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52 Comments
- inactive, on 01/15/2009, -0/+27There has been PLENTY of advanced warning of this date, and if people who truely can't afford a $50 converter box procrastinated in getting the rebate, then that should be their fault. I could understand if you had to buy a whole new $2000 plasma tv or some crap, but it's just a $50 converter box. There's still many weeks left for someone who can't come up with $50 to start saving in order to afford the converter box.
- DMClark84, on 01/15/2009, -0/+23The people that have ignored the constant commercials, tests, announcements etc. aren't going to take action if it gets delayed. Delaying will do nothing but cause confusion. While there are some people that may be unaware, when they come home and find their TV does not work, I'm sure they will call a friend and figure it out real quick.
We can't continue to push back things because there might be a "lazy minority" that can't be bothered over a period of a few years. - DirtyVicar, on 01/15/2009, -0/+12Lordy, after stoppin' at the Piggly Wiggly for some Keystone I went by Best Buy to get one of them there picture TV changeover boxes. The dang thing was supposed to run me $50 but the man said I need a monster cable to hook it up and the whole damn thing ran me $250. I'm gonna put a pop knot on that fellow's head big enough to hitch a boat trailer to, guaranteed.
- Jrr6415sun, on 01/15/2009, -0/+12and it's just TV.. it's not a necessity like water or food.. who gives a ***** if your TV doesn't work.. it's your fault.
- motivatedguy, on 01/15/2009, -1/+7Flame on... It's ***** like this that keeps America in the technology basement. We need to forge ahead with the digital transition. Weather it happens in Feb. of '09 or it happens in Feb. of 2010, there will be knuckle heads with rabbit-ears that didn't get the ***** memo... Big ups to Verizon for wanting to forge head with their $9 billion investment and shame on you AT&T!! My ***** phone didn't work today for 3 damn hours!! AT&T is like a whore; They take your money and ***** you... Flame off....
- Atomic1fire, on 01/15/2009, -0/+6Which is why they should have got the coupon.
- SgtQuackers, on 01/15/2009, -0/+5The DTV switchover has already been delayed from its original date. Now we have a set date that has been advertised for almost a year now. If they don't know by now its their own fault.
- Murdats, on 01/15/2009, -0/+4you want people to actually own chunks of the electromagnetic spectrum? whats next, people owning the rights to elements and subatomic particles?
- inactive, on 01/15/2009, -0/+4 So now we have to delay something that has been in the offing for years because some of his peeps didn't get the word yet? this is an embarrassment, it's long overdue and anyone not ready now will likely mess up the new deadline too.
- chronopublish, on 01/15/2009, -2/+6It has nothing to do with picture quality. It's about freeing up the spectrum for other uses, like broadband Internet.
Also, the government MAKES money on this deal, so I'm not sure how it impacts your roads or schools. - FuZi0nDET, on 01/15/2009, -1/+5What kind of harm is going to be caused if there isn't a delay? Some lazy bastard won't get their Jerry Springer? Maybe it will force them off their ass and out into the store to boost the slumping economy? There are plenty of men out there that are going to use this as an excuse to buy a new television. I've talked to several that are using this to convince their wives that they need a new television. A delay will only serve as a further kick in the nuts to the retail sector.
BTW Obama you're the president now, you don't have time to watch TV. Please STFU! - failedpimp, on 01/15/2009, -0/+3You should have gotten Pabst Blue Ribbon.
- Remelox, on 01/15/2009, -0/+2Then why are they watching tv? Look, I can go "donate" plasma for a week and make $50. In the time it takes to watch 6 shows if I have not been there recently.
- MysticKatDaddy, on 01/15/2009, -0/+2Well hee haw and Merry Christmas to you too!
- failedpimp, on 01/15/2009, -0/+2The converter box is a scam. The government is trying to trick you by making you buy this so they can spy on you!!!!!! They are so evil by making you PAY them to SPY on you.
signed
Conspiracy Theorist.
p.s. Aliens keep stealing my toilet paper. - weeFred, on 01/15/2009, -0/+2Couldn't a telecoms company just buy up more than they're going to use to stop smaller telecoms companies using it? Where I live there are lots of plots of land which have been bought up by the big supermarkets to stop their competitors using it. The big supermarkets don't actually build anything on the land, they just deny it to their competitors, couldn't that happen with wireless spectrum too?
- rda1441, on 01/19/2009, -0/+1I'd rather that the government leave the schools alone and gets dancing with the stars off the air.
- minoss, on 01/15/2009, -1/+2The reason this entire thing is a problem because there are not private property rights over this bandwidth. If TV companies owned this bandwidth, and could sell it, they would have switched to digital years ago allowing other companies to make much better use of that more people would use (like best and cheaper wireless internet). Right now, they have no reason to leave it and have every reason to delay the transition as long as possible.
The government should auction it off and allow the purchaser to sell it at a later day if they chose instead of just leasing it. This is exactly what the market works best at doing, distributing the best use of finite resources. - inactive, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1WHERE IS MY CHANGE? huh?
- rda1441, on 01/19/2009, -0/+1No one, NO ONE, is talking about the fact that these digital signals do not travel anywhere near as far as the standard analog signal.
You're going to have people with boxes who do not receive a single station, any many who only receive one.
This is one big Government and Business screw job on people. I'm already calling the articles that will be written about the increase in tv downloads via pirate bay or some such thing. - crashingechelon, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1There doesn't need to be another delay after the several that we've had. They picked a date and should grow some balls and stick with that date.
- HonoredMule, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Can you not see that would be a perfectly natural extension to our already rich Intellectual Property-based economy? I think it's a very good idea.
Since we can own physical property and also ideas and even math and specific numbers, surely we should also be able to own all physical representations of a specific idea or piece of information, like an atom or a wavelength. Frankly, I'm surprised that we still lack the specific provisions to allow for this.
Also, America is all about freedom and free market, so how is it that these two core principles are not even made compatible? These expanded IP provisions would be a big step toward being able to buy and sell (other people's) freedom itself. Just think of what a boon that would be to the economy.
Entire new markets could be created! - jarcaf, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1No one NEEDS a monster cable unless they plan on showing off how expensive their cables are.
- minoss, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Um, sure, if you say so. And what if some big company bought all the land in the world and charged everyone a ton of money to lease it!
Your example would never actually happen for many reasons. The big one is it would be unprofitable and likely cause a ton of lawsuits.
The simple fact is, look at the current distribution of this bandwidth. It sucks. We're using analog TV for bandwidth that could provide such better technology. The government sucks at centrally governing these resources. - Murdats, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1yes, and your IP laws are messed up too, you want to take that even further?
you would end up with 500 new types of wireless communication, each brand specific and discarded after two years and no longer compatible with older devices, you would have no spectrum left for those who actually need it. in short it would be a horrible, consumer unfriendly mess. - pinchduck, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1We were once a world leader. Now we're a sad old country, driven by fear and greed instead of striving for success. Let's kill a bit more innovation with stupid government-stifling of free enterprise and technological progress.
- rda1441, on 01/19/2009, -0/+1Sounds like you need some time alone...
- theblacknight, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Maybe all the penny pinchers decided they'd try to wait until prices went down closer to the date and didn't realize that the federal government would run out of money.
- HonoredMule, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Sorry, but I REALLY thought I could safely skip the sarcasm tag for that comment. I mean it's just oozing with lunacy...
- AAK15, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1that was a surprisingly well written article
- supertones, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Standard tv never looked so good as with Monster cables. You got ripped off.
- MemberChat, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1d2002 seems to be submitting a lot of articles...
- HonoredMule, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Heh, I like that. "Free market corporations"--it sounds like a subtle oxymoron, as if the primary goal of any corporation wasn't to conquer/enslave markets in one manner or another.
In their defense, the Americans have their education, public media, and political leadership all guided and directed by "free market corporations." :) - Murdats, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1my bad, you never know when dealing with americans, there are so many who believe everything should be entirely controlled by free market corporations and the government should be abolished altogether.
a lot of americans are oozing with lunacy as well - rda1441, on 01/19/2009, -0/+1It's smart, because he'll end up getting the blame when it doesn't work.
Best thing to happen 3 weeks into your term is to piss off a bunch of senior citizens. - zbeast, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1Let's not delay, it's just tv after all. people have known this was going to happen for year's..
delaying the switch over will impact peoples plans for the freed up spectrum.
The services that will be run on that freed spectrum is a lot more important than that tv. - sndream, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1The whole voucher program is ridiculous in the first place.
The economy is tail spinning downwards and the first thing obama want to do is to delay moving to the future?? - supertones, on 01/15/2009, -0/+1The price of these boxes can't be helped by the fact that the government is subsidizing their price. I bet they are less expensive to make than 20 dollar dvd players.
- m0n0kr0m3, on 01/15/2009, -1/+1TV sucks!!!!.......
- derlin, on 01/15/2009, -2/+2believe it or not, alot of people in the US can't afford a $50 converter box...
- m0n0kr0m3, on 01/15/2009, -2/+2TV is ghey!....
- skynet2029, on 01/15/2009, -3/+3I get analog cable......
- Remelox, on 01/15/2009, -1/+1You'd think they would leave the 4G off of the iPod and put it on a iPhone. Weird.
- kmcippant, on 01/15/2009, -3/+2Why should I have to come up with 50 bucks for a converter box while the government is making millions off selling the soon to available bandwidth?
- Kraken2003, on 01/15/2009, -2/+1This whole thing is a huge mess. The converter boxes are crap. They don't work with VCRs, the picture is tiny, and they frequently lose signal. Where an analog signal would let you watch if it was fuzzy, a digital signal just cuts out.
As the family techie, I was put in charge of figuring out a solution for my parents to be able to record TV like before the transition and you can't. Your only options are to pay $40 a month for Cable or Satellite, $200 plus $12 a month to Tivo, or build a media center PC. The coupons don't work for any of these options of course. My parents don't want cable and up until now would never have any reason to get it, but now if they want to continue to view fullscreen TV and record on a VCR they have no choice (I live in another state and cannot support a Myth box for them).
I also have friends who live below the poverty line. They can barely afford heat and electricity. One friend is driving his car to work with expired plates and no insurance because he can't afford them. There is no way that he and his mom can afford cable, internet, or worthless convertor boxes (for two TVs!), so in a month he is going to be completely without entertainment, and a window to the world, aside from stuff I give him.
You might be well off enough to feed the corrupt cable companies thousands of dollars a year or tech savvy enough to build a DVR, but a lot of people are not in that situation. If you want to trigger a revolution, take away entertainment. People are fine with losing civil liberties, phony wars, and their tax money going to greedy bankers; but you take away their jobs AND their TV, you just watch the riots that will result. Obama isn't an idiot, he knows what will happen. The question is, will the greedy companies give him time to try and fix it? - Nauree, on 01/15/2009, -3/+2old people
- Grinty, on 01/15/2009, -4/+3Whatever...bring back MacGyver. Then we'll talk.
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