I actually disagree with Obama on this!

[Life_Long_Dem!]

This nonsense bill about delaying the digital switch for 4 more months. Come on they started this coupon program a year ago and started the tv commercials shortly after, people have had PLENTY of time to prepare for this and if they are not ready its their own lazy faults! Why should tv stations be made to shell out more money to broadcast in both digital and analog for another 4 months? makes no friggin sense to me why they should have to spend the money cause of peoples lazyness!

 

[Life_Long_Dem!]

well that and I think it makes no sense to put 35 million dollars in spending for std education and prevention in the stimulus bill...how much does it cost to tell people not to sleep around and to use a friggin condom!

 

[toomuchtime_]

This nonsense bill about delaying the digital switch for 4 more months. Come on they started this coupon program a year ago and started the tv commercials shortly after, people have had PLENTY of time to prepare for this and if they are not ready its their own lazy faults! Why should tv stations be made to shell out more money to broadcast in both digital and analog for another 4 months? makes no friggin sense to me why they should have to spend the money cause of peoples lazyness!

I think Obama should put a team together to study this question. There may ba few people from the Clinton administration who are still available.

 

[garyd]

Hear,hear. The last thing I want is another four months of those adds warning us this switch was coming and that if you have cable or satellite TV it is going to effect you at all..

 

[toomuchtime_]

Hear,hear. The last thing I want is another four months of those adds warning us this switch was coming and that if you have cable or satellite TV it is going to effect you at all..

Oh, the horror!

 

[rayboyusmc]

I still haven't heard why we have to switch over. What is the benefit?

 

[Life_Long_Dem!]

February 17, 2009

Why the switch?

DTV technology is more flexible and efficient than the current analog system. The switch to digital broadcasting will allow television stations to offer crystal-clear pictures and sound, plus more channels and programming – all for free. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requires full-power television stations to turn off their analog channels by February 17, 2009 and begin broadcasting exclusively in a digital format.

Going all-digital will free up parts of the airwaves for future innovative services by entrepreneurs. TV stations can also improve their services with enhanced closed captioning, better pictures and sound, and offer several channels of programming at the same time, known as "multicasting."

Today, 1,631 out of 1,760 full-power television stations nationwide already offer digital programming in every market in America. To see if your local station currently broadcasts in digital, click here.

from dtv answers website and if i remember correctly it will also free up more airwaves for emergency services such as 911

 

[Article 15]

This nonsense bill about delaying the digital switch for 4 more months. Come on they started this coupon program a year ago and started the tv commercials shortly after, people have had PLENTY of time to prepare for this and if they are not ready its their own lazy faults! Why should tv stations be made to shell out more money to broadcast in both digital and analog for another 4 months? makes no friggin sense to me why they should have to spend the money cause of peoples lazyness!

I've been watching cable for like 20 years.

Will our cable bills go down when the switch is made?

 

[garyd]

Uh no.

 

[toomuchtime_]

I still haven't heard why we have to switch over. What is the benefit?

I don't know a lot about this, but my understanding is that a digital stream takes up less bandwidth - I think that's the term - than an analogue stream, so the switch will allow several streams to transmit over the same bandwidth as a single analogue stream now takes up. Another use of the freed up bandwidth the conversion will create is that more data can be transmitted for each stream giving the viewer high definition picture nd sound quality.

 

[Life_Long_Dem!]

I think you can actually thank Bill Clinton for all this cause if my memory serves me right this was connected to the telecommunications act he signed in 1997

 

[editec]

I smell PORK

 

[Chris]

We should switch as soon as possible.

No reason for the delay.

 

[garyd]

Anyone not ready for this by now will never be ready

 

[Anguille]

This nonsense bill about delaying the digital switch for 4 more months. Come on they started this coupon program a year ago and started the tv commercials shortly after, people have had PLENTY of time to prepare for this and if they are not ready its their own lazy faults! Why should tv stations be made to shell out more money to broadcast in both digital and analog for another 4 months? makes no friggin sense to me why they should have to spend the money cause of peoples lazyness!

Considering that they ran out of funding for the coupons some time ago and people who applied are still on the waiting list, considering that lots of people are suffering financially right now, I think the switch should be delayed. Not everyone can afford to buy the converter boxes right now.

Another concern about this switch is all the TVs that will end up in landfills because of people who chose to buy new TVs instead of the converter box.

 

[pete]

The man just cant go without watching himself in hi def .... !!!! Wants to make sure his auntie in the projects can look up to him as well.

 

[no1tovote4]

The extension failed, the switch over takes place on the 17th.

 

[Gun Clingin']

The man just cant go without watching himself in hi def .... !!!! Wants to make sure his auntie in the projects can look up to him as well.

This is going to be a fun 4 years.