment immediately."
and the best part is i know 4 people that just got a new tv for the deadline xD
Engadget is less interesting when the rankings are broken.
O-Boo-ma
Just when you wished congress could act a little slower...
Am I the only one who doesn't really care? So I'll have to endure some more annoying ads for the transition, but there are plenty of annoying commercials anyway. Why is this such a bad thing?
I'd have to say between campaign ads and the DTV ads, I was hoping to get rid of them for about 2.5 years (being in Iowa the elections start 2.5 years after finished)...Great...that makes me so happy.
Gosh darn it Obama, you prick.
"Gosh darn it Obama, you prick."
Don't let CNN or MSNBC hear you say that.
@jere: i don't care, either. but it seems old people care, a lot, and since they vote in disproportionate numbers, government will listen to them over a bunch of tech geeks.
@jere
you dont get it, money was just spent to make this deadline, coupons ads etc etc. the deadline was it.
NOW we got a deadline extension, MORE money will be needed for new coupons, new ads etc... its a HUGE waste of money
adaptation works better when its fast, whats to stop another possible delay the next time ?
"But Rockefeller managed to ease some of these concerns by allowing broadcast stations to make the switch from analog to digital signals sooner than the June deadline if they choose and by permitting public safety agencies to take over vacant spectrum that has been promised to them as soon as it becomes available."
People, the companies CAN choose to turn it off sooner and most likely, many of them will. The only thing getting delayed is the absolute turn off for everyone (aka absolute mandate for everyone to legally air analog for the last time).
People should try to read the articles every once in a while.
@jere
You should care. It's our tax money. We are paying for it. No one wins except for politician.
Technology are constantly evolving. Many of our tax money was spent for the past few years for the transition and by delaying the transition, we have to fork over money to ignorant and stupid folks. Also, the value of the equipment depreciate and cost these tv station a lot of money to run both analog and digital signals. Also, those who purchase the analog signals for after the shut off are losing time. Time is money. So like I said before, the only winner is the politician since the mass is ignorant.
I don't get it though, Hawaii went digital already on Jan 15th.
and boom goes the dynamite..
Pussies.
only idiots that have to worry about this,are losers who dont subscribe to cable,dish or directv. other than that we all safe,except cheap ass mofos.,
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
We should have gotten our acts together a long time ago. We had the technology years ago for digital TV. But the US never adopted it because, it was too expensive. If we had done this years ago, we wouldnt have this problem, especially cause they're blaming the economy for the delay.
..
Great in June it will be delayed until October, followed by the year 2010 all digital coming soon..
When I voted for Obama, this wasn't the change I had in mind.
Yeah, I didn't vote for him, but I do have hope for his success.
This, however, is a mistake. This is shaking thing up for the sake of change, not progress. I hope we don't see more actions like this one, because it represents a decision that doesn't provide enough benefit. Especially considering how the space has already been sold. We need to move on with this transition.
The change I envision based on his first week is pocket change.
@Wii60
Not really. They're delaying the switch for 4 months because the entire country isn't ready. It's the responsible thing to do.
I don't see why anybody could think this is a bad thing - aren't the digital channels being broadcast simultaneously? What do you care if the parallel analogue transmission is going to keep going for a few months longer so people other than yourselves can get ready?
Get yourselves switched, and there's no need to waste any more brainpower thinking about it.
They spent millions advertising this date and now will have to spend millions on the new date. We care because its a huge f'ing waste of money. Extending the date won't do anything more than allow people to procrastinate 4 more months.
@ KarlW
Except that they have plans to use the frequencies that will be freed up by the transmission for something more useful than outdated technology...
KarlW why delay it any longer people have had 2 years to get ready, even poor families saving $1-2 a month for those 2 years could afford a converter box by now, there is no excuse.
Get used to the feeling.
@ KarlW
It is NOT the responsible thing to do! The problem is not that these people are not ready is that they want a hand out from the GOVERNMENT. The government allocated x number of dollars for vouchers and people gobbled them up and many people took them who do not even have over the air TV's they have cable or sat. Then started hawking them on ebay. So my opinion is if you did not get in line early and get one you are now SOL and so be it. It is not like they are not on store shelves. My local Wal-mart and Best Buy had dozen's of these on shelves last weekend.
But now that the "chosen one" is in office we are starting to see his socialism at work. We need more GOVERNMENT welfare i mean assistance for the bottom feeders who like handouts.
Why don't you guys stop by Circuit City and get one for 10-20% off??
Please drop the "socialism" bit. If you care to look into it, Obama's actually right of center. If you want an actual leftist, we could have elected Dennis Kucinich, instead. Obama's policies actually come up to the right of Bill Clintons, by a fair margin.
It's just that after 8 years of near-fascist right wing policies, a centrist like Obama seems like a big change to those people hiding behind W's apron.
@ KarlW
time to get ready!??!?! are you serious!?!?!?
If you had never ever heard of it and I told you about the transition today for the first time, then two weeks should be wayyy more than enough time for you to turn off that analog tv, get your ass off the couch, and get down to the store to pick up a converter box.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS and I can't believe it was pushed back again! It was already pushed back 3 years! if that wasn't enough time, then these 4 months aren't really gonna solve much.
Actually zero, Bush was a borderline liberal. Obama is a flat out socialist. But I'm sure that your brain rotted pMSNBC brain can't handle a little thought on that issue. How about this one: follow the money! You commies seem to love that line when a republican is in office. How about now? Who benefits from this delay? No don't run away crying to Olbermann he won't tell you. Obama's chief tech advisor is in bed with Sprint and the longer they can delay the airwaves from going to Verizon's control the more money they make. And you can bet a HUGE chuck of that profit will be dumped into Barry's re-election campaign.
love the pic.
Then you absolutely must see the movie.
This picture depicts the type of people who come to Best Buy for the converter boxes to an absolute "T."
wow u beat me to it. i headed over here to say those exact words.
You... cannot... be... serious...
Nope. I'm Shirley. As in "Shirley, you jest".
Why? This is stupid. They've had 10 years to get their act together. If they haven't by now, then guess what...they aren't going to before June 12th either. It's called progress people.
Is there any reason why a tv station *can't* do the transition on Feb. 17? I hope a bunch of them do, and just move on. If a few do, the rest will follow. Have there been major problems in Hawaii, South Dakota, NC, and other places? No. People figure it out.
Besides, better to stimulate the economy with TV purchases now than in June.
It's not for the sake of the TV stations, it's for the sake of the consumer. That's what the delay is all about. Well, that's too bad. If you don't watch enough television to have seen any of the commercials about applying for the coupons and getting the converter boxes for the past year then you don't watch enough television to really be worried about the transition. I'm saying this as a guy who makes a lot of money by selling these things. The only people who come in now asking for them are idiots who put shit off too long. I don't care whether they're old or don't understand English (I live in the Southwest), it's their fault for not having gotten the boxes.
Please don't do this!
Too late.
Cause the government has so much extra money to spend on more advertising for this.
Elected Officials FTW. Cause they sure do know what's right.
I hope all the Corps that are ready for the switchover go ahead and do it. Only way to teach the government something is to show it the right way to do things.
Okay, so you have a voucher to upgrade your big old livingroom TV, but what about the crappy little one in the kitchen, and in your bedroom, and out on the back porch?
People, even low tech people, don't just own one TV.
That's why you could get up to two. And if you need more than two, then your probably rich enough to afford the extras on your own. Anyone who owns 4 TVs, probably could afford basic cable after all.
I do...
@archer823
Having multiple TVs doesn't make you rich, and the fact that people need more than two coupons is evidence of that because if they didn't need all of them, they wouldn't bother complaining. I own 10 TVs, all but one of them are analog, and yet the government says I'm poor. Besides, if they were rich wouldn't they just go out and buy new TVs?