What is Digg?404 Comments
- midoritsuru, on 02/03/2008, -9/+167This is the perfect time to abandon TV as an information medium.
- EatingPie, on 02/03/2008, -17/+138Anybody on Cable, DirectTV, Dish Network, FIOS, etc.,etc., DO NOT NEED A CONVERTER. They already have one with their service.
It is ONLY for Over-The-Air service (antenna on the TV/Roof). These are typically people who can't afford or can't receive cable service (etc.).
-Pie - iPirate, on 02/03/2008, -4/+108Why do you sign all of your comments?
- Zoshchenko, on 02/03/2008, -3/+70Is TV going to suck less when it goes digital?
- xobecide, on 02/03/2008, -5/+63He assumes when we read his comments we believe they are amazing feats of human intelligence, cry out for his name, and, alas, it is revealed.
-Pie! - QuickeningYak, on 02/03/2008, -1/+56Lobbying in action.
- JoeVet, on 02/03/2008, -4/+53You do know that this is only for people who use rabbit ears or antennas? If you have cable its not needed.
- Theoxenmooving, on 02/03/2008, -5/+52you're an idiot. In 2009, all broadcasts will be digital. The're not 'allowing' people to watch analog TV; they're enabling them to watch digital TV.
- soccernamlak, on 02/03/2008, -7/+52No. But at least it will suck in beautiful digital, high-definition quality!
- strictnein, on 02/03/2008, -0/+39You were spending $120+ a month on TV alone?
- SavingDiva, on 02/03/2008, -5/+44I applied about a month ago, but I still haven't received any coupons. I can't exactly afford to upgrade my TV to digital....so I need one of the boxes....
- quiggibub, on 02/03/2008, -1/+37I don't use TV as an information source. I use it to be entertained.
- mordeci, on 02/03/2008, -6/+42Dear all of you idiots talking about free handouts and whining about this coming out of YOUR tax dollars. As stated many times, this is coming out of the sale of old analog tv spectrum. The government was actually intelligent enough to recognize that there are millions of non-digital ready TVs in this country and it would be wrong/possibly illegal to render them all completely useless (for OTA, anyway). They had 2 choices - they could either wait 10 or 20 or 50 years until all the analog TVs are beyond their life expectancy OR they could take a tiny percentage of the money made by selling the old spectrum and buy converter boxes. In an unprecedented move, the government made the intelligent decision.
As for you 'just upgrade to a digital tv' idiots (an apparently separate group of idiots). I am planning to buy an HDTV in the near future, but I have a perfectly good 61-inch analog tv. I have had it for 10 years and it works great. Should I throw it away because you upgraded and everyone in the world should be required to be exactly like you? I would like to respectfully suggest an alternative would be for you to go somewhere and die. Make the world a better place for all. - DeFex, on 02/03/2008, -0/+34I am predicting many cheap converter boxes on ebay soon.
- voidptr, on 02/03/2008, -0/+33The converter box coupons are being paid for out of the proceeds from auctioning off the current analog TV spectrum, not general tax revenues or added to the national debt.
- inactive, on 02/03/2008, -1/+32digital != hd
- sdubois92, on 02/03/2008, -8/+38Of course, who could forget Article XXVILLVI Section 3 of the constitution.
"Congress has the authority to give coupons for Digital TV converters. " - johnfritz, on 02/03/2008, -0/+29You buying? I'll take two. 1080p please.
- JoeVet, on 02/03/2008, -1/+29This only applies to those who still use antennas to receive broadcasts over the air. This will not affect cable users because the cable box converts the signal. If you still use rabbit ears then you need to upgrade or by a converter box.
- EXreaction, on 02/03/2008, -2/+29Just FYI, those coupons do not work towards HD converters.
- Ymeg, on 02/03/2008, -1/+27Everyone likes pie.... If you end with a pie, you will get dugg up!
Pie - nblsavage, on 02/03/2008, -5/+31Wouldn't this be considered a government handout? Bad paulite.
- Snakedal337, on 02/03/2008, -3/+28Go ***** yourself, do you know how much college costs? If your going to make me choose between dropping $400 myself, not having TV or having uncle sam cover the costs, which do you think i'll go with?
- uncoveror, on 02/03/2008, -0/+25I looked at the site, and there is no one selling these converters within 100 miles. If that is still the case near the deadline, the few who do understand this and need a box will be angry. The people who don't understand all this mumbo-jumbo, and won't "get it" that something has changed until their TVs give them snow are going to be so mad that they storm the proverbial castles with torches and pitchforks. This is going to be the ***** of all *****!
A year or so ago, WCPO in Cincinnati started to offer a SAP channel with Spanish. Yahoos who didn't understand what SAP is, and had it on for no reason, called channel nine in droves complaining that their TV was talking foreign, and they wanted it changed back. After a few days of trying to explain it to all the troglodytes, they were forced to just turn SAP off. Imagine that times 100, and nationwide. You soon won't have to imagine it, because it will happen. - Leomarth, on 02/03/2008, -2/+27Yes. The Federal government has mandated that old-style analog TV broadcast is to die next year. Everything will be broadcast in digital to save bandwidth and that bandwidth (as far as I heard) will be allocated to emergency services.
If I remember right, they're doing the same with cell service too. Which is why many OnStar customers will be disconnected soon. - blankman, on 02/03/2008, -7/+30most people can't afford to spend that kind of money on a new tv, and shouldn't have to.
- voidptr, on 02/03/2008, -4/+27For everyone complaining about this use of taxpayer dollars... It's not taxpayer dollars they're spending.
The FCC is reclaiming the old analog spectrum since digital TV uses a different set of frequencies much more efficiently than the old. They're going to reuse the old spectrum for other uses, including portions which are being auctioned for new wireless technologies for a whole lot of money (See the 700 MHz auction Google wants in on). A miniscule portion of that auction revenue is being spent to help people with old TVs still receive broadcast TV. If they didn't do this, they'd never be able to turn off analog TV and reclaim that spectrum for better use.
At the end of the day, the government is making, not wasting money with this coupon program. - ferrofluid, on 02/03/2008, -2/+25but they are free coupons and worth MONEY :)
could be used for bartering after some future financial meltdown.
say farewell to greenbacks and hello to TV credits - nonnald, on 02/03/2008, -0/+23If you have cable or satellite, you don't need to do anything. This is only for OVER THE AIR broadcasts.
- indgosky, on 02/03/2008, -2/+24Already did that, just yesterday. Looking forward to the $1500 / year back in my pocket.
- georgetds, on 02/03/2008, -1/+22It is the governments job to allocate radio bandwidth, though. The rebate coupons are to help deal with the backlash of all the people who are going to suddenly not be able to receive TV signals with dated hardware. We can't make more spectrum for TV broadcasts to use, but we can make more efficient use of the spectrum that is already allocated for that use.
- bobbothegrayson, on 02/03/2008, -6/+27Because hes a digg n00b.
- 0xbaadf00d, on 02/03/2008, -7/+25Ah taxes, paying for crap you wouldn't voluntarily give up your money for since 1862.
- edstate, on 02/03/2008, -10/+27Can someone please explain to me, quickly, what the hell this is all about? Is this similar to us being forced to use compact fluorescent bulbs?
- robertwrobel, on 02/03/2008, -9/+26I guess the money for this will come out of our massive budget surplus, oh wait....
- doyadigg, on 02/03/2008, -2/+19No, this is so the government can sell the rights to use certain frequencies. The promise of this program is that the money given out to get people off these frequencies will be more than paid back once they sell the air waves. Of course with all the overhead to run such a program they'll probably end up losing money.
- voidptr, on 02/03/2008, -0/+17They're forcing broadcasters to go digital so they can more effectively use the current analog TV spectrum. A minuscule part of the revenue generated from reselling some of the reclaimed spectrum is paying to help transition people, it's not coming out of general revenue or tax payer dollars.
- houndeyex, on 02/03/2008, -1/+18TV is the largest news and alert system we have. Believe it or not, it's kind of important to have one sometimes.
- tenrec, on 02/03/2008, -0/+16Free?
The government borrows the money from China and has to pay back with interest. How is that free to any tax payer? - Awspire, on 02/03/2008, -8/+24Ya, lets all switch to the internet and get our info from a bunch of biased warring idealists. TV may not be the most impartial outlet, though at least I don't have to see the chan freaks trying to pump up their limp e-penises.
- isntreal, on 02/03/2008, -0/+16Actually the government's intention with this program is to open up more space in the spectrum for other commercial/infrastructural development. Digital broadcasts take up roughly 1/3rd of the space an analog broadcast uses.
- imthe1, on 02/03/2008, -0/+15only a small portion of the bandwidth is for emergency services. the majority is being sold (auctioned) to the likes of Google and Verizon etc.
- georgetds, on 02/03/2008, -1/+16My library has internet, I think it costs something like, free, to use. Assuming that the only way to get those coupons was to use the internet, there are many ways to get access so you can submit your form.
- johnfritz, on 02/03/2008, -0/+15Thank you Mr. voidptr.
- retral, on 02/03/2008, -0/+15I use cable TV and I don't have a converter box, so I think my (basic) cable is still being broadcast via analog - is this correct?
- tendonut, on 02/03/2008, -0/+15If you get, for example, digital cable plus all the premium channels, yes, $120 is about right.
- imthe1, on 02/03/2008, -0/+14cancelled my satellite service this past summer. everything i watch i can still get from the internet with more choices. free w/ commercials, paid without, or bit torrent if the morons won't put a show up where i can buy it. finally a-la-carte tv.
- tavisjohn, on 02/03/2008, -2/+16You miss informed nitwit. The analog signal is only being stopped for OVER THE AIR! All other analog signal transimitions are still allowed!
- sleepbox, on 02/03/2008, -3/+17This is the biggest raping of the ignorant I've ever seen. If you have cable or satellite TV this will NOT affect your service. This will ONLY affect your service if you are picking up broadcast TV via an antennae of some sort like rabbit ears. My father was paranoid about it and went into an electronics store to ask what was going on and was lied to and harassed relentlessly by some weak sales pitch to get the most expensive HDTV in the store. My dad was smarter than that and asked me about it first. I work for a cable company.
So all you ass hats that work at Best Buy/Circuit City that are lying to the elderly to enlarge your pathetic commissions, your time will come when your lies are all exposed and I hope it puts you out on the street!!!! - 1ofMany, on 02/03/2008, -0/+14I live on the edge of Louisiana 2 miles from the coast line. There is no cable, no high speed internet access, hell, there are no police out here and we're ripped off all the time. I drive 20 miles to hit the first town around us. Yes, I subscribed to satellite TV a few years ago but I didn't watch it. All I watch are the big 3 networks and I decided not to pay $80 a month when Direct TV wouldn't give me those with my package.
My neighbor has a digital TV and still can only get ABC, FOX and our local PBS channels. Our NBC and CBS carriers plan an adding new antennas during the year.
So yes, I've applied for a coupon. And BTW, even though I'm out in the sticks here I still pay my taxes even if I got NO aid at all (nothing, not a penny) when my house was hit with wind damage from Katrina and then flooded with 3 feet of water for Rita. I wasn't close enough to NOLA to qualify.
Yes I can move but what would I do with my business which is based here on the coast along with the land I own that no one will purchase. I grin and bear it. At least I may still have TV next year. -
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