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46 Comments
- borez, on 01/09/2009, -1/+16Some poor old dear, will wake up Thursday morning, turn on the TV and not have a clue what's happening. she'll probably just think the TV's buggered and that will be that, no more TV.
- lovemorgul, on 01/08/2009, -2/+16Thanks for helping clear up the product blog confusion regarding the transition to Digital TV.
- JoeB4ever, on 01/09/2009, -1/+12http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy-pD-M0rY4&fea ...
- Tobey, on 01/09/2009, -1/+12This is front page news, why?
- JoeB4ever, on 01/09/2009, -3/+11You guys should be thankful you don't work at a electronic retailer where all you get is old ass customers wondering why they got the flashing screen when they have the converter box.
THE DIGITAL STATION IS THE STATION WITH A "-1" AFTER IT!!!
sorry, I had a ***** day at work. - midbc, on 01/09/2009, -0/+7because there are still people in the world that have VCR's that are flashing 12:00 and refer to their TV's as magic picture boxes
- dorkus9999, on 01/09/2009, -0/+7What a garbage test... 1 hour long on some random day... what if people dont watch TV 24/7... im sure most people who are not ready for digital dont watch TV religiously already... so the test is skewed. Most of those people wouldent see the message because they wern't watching in the first place. So saying only 200 people phoned in is an inaccurate guestimate of the problem.
- gidd, on 01/09/2009, -1/+7FTA: "Matthew Todd was one of the 6% in Augusta who learned from the test on his screen, that he’ll need a converter box. Luckily, he’s already bought his and is excited about the new change."
So... Matthew Todd already bought a converter box, and then learned that he needed one?
Then, FTA: "Matthew Todd, ready for DTV switch: “I got my converter box a couple of months ago because I heard about the digital switch that was upcoming and everything.”"
So, he learned about the digital switch a couple of months ago, bought the box, and then later learned that he needed the box? Meanwhile, he's had the box gathering dust in the garage or somewhere?
I think either Matthew Todd or the reporter or both are idiots. - astyguy, on 01/09/2009, -0/+6A lot of old poor people without internet access are going to lose their TV .....
- UnFriendlyFire, on 01/09/2009, -0/+6FTA-The government mandated switch from analog to digital cable...
FAIL-It's not cable it's broadcast. - theonlywizdum, on 01/09/2009, -0/+6It's not that goddamn confusing. Why can't people figure this out?
- jamesdew, on 01/09/2009, -0/+5I believe the poster was referring to pensioners, do you want pensioners back in work?
- Nerys, on 01/09/2009, -0/+5Sadly its not as simple as that. I am not too concerned about "watching" tv come the switch. I am worried when my landlord tries to set up her VCR to record dancing with the stars and finds out its never going to work again converter box or not without a lot of work.
I am worried when my grand pop finds out the DVD Recorder we bought him a few years ago is never going to be able to record "scheduled" programming ever again
I am worried about all the portable TV's that are going to die and there is ZERO replacements for them.
My Dad was fine with the switch (we are all cable) but was LIVID when I informed him oh yeah the 97mhz channel you listen to in the car? Not gonna work anymore.
There is a TON of crap with this switch over that the industry has made ZERO effort in fixing in 10 frelling years.
They seem to want everyone to think OH just hook up this converter box and all will be well. SURE if you just a reguklar lemming who does nothing but be a good consumer and only watches television LIVE sure it will all be normal.
REAL people have lives. REAL people use a VCR or DVDR or TIVO to record there stuff.
ALL that's going to fail when we make the switch because the industry is ACTIVELY avoiding dealing with the RECORDED side of television and I think its intentional.
I found VERY few "options" (ie DVDR VCR with ATSC tuners) and the FEW I found are NOT available in retail stores and are VERY expensive (the cheapest was a $200 dvd vcr combo and I have yet to find anyone selling it)
I have not found a single AUDIO receiver or portable hand held TV yet (found a few VERY LARGE not very portable portable units and they are expensive as hell $180)
We are NOT ready for this switch and its NOT the consumers who are unprepared.
Here is what we SHOULD have for he switch.
a Converter box that has an industry wide mandated unified interface (and 100% OPEN without exception) and a buit in broad spectrum tuner module so it can take all the DTV channels you receive and "assign" and "transmit" them on a standard array of VHF UHF freq's over the cable wire so TO YOUR TV it will simply see normal analog channels.
this way YOUR TV and your VCR and your DVDR and your TIVO can "change channels" and continue to function.
at the MINIMUM this is what they should be required to produce. in 10 years not one box is remotely like this. - EvilFerret, on 01/09/2009, -0/+5I would hate to be working for the call centers handling those calls...ugh, nightmare. Some of the elderly can be extremely stubborn, I can imagine getting angry calls from some of them.. "What the ***** do you mean I have to buy some box?? You think I was born yesterday? This is scam I'm calling the police if you don't turn my TV back on!!"
- dext3r, on 01/09/2009, -0/+5it might propagate easier (not sure if this is actually correct, doesn't matter though), but when it fails, it breaks hard. instead of fuzz, you get artifacts and dropped audio. in chicago (downtown), i get dropped info on almost every channel. its gotten better over the past couple months because I'm assuming stations are slowly ramping up power, but ive still heard a ton of complaints from other people. (also, i rent, so i cannot use a roof antenna)
- MrDave2176, on 01/09/2009, -0/+5This is stupidity on a massive level if people can't figure this out. The sorts of people who don't get this concept are why we still use the imperial measurement system and why we have people still using Windows95. For Christ's sake people, let it go! Its not that huge an inconvenience to pay attention and make a simple change to your lives.
- adammharvey, on 01/09/2009, -0/+4how the hell did this get popular? this is redundant crap
- rebrad, on 01/09/2009, -0/+4Just another example that if you want something done wrong and overpriced, let the government do it. If you ever hear the quote "I'm from the government and I'm here to help", run don't walk because your life, liberty and happiness is in danger.
- linagee, on 01/09/2009, -1/+5Then she gets a job. Rinse, repeat for thousands of others. End of recession. This is the perfect year to be doing this switch.
- borez, on 01/09/2009, -0/+4@amesdew: I believe I was [referring to pensioners]
You never know, linagee may be a slave driving socialist. - ricksite, on 01/09/2009, -1/+5You really don't know the techniques sales people use to sell service plans? Have you never been to BestBuy?
- cawfee, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3I was half expecting this to be in the first 5 comments.
- Barackalypse, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3You have no concept of statistical sampling methods, do you? You don't actually need to run a test like this 24 hours a day for a month to capture 90% of the tv viewing audience, simply doing it a few times in properly chosen time-slots will accomplish that.
- JoeB4ever, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3I don't think you know the definition of the word con.
- razrielle, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3Well almost all T.V.s being sold now should not need it but many older ones would. He could have bought his T.V. before it was mandated that they needed the stickers put on them if they weren't compatible
- freezerburn666, on 01/09/2009, -0/+3i built a sweet coat hanger antenna that gets me HDTV now :D
- linagee, on 01/10/2009, -0/+2@borez: Only a socialist would say that pensioners do not have to work.
- astrotrain, on 01/09/2009, -2/+4Digital TV.... more hype then the year 2000 bug.
The signal does not travel as far as analog.... and its causing more confusion then a hungry baby in a topless bar.
And when Feb hits, and we move over... everyone is going to wonder, WTF was that all about!, and the government is going to think "there is another wasted idea... along with the changing daylight savings time..." - EvilFerret, on 01/09/2009, -2/+4My god.....you haven't scanned??? GET OUT OF THE HOUSE
- BT1000101, on 01/09/2009, -1/+3I am glad that the people reporting about the switch stopped making people think their TV's would explode or not do ANYTHING after it happens. A bunch of poor souls probably thought their TV's would not even run their DVD players anymore. Analog broadcast quality is total crap and should be replaced. I have Dish Network as my main service, and an ATSC tuner in my computer, because I do watch some network shows with it. The thing I like about digital is it propagates easier than analog. Using the same antenna and coax I used for analog, my digital signal is rock solid whereas my analog reception can nicely be described as total *****!
- dralezero, on 01/09/2009, -0/+2orgy
- JoeB4ever, on 01/09/2009, -0/+2who let you out of your cage?
- vdogg89, on 01/09/2009, -0/+2you should see my grandpa try to save a word document...
- Totz83, on 01/09/2009, -1/+3hittup 2 dots slashes period waw waw waw
lmao xD - stalky14, on 01/09/2009, -0/+2+10 diggs from me. Nobody pays attention to this.
Someone needs to do a transparent converter, although it would be comparatively expensive, as it would need a separate ATSC tuner, D->A and RF modulator for each channel. It's also unlikely that the modulated channels would be in their original locations, since consumer-grade modulators tend to barf sideband all over the place.
That said, if you can get a whole single-channel converter box for $50, then one that does enough channels for the average 6-channel city (4 networks, PBS, and an independent) with a common power supply and case and no need for a remote SHOULD be able to come in at $300 or less.
The homebrew way of doing this would be to build your own "headend in a closet". Buy 6 $50 converter boxes and some tunable UHF modulators, a couple 1->6 splitters and a couple distribution amps, add cabling and roof antenna and you're good. Problem is, you'll spend considerably more than $300, and then you have to wonder if the money is better spent on buying a nice HD DVR or just subscribing to networks-only cable for a few years. - vdogg89, on 01/09/2009, -0/+2its called a job. you should consider it.
- antdude, on 01/09/2009, -1/+3Then, don't work there.
- Subvertz, on 01/09/2009, -5/+6But Obama just asked the FCC to delay the change. I guess he didn't get the word.
- AfroNemesis, on 01/09/2009, -1/+1Hmm.
- ricksite, on 01/09/2009, -6/+6Are you also forced to con people into service plans? That would suck too.
- jgarland79, on 01/09/2009, -3/+3Scan your TV! Scan your converter box! WTF does that mean?
- dext3r, on 01/09/2009, -8/+7Let's just abandon DTV altogether since it seems we're all too retarded to successfully roll this thing out over the course of a decade.
NTSC FOR LYFE DIGGA - JoeB4ever, on 01/09/2009, -6/+4how do you con someone into buying a service plan?
is this matchstick men? - thesomkid, on 01/09/2009, -5/+3Snap!! I am too broke to make the switch. Will take donations though.
- TurnipFarm, on 01/08/2009, -9/+4This is so boring.
- charris2587, on 01/09/2009, -8/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZfvu1r6JFM
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