Poll: Are you ready for the digital TV transition?

OK, time to fess up. We know that a few of you (at least) forgot that the plug's getting pulled on analog broadcast TV a few sweet hours from now -- just like it totally slipped your mind the first time. So, what camp are you in? Either your hard work and preparation has paid off and you're among those lucky few million getting your after work Simpsons fix in all its digital glory, or soon you'll be relegated to watching your favorite shows through the windows of a Radio Shack. Either way, we're dying to know how your personal transition plans have fared.

Are you ready for the digital TV transition?

Yes! Are you crazy? I'm not going to risk missing a single episode of Howie Do It!Hardly. You're talking to a committed Hulu user.Broadcast TV? That is so 2008.What's a "digital" TV?Totally forgot -- again! Thanks.Vote

[EGOvoruhk @ Jun 11th 2009 9:07PM]

That video never gets old!

Oh old people, when will you learn?

[Andy @ Jun 11th 2009 9:10PM]

by the time when i have kids, they will have to read up on what rabbit ears are in a text book

[Derek @ Jun 11th 2009 9:55PM]

It sucks that Spike Feresten got canceled. The show is better than a lot of other dumb Fox shows...

[sk8rpro @ Jun 11th 2009 9:55PM]

Seriously. When I was in the States, I was pissed off how much Congress delayed the initial deadline - it shows that they're weak, and not willing to live up to their word. After months of advertising, the majority of people who listened were not rewarded.

Now, I currently am living in Korea to teach English. I must say you guys in the U.S.A. are lucky to have free TV. In any other country, from what I'm told, there's no such thing as Free TV. You have to pay for cable to get anything. It is much cheaper, but nonetheless, the fact that I have to pay to get anything is not as good as getting it for free - all I care about are just regular TV shows.

[Jarek @ Jun 11th 2009 10:03PM]

sk8rpro, you're an idiot. Plenty of countries have free (or "free" with a mandatory payment to the national broadcaster) over-the-air transmissions.

[Setnev @ Jun 11th 2009 10:38PM]

@sk8rpro

Ya I will admit, I was a little pissed when they didn't follow through with the February deadline...and I live in the US.

[AMiSH PiRATE @ Jun 12th 2009 4:11AM]

what's a TV?

[Why should I have all the fun? @ Jun 12th 2009 1:13PM]

She's an excellent actress. She's actually on Facebook and Twitter and runs her own gadget blog.

[Wwhat @ Jun 12th 2009 7:45PM]

@andy
"they will have to read up on what rabbit ears are in a text book"

Books? Really? In the future?

[Fyrewerx @ Jun 12th 2009 8:28PM]

According to Nielsen polls last week, people "under" 35 are 7 times more likely to not be "prepared" for the digital transition. That sort of mystified me -- I guess I overestimated our country's youth.

[Abhinav @ Jun 11th 2009 9:09PM]

Wonder what the stats are for the people who are yet to get coupons?

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 11th 2009 9:25PM]

From what I heard, it's 1 million, down from 6 million if it hadn't been delayed. They also said most senior citizens have caught up and it's mostly inner-city folks.

[Keith Myers @ Jun 11th 2009 9:10PM]

I assume those that are still on Analog are still using Dial Up

[laquain @ Jun 11th 2009 9:44PM]

I concur

[Mike @ Jun 11th 2009 10:36PM]

This is an incredibly poor assumption.

[The Angry Intern @ Jun 12th 2009 12:59AM]

not always. My parents live in a rather rural area, and they can get DSL, but the cable company won't go out that far, so they'd be stuck on OTA if they didn't have Dish

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Jun 12th 2009 4:05AM]

There are a lot of people on dial up, who don't have DSL, Cable, or Fios in their area. The only option is SATT and they know it's too expensive so those people stick with DIAL UP. I have met a few.

[justin.johnson3 @ Jun 12th 2009 9:46AM]

I find this hilarious, my University is turning off their free dialup service on July 1, and every single retiree and their son/daughter has called with some question about it.

On a related note, I'm glad the switch is finally going to happen. It should've happened back in Feb but meh, what can ya do?

[Eric Hoffstetter @ Jun 11th 2009 9:11PM]

I like to pay comcast $100/month for the discovery channel and comedy central, so I'm covered.

[Templarian @ Jun 11th 2009 9:17PM]

Comedy Central + Discovery + History Channel + Food Network

Without these shows cable is screwed and they know it.

[Link2877 @ Jun 11th 2009 9:20PM]

Damn your getting raped dude; o wait this is Comcast we're talking about never mind.
What cable package do you have?

[Levi @ Jun 11th 2009 9:58PM]

We're watching the Discovery Channel right now. Don't leave out the Science Channel!

And here I thought when I finally got cable I'd just be watching cartoons.

[THizzle7XU @ Jun 11th 2009 10:15PM]

@Templarian

I believe you are forgetting a little cable powerhouse known as ESPN. I'd put that on the list too.

[telepheedian @ Jun 12th 2009 10:19AM]

I don't think the average engadget user cares too much about ESPN.

[Justen Britain @ Jun 12th 2009 12:14PM]

ESPN ????? Isn't that like telepathy or telekinesis or something?

[Quantumphysics @ Jun 11th 2009 9:14PM]

My FIOS TV comes on the 20th.

[Alex @ Jun 11th 2009 10:11PM]

Let us know how it is.

[Mike @ Jun 11th 2009 10:38PM]

I would say that I hate you, but I would really just mean that I'm insanely jealous of you.

[lanejasper69 @ Jun 11th 2009 9:18PM]

In California it's estimated in LA alone 250,000 are NOT ready! Lazy asses!!! (I can understand if you don't have the dough) but most of it is sheer laziness I think. I mean they gave a year (or more) notice!!!! for 40.00!!! Skip a few crack rocks!!

[Sam @ Jun 11th 2009 9:31PM]

how much does a digital box cost to be honest? im pretty sure you could find enough money on the street for one

[madgic987 @ Jun 12th 2009 12:44AM]

A converter box runs somewhere between $40.01 and about $65 depending on what you want and where you look.

I know the common price seems to be about $50, so that the company selling them gets $10 off the sale. TigerDirect had them the other day for $40.01 ($0.01 after coupon) plus the standard tax/shipping.

It's not that expensive. If you can't afford the $10 it costs after your coupon, then you don't need to be worrying about TV.

[Rifter @ Jun 12th 2009 10:56AM]

Here in Idaho, the PBS station I work for is going to loose coverage in 6 or 7 areas. We are trying to get funding to add more transmitters to cover those areas, but when we go dark tonight, there are a LOT of people that will cease getting TV signals. That is one area where Analog is FAR superior to Digital.

The whole digital transition has to happen, but there are going to be millions of people that go dark. And, it is through no fault of their own.

[GingerFox @ Jun 12th 2009 12:51PM]

You guys in the US are getting raped on prices, in the UK you can get a Digital Box for around £15.

[Templarian @ Jun 11th 2009 9:18PM]

10am tomorrow morning everything switches (might be different due to location of course).

[madgic987 @ Jun 12th 2009 12:31AM]

It's noon-1PM (give or take) here with the local channels (Tampa Bay area). One channel's going digital at noon, with a second following up with a "digital newscast" or whatever of their viewer program at 12:30, and then full digital at 1.

For what it's worth, I just want the damn DTV ads to end. Considering my tax dollars paid for the commercials, they were extremely annoying.

[Epsilon-Not @ Jun 11th 2009 9:18PM]

I have a little 5-inch black and white TV that has nowhere to plug in a converter box, how tragic...

Otherwise, I use FiOS TV, so no problem there.

[Eric Schneider @ Jun 12th 2009 9:15AM]

Does it have an RF (Coaxial) antenna hook-up or raw antenna screws? If so, you can still use an RF modulator to convert S-Video or Composite from the DTV converter to your TV. I use a 30 year-old Sony Trinitron hooked to a PC with this method.

[Epsilon-Not @ Jun 12th 2009 5:43PM]

The only things in the back are the adjustment knobs and a headphone jack...

Anyway, I've been looking for an excuse to replace it with a small LCD anyway.

[ssoltero @ Jun 12th 2009 6:54PM]

It's so sad. The economy is so bad I had to downgrade from TiVo w/ ALL the sports and movie channels to rabbit ears.

Now every time a car drives by the audio and/or picture drop out. So sad.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 11th 2009 9:30PM]

Guess you shouldn't have splurged on the ripoff that is TiVo earlier.

[Sam @ Jun 11th 2009 9:32PM]

what did you have all your money in lehman bros?

[Will @ Jun 11th 2009 10:15PM]

You know.. if that tivo was an HD model then it works as an HD converter yeah?

[Barky @ Jun 11th 2009 10:41PM]

I'm on RCN in NYC and Tivo + cable card is less per month than RCN's HD DVR. The Tivo cost $200 up front though.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 12th 2009 12:29AM]

Still can't beat rolling your own Linux HTPC for $300 final.

[shaunisadirty @ Jun 12th 2009 9:25AM]

TiVo is so much better than any cable or sat company DVR. Unless you use it, you have no idea what you're missing.

[Zep @ Jun 11th 2009 10:22PM]

Believe it or not, there are a few of us out there that don't watch TV, regardless of the format. I have plenty of other ways to spend my time.

[peepeepants @ Jun 11th 2009 9:26PM]

I like to receive entertainment transmissions directly into my brain. Unfortunately, this means I have to pay with gallons of semen a month, which is a price barely worth it to watch Golden Girls and Unsolved Mysteries on Lifetime.

[Shiz @ Jun 11th 2009 9:26PM]

Comcast here, although we are ridding of the DVRs and full channel lineup to save money to something a bit basic.

[Badger_badger_badger @ Jun 11th 2009 9:32PM]

All my local channels switched in February.

[Peter @ Jun 11th 2009 10:43PM]

What state are you in? I live in Montreal (QC) but I get my OTA-DTV from Burlington VT and Plattsburg NY, and they also switched in February.