Comments on: Should the DTV transition be delayed?

The DTV transition is still up in the air, and CNET asks its readers if they think the DTV transition should be delayed. Take our poll.

[shardsofmetal]

According to http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/digital.tv.delay.vote/, 6.5 million people aren't ready for the switch. There are about 300 million people in the US, so about 2% of the population isn't ready for the switch. That number may seem small, but it's huge compared to the number of people who rely on over the air broadcasting. People have to stop acting like other people's problems are nothing to worry about, because 6.5 million people have a problem. Delay till June, allow more coupons so people can get their boxes, then go on with the transition. As mentioned before, June is a better time to be dealing with the addition of roof antennas, which many people now need for the digital signals who didn't ever need them before. A little bit of understanding goes a long way.

[Zhiroc]

I sympathize with the thought behind the argument, but realistically, I doubt that many of the unprepared will become prepared no matter how long we delay. A better plan would have been to have one day out of every be a DTV day for a month or two before the switch, so that yes, you lose your TV if you are unprepared. But at least this would get people to DO SOMETHING... I suppose that if they created a delay with a plan like that, it would have merit, but just a delay will just be a waste of time.

[Zhiroc]

I think it is far too late to delay now... However, one aspect that I have recently read about and not heard discussed is the effect of the frequency shift on antenna reception. The article mentioned that the new frequencies are up in the UHF bands, and as anyone who lives a distance away, UHF has always been harder to receive. In fact, you need a different antenna type to do so properly. Is this true?

[hyghwayman]

No, you shouldn't need a new special antenna if you had a good snow free picture before. However if you reception was snowy or suffered from goasting you may need a better antenna after the switch which you can build yourself for under $10.oo bucks.

Check out my web page HTHUT;
http://hthut.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2243ABF263B6C3B5!209.entry
http://hthut.spaces.live.com/

hyghwayman

[Zhiroc]

You've probably never lived 50-100 miles from the towers. Back in my youth, receiving UHF even from a tower just 50 miles away was iffy, and we needed a special "bowtie" antenna to do it, as well as a motor that rotated the antenna towards the station. Receiving good VHF at this range was much easier.

[Zhiroc]

Ah, here is the news article I read: http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/01/dtv-its-the-ant.html

[upbeatdad]

So 'hyghwayman', will you come to Chicago to install that little beauty, too?

That's the problem I'm facing with two elderly relatives. They need new antennas but it's 17F degrees right now in Chicago, and there is snow on the ground and on the rooftops.

No matter what, they will have to pay - whether it's for a new antenna or cable. They were hoping to get someone (like me) to do the installation, but I lack the requisite Death Wish to get up on the roof this time of year.

Now, JUNE would be a different story . . .

[johnttlin]

Delaying the transition will be a bad idea.
I the landlord will refuse to buy the expensive television converter for the tenant.
The tenant can just go ...... in to the .... for all I care.

[mandelbomb]

To all the people who were too dumb or poor to get a converter box before the switch, think of this as a opportunity. With no TV, you can go to the library, read and educate yourself. Maybe then you can get a good job to pay for a converter box.

Our country is filled with too many idiots, we'll be doing them a favor.

[upbeatdad]

I have an 83yo widowed uncle who manages to shuffle around his house with a walker. He won't be going to the library. As for getting a job, he worked for over 40 years - all with the same employer - but now he is retired.

He's not an idiot, either. He applied for a converter coupon; I bought the box for him, but now we find out his old antenna and wiring don't provide sufficient signal for most digital channels.

Would like his phone number so you can call him and shame him personally for being too dumb or too poor and for being an 'idiot'? Just be sure to take the silver spoon out of your mouth when you call - his hearing isn't what it used to be.

[upbeatdad]

A lot of the people arguing to keep the February 17th date have a Marie Antoinette - 'Let them eat cake' attitude.

I have cable, but I have two elderly relatives who do not. Both bought their converter boxes, but both now need to upgrade their rooftop antennas and cabling. While what they have worked well enough for analog, it is nearly useless with the digital service. With analog, if the signal isn't quite strong enough you'll get some snow or maybe some ghosting. With digital, if the signal isn't strong enough, you get bupkis.

I wouldn't mind installing new antennas and cabling for them, but we're all in CHICAGO, and it's 17F degrees right now with a blanket of snow on the ground and the rooftops. So either they pay someone willing to risk life and limb, wait until Spring, or buy cable. Or, as the crass posters all point out, they can simply let their sets go black. These seniors only had radio during the Great Depression, so it shouldn't be a big deal to them, right? Wrong.

Which is why, IMHO, making the switch in the dead of winter is a bad idea. I can replace a rooftop antenna in June.

[xtexman]

I say no; but recognize that at this point the delay is pretty much a given.

To those with concerns over the current digital signals' reduced ranges, bear in mind that the stations that are currently transmitting digital signals are doing so using secondary transmitters. Most stations don't have the resources to operate two full power/coverage transmitters and once they make they switch and turn off the analog for good, the digital signal will takes its place getting significantly more power.

Also, in a related note, the Feb 17 data was merely the "deadline." Every TV station in the country has the option to make the switch whenever it desires prior to this date. Given the expense of operating two signals, many of the stations around the country are banding together with their competitors in each market and agreeing to make the change either on the original date (2/17) or at some point prior to the new proposed deadline.

[solarvic]

There are always do nothing people until the crisis hits them. Like ones that don,t pay thier electric or heating bills till thier electric and heat is cut off. There is only one solution. Turn off the analog so the rest of us that planned and heeded the warning can enjoy the digital tv.

[gene3038]

What do these people need, a ride to the electronics store??!! They got their coupons (thanks to tax payers like me), for free and have had two years to get their a*s down to the store!!! Enough already!

[dctech08]

who cares? im ready whenever...

[brandonh33]

No there is no reason to extend the dtv transition. Millions of dollars have been spent advertising for the transition, the majority of that coming from the tax payers. In addition to that we are sending out these ridiculous coupons costing the American taxpayer even more. Obama is also planning on giving more funds for this through the so called "stimulus" package. Not only will this cost hundred of millions more dollars but only cause more confusion when your grandmas tv still works after Feb. 16 so she thinks she is prepared. Get it over with! It will cost much less and only take about a month to get all the people who still somehow dont know about the dtv transition sorted out.

[SFDanWill]

The assistance fund ran out of money. Of course the deadline should be extended.

[brandonh33]

Yup... Thats the attitude we should have. They run out of money, give them more! That will solve everything! Lets just toss all our taxpayer dollars at anybody who asks. Better yet, lets just print the money and get that inflation up and running. Lets extend our economic troubles out as long as we can. As a nation there is no way in he** that we can afford to continue tossing money at these programs that have no possible way of producing revenue. I honestly dont care if a small amount of people have to go without tv for a while. Why? Because the most affective way to get them to switch to dtv if they ever are is to cut off the analog signal. Maybe once they realize they dont have tv they will get a clue. The last thing we can do "in these troubled times" though is give money to a program like this. It is completely unacceptable as apperently many agree with me considering the last time I checked the pole on this article is was 96% not in favor of extending the program.

[upbeatdad]

What 'brandonh33' doesn't get is that the airwaves are a publicly-owned resource. I agree there's something wrong with making taxpayers foot the bill for converter boxes, but that's about all we agree on. Broadcasters are not paying for their use of TV broadcast spectrum - they didn't pay for the analog spectrum, and they aren't paying for the digital spectrum. Compare that to cellular phone companies which have to buy their spectrum at public auction.

Those billions of dollars cell companies spent buying frequency spectrum went right back into the US Treasury. If ANYONE should have ponied up for this converter box subsidy program, it should have been the broadcasters who will make billions of dollars in profits from their free use of public airwaves.

The government decided to accept the burden of subsidizing converters, but without a CLUE as to how many boxes would be needed. I happen to believe that everyone should be entitled to watch broadcast TV on spectrum owned by the public for free. If the government hasn't got the chops to get the money from broadcasters, it had better be ready to fund the program to the very last box.

And while we're on the subject, has anyone else noticed that almost NONE of the boxes sell for $40? Most of the boxes, especially the ones with analog pass-through (for those low power stations that AREN'T converting to digital) sell for around $60, so even with the government coupon, the public is still shelling out $20 per TV to watch broadcasts that should be completely free.

[kc6hur]

Hey, I know, make the DTV delay part of the stimulus package. Find out who and where these 6.5 million non-DTV capable viewers are, hire some out of work folk to go out there to install antennas and converter boxes. Problem solved. Everyone gets DTV and a bunch of people got some make work jobs giving the economy a kick in the pants. Better than sending the money to the banks who only use it line their own pockets.

Why Dont they just ROSS PEROT it , quit talking about it and just do it. If there are 2 or 3 million people that are not ready .........well they will just be left behind but they can still catch the bus by getting off their behinds and getting a coverter box or whatever......AND QUIT WASTING MORE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS WITH THESE ANNOYING ADVERTISEMENTS.......randum

[scottthesculptor]

Who is keeping track of the coupon money?
1.3 BILLION dollars already gone!
I just don't get that 30 million or so people need a converter box.
Scammers setting up fake user lists to cash in as many coupons as they can apply for?
someone should be paying attention.

and
I got my first OTA DTV tuner in 2005 - still works.
the first DTV deadline was to be 2006 and the government extended *that* deadline to 2009 and came up with the coupon program.

my latest DTV tuner is a USB stick that cost $27 with software
and the government is handing out $40 for converters?

[billrwest]

I have bought 2 converters and they work on only 2 vhf stations. I am only 30 miles from the transmitters, but it is 3/4 miles up hill from my house to get to their level. UHF won't work for me, and the new frequencies for digital will be UHF! My antenna is the biggest thing Channel Master makes with a rotator, in a 50 ft mast sitting atop an 18 ft building. Cable is 2 miles from me and has no plans to expand at present. I am 82 on SS and don;t have the funds to afford satalite - or cable, even it was available to me. Please advise where I need to go to turn in my 2 obsolete TVs and the obsolete antenna system. I'm for NOT delaying the transition. If I'm going to lose TV, it might as well be sooner than later. I might not even be around in June anyway. Do I turn them in at the local Federal Courthouse? Just put them on the steps? They're making enough money on this transition to pay for disposing of these electronics. My county trash collecters will not pick them up.

[AnthonyNYC]

First off, Too all those people so concerned how we can force people to have to pay the $49 for a convertor box because the government ran out of coupons, how is this any less unfair, then say being forced to pay a parking summons cause the 1hr meter just expired while you were in a doctors office?\
Shouldn't we all write and ask for a coupon to pay for the summons also? And they cost more than $49, trust me!
It's all rediculous.
Make the change, pick a date, move on! All this delay and coupon crap is a joke and makes us see how truly stupid we all are.
:)

[sray001]

This delay will help as much as the delay in moving to the metric system has and we're still waiting on that one.

Just another waste of time and money to help a small, short-sighted but vocal group while the rest of us just stand around and let it happen.

I'm regularly thankful for our democratic society and equally disheartened at the abuses we allow to continue.

[albizzia]

Oh, come on! Delaying the mandatory phase-out of analog TV isn't the end of the world! TV stations are already broadcasting digital, except for a few tiny low power stations, and any TV station is free to discontinue analog broadcasting anytime they want to, and some already have. But far too many stations found that a substantial portion of their market isn't ready, and they don't want to loose viewers. For a lot of people, cable is unavailable, satellite too expensive, and big screeens too costly.

Where I live, several stores including RiteAid and CVS and Office Depot and Target are out of stock on converter boxes. I finally found some at Circuit City - which is going out of business! Even those with cash and cupons in hand for converter boxes are having trouble finding them, as retailers would rather sell a big screen HDTV.