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- QuikSilvr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2who needs TV when you got Torrentspy RSS feeds?
- TheGeekNextDoor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Damn! I still haven't paid off that Patriot missle from the Gulf War! Now I gotta pay for some guy with a 13" black and white TV from 1972 to have a digital converter box!?!?!
I don't understand why the government thinks people have a right to watch TV for free? If the stations in a particular area want people to watch TV, then they can buy those people a converter box. Let the market work it out. The market should have determined when digital TV was ready anyways. - lordelric, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They said that the remainder of the sale would go towards debt reduction, To bad I don't believe them. Some other life threatening issue like this will pop up and we will spend the money on that instead
- urbn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Congress isn't doing this for the consumers; they are doing this because cable and sat networks cant afford to lose the 21 possible million people they can sell their products to 12 minutes of every hour.
Also where is the $3 billion going to? They only thing they mention is the $50.00 converter they offer people for $10 (government pays the other $40.00).
Worse case situation 21,000,000 * $40.00 = $840,000,000 what’s the extra 2 billion? - steve693, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wish congress would buy me new hardware whenever mine became out of date. :(
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If people had to take a day off from TV, they might actually find worthwhile things to do and not want to go back.
- chosenone-, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"Go back to your TV, America. Your government is under control. You are free to do as we tell you."
Sick *****. TV is the cancer of the modern world. - interiot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They spend $3 billion because it allows them to sell the spectrum for $10 billion. So it's a net positive. It's not something to gripe about.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Can anyone think of better things to do with $3 Billion? (secure borders, deficit reduction, etc etc etc)
- sfacets, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You see now why the rest of the world considers americans brain-washed?
- benjamanb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The government is pushing the end of analog because it wants to use/re-sell all of those frequencies to big-money industries like wireless. Compared to the revenues expected from those sales, 3B isn't too much. NPR ran a story on it this morning.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4971002 - doddilus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0awww i dont want a converter box i want a new HDTV
- caldroun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Shalabi...I agree. I also think that they shouldn't be mandating this kind of change, this is really stupid. See the kind of can-of-worms that the Government opens when they put thier nose into something. They shoudl stay out of all this. If Digital is so great, people will move, we don't need them to screw with it.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If the government is forcing the digital change, why should it be up to the private sector to pay for the conversion?
- joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"And how many Americans get their TV OTA anymore? Not many."
And that sums up the reason, I suppose. We can just write off the poor that can't afford cable/sattelite and call it good, I suppose. - Tobey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+03 billion seems like a lot to set aside for set-top box's. By 2009, HD STB's should be around $50 a pop, and most people will probably already own one anyway.
- groovepapa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's worse than $3 billion.
"The sale of the analog spectrum is expected to raise at least $10 billion. Besides the $3 billion for converter boxes, the Senate bill proposes reserving $1 billion for public safety to buy new radio communications equipment and $250 million for a national alert system. Another $5 billion would be set aside for debt reduction."
That still only adds up to $9.25 billion out of $10 billion. Only the government brushes over figures like $750 million. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Instead of trying to force HD digital down everyone's throats, why don't they do something ballsey and free up some quality spectrum with good propagation characteristics (you know, that sweet stuff they damned near give away to the cellular companies) for unlicensed use?
I'm surprised that nobody has picked upon terrestrial digital HD broadcast and WiMax backhaul link. WiMax has been hyped to the hilt and when it becomes time to stand and deliver, it's need a good-old-fashion government bailout. - computerjoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0In the UK I think we are switching over in 2012. It won't affect many of us anyway - the BBC offer free digital and digital satellite is really popular.
- npacheco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0As much as the ads need to keep going for the corpoliticals, $3b is a bit much to keep the idiotbox going 24/7
- H_o_p_s, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"I submitted this story yesterday."
Yeah, but it had a different link with a different story. - pearagon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0also - your story only talks about a proposal - NOT it getting approved
- joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh, I forgot to add: TV watchers are lazy society draining bums. But I, a weblog commenter, am a key citizen in society, etc, etc...
- bryancharles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@hansonc
take a look...this story was submitted yesterday. - dggeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"That still only adds up to $9.25 billion out of $10 billion. Only the government brushes over figures like $750 million."
It'll end up in someone's pockets. Most likely those of the lawmakers that sign the bill. - lws07, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Story submitted today, yesterday, whatever, let's get over that one and start talking about the article(s).
At least now you know what to get all your old relatives for xmas shopping '08....new TVs, not converter boxes, for everyone! : p - diggnationdevon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is a good thing.
- drjones, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Bread and Circus, amazing new concept.
-drjones - dpk87, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"old news.. this was on slashdot yesterday"
- hansonc
"@hansonc
take a look...this story was submitted yesterday."
- bryancharles
Go back to slashdot and stay their, we don't need dumasses like you populating digg. - Tobey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Congress isn't doing this for the consumers; they are doing this because cable and sat networks cant afford to lose the 21 possible million people they can sell their products to 12 minutes of every hour."
The cable and satellite companies aren't involved here. They can convert to 100% HD whenever they want. This is strictly about the people who's sole signal source is OTA. And how many Americans get their TV OTA anymore? Not many. Realistically, we only need about 500 million for the conversion. - joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"I don't understand why the government thinks people have a right to watch TV for free?"
Some countries prefer an educated voter base. These countries tend to subsidize mass media. In America, we seem to prefer that marketing professionals control the mass media, which, as we're finding out, doesn't really make us any more educated and, in many ways, purposefully dumber.
" Let the market work it out. The market should have determined when digital TV was ready anyways."
Ahahahaha!
Whoa...haha.
Heh. Ahahaha.
Hold on...hoot!
Ha!
Whew...had to catch my breath.
Uh...the industry doesn't WANT digital TV. No amount of consumer demand will change that fact. There's the faulty assumption that mega-corporation markets are in favour of technological progress. They are interested in the status quo...selling the same ol' ***** to the same ol' market.
"If the government is forcing the digital change, why should it be up to the private sector to pay for the conversion?"
That's a much more valid question. I could argue either way, but it's a better question.
"I wish congress would buy me new hardware whenever mine became out of date. :("
The idea of nation-wide technology infrastructure standards help PREVENT instant obsoletion...the very thing that the big business doesn't want.
And yes, 3 billion is a lot of money. But let's compare to other frivilous things our current administration is currently spending money on. ;o)
And yea, government sucks, they can't regulate anything, they steal all our money, I want to join a militia and live in the wild west, etc, etc... - iamme99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"And that sums up the reason, I suppose. We can just write off the poor that can't afford cable/sattelite and call it good, I suppose."
Can they buy stuff? If not, they don't count and shouldn't live in Amerika. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@ joeyjojo
Yes, weblog commenters are several steps up from coach potatoes. By discussing and criticizing the activities of our government in an open forum we are pollinating the pistils of democracy!
I'll catch y'all over at the drudge retort. - Solstice, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0This is awesome. I love TV. TV is the greatest invention ever. I am 10x more productive when I have a source of somewhat random noise running in the background. TV provides this for me. The lamer the show, the more my productivity goes up. I think I've wrtten the best code I've ever written while Dr. Phil blaring in the background.
- jonclifton, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I submitted this story yesterday.
http://digg.com/technology/Senator_wants_3_Billion_in_digital_TV_aid - gronne, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I'm glad they didn't waste that money on new textbooks or something else. Phew. Dodged a bullet there.
- dakarpsi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0boo hoo, they've been anouncing this for years, you either get digital, or you have to rent a box to step it down
- hansonc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0old news.. this was on slashdot yesterday
- LunchB0x, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Nice Digg, while im glad McCain's accelerated plans got dumped, cause McCain is ***** crazy, i hope Steven's motivations aren't just an early bid for popularity before he goes for reelection and i hope they manage to keep the FCC away from this.. This is another perfect example of the American government trying to legislate things they have little grasp of.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0i watch tv
http://www.geek2us.net/bogeydope
-bogey - snapya, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0http://www.techheaven.net
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