Yet another waste of our tax dollars: www.dtv2009.gov

[cucamelsmd15]

Uh, yeah, Im going to sleep soundly knowing that Im paying for this garbage.

What is the digital television transition?
At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders.
What is the TV Converter Box Coupon Program?
Congress created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program for households wishing to keep using their analog TV sets after February 17, 2009. The Program allows U.S. households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, that can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes. A TV connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service does not require a TV converter box from this program.

Consumers have a variety of options. Options to explore include:

1. Keep your existing analog TV and purchase a TV converter box. A converter box plugs into your TV and will keep it working after Feb. 17, 2009, or
2. Connect to cable, satellite or other pay service, or
3. Purchase a television with a digital tuner.

Im so glad that Congress decided to use my tax dollars for something that the market should dictate (i.e. the switch from analog to digital). Moreover, Im glad that Im paying for someone else to take part in this through a government program.

For the record, I think this is BS. If the market wants to switch to digital programming (which some already have), then the market should be providing that means, not me, and certainly not .gov.

[AZXD]

I'm asking for my two coupons because it fits right in with my retire early and live off the socialist state that others provide me.
I deserve it!
I breath!
I can sell this on the open market for booze, guns, drugs or hookers
Thanks for supporting me

[Dhunter55]

Originally Posted by cucamelsmd15

Im so glad that Congress decided to use my tax dollars for something that the market should dictate (i.e. the switch from analog to digital). Moreover, Im glad that Im paying for someone else to take part in this through a government program.

Look on the bright side, FEMA isn't installing the converter boxes.

[eric_t12]

sigh...


"but the UN says governments get sole control over their airspace and waves that pass through it!"

so there, cucamel! suck on those apples!

[cucamelsmd15]

Originally Posted by eric_t12

sigh...


"but the UN says governments get sole control over their airspace and waves that pass through it!"

so there, cucamel! suck on those apples!

Im more of a peach man myself.

[Ride the Lightning]

Originally Posted by cucamelsmd15

Uh, yeah, Im going to sleep soundly knowing that Im paying for this garbage.
Im so glad that Congress decided to use my tax dollars for something that the market should dictate (i.e. the switch from analog to digital). Moreover, Im glad that Im paying for someone else to take part in this through a government program.

For the record, I think this is BS. If the market wants to switch to digital programming (which some already have), then the market should be providing that means, not me, and certainly not .gov.

My wife works for a major telecom provider and this change is market driven. It's either switch to digital or go without because there is only so much bandwidth out there. You can put 3 or 4 digital signals in the same bandwidth that is used by one analog signal. The market has produced thousands of available TV and radio stations, a cell phone for every citizen, GPS in every car, all kinds of real time data uploads, wireless internet etc. in the last decade or so and this is the price the market is now paying for all of this crap that really isn't needed.

There probably aren't that many TV's out there that will need the box anyway. Unfortunately, I'm sure there will be many people who blindly buy the box anyway even if they don't need it.

If you think the conversion to digital is a waste of tax money, consider how much would be spent if we didn't do it. EVERY radio used by the military would have to be mothballed and replaced by a narrow band unit. This wouldn't be a big deal except that an upgrade was just completed a few years ago, and all of those radios would have to be tossed. At $1700 each, that's a big chunk of change. I've got 3 or 4 of those in my house and I don't know how many in the office in case of emergency, maybe another 4 or 5. We'll call it 10 for ease of calculation, that's $17k in radios for one unit that does not have a large demand for comm capability, and our radios are the cheap ones because we don't require complex encoding of our signals in most cases. I suspect in a combat unit you would equip every member with a radio that probably costs two or three times as much.

[afmo]

My wife works for a major telecom provider and this change is market driven.

it couldn't be market driven, otherwise they wouldn't need a government mandate that all over-the-air broadcasts be in digital.

But yeah...the switch really is a good thing...its going to be beneficial to everyone in the long run. However the digital converter thing is stupid. About 1% of all television homes use solely over-the-air television. An even smaller number of those TV's already have a digital tuner built into them. What most people don't know is that there is an FCC mandate that all TV's after a certain date have to have an internal digital tuner. Many TVs made within the last decade have a digital tuner already built in, and the digital tuner thing is a waste of money....oh well, they can always print more

[Ride the Lightning]

Originally Posted by afmo

it couldn't be market driven, otherwise they wouldn't need a government mandate that all over-the-air broadcasts be in digital.

The government controls the airwaves through the FCC. The market for bandwidth has grown to staggering levels, levels that can't be supported by analog broadcasts. The market has forced this change because people can't live without their toys. If the government didn't act we would have broadcasts bleeding into each other and nothing would work right, so the market would have to change anyway. The only thing the government mandate is doing is changing everyone on the same day instead of spreading it out over several years.

[afmo]

yeah, but a true market driven change WOULD be spread out over several years while a diffusion curve emerged. This is essentially a policy driven change because the market will not have the time to make the change. I do agree with you though that without the change we would end up with major problems, but its not really the market mandating the change...

[cucamelsmd15]

Originally Posted by Ride the Lightning

My wife works for a major telecom provider and this change is market driven. It's either switch to digital or go without because there is only so much bandwidth out there. You can put 3 or 4 digital signals in the same bandwidth that is used by one analog signal. The market has produced thousands of available TV and radio stations, a cell phone for every citizen, GPS in every car, all kinds of real time data uploads, wireless internet etc. in the last decade or so and this is the price the market is now paying for all of this crap that really isn't needed.

Congress mandated change /= Market driven. Thats government driven, no matter how you slice it.

There probably aren't that many TV's out there that will need the box anyway. Unfortunately, I'm sure there will be many people who blindly buy the box anyway even if they don't need it.

No, theres not, because most people already have a set-top box for dish or cable these days.

If you think the conversion to digital is a waste of tax money, consider how much would be spent if we didn't do it. EVERY radio used by the military would have to be mothballed and replaced by a narrow band unit. This wouldn't be a big deal except that an upgrade was just completed a few years ago, and all of those radios would have to be tossed. At $1700 each, that's a big chunk of change. I've got 3 or 4 of those in my house and I don't know how many in the office in case of emergency, maybe another 4 or 5. We'll call it 10 for ease of calculation, that's $17k in radios for one unit that does not have a large demand for comm capability, and our radios are the cheap ones because we don't require complex encoding of our signals in most cases. I suspect in a combat unit you would equip every member with a radio that probably costs two or three times as much.

Uh, digital technology has been around since the 80's, and its been around on the cheap since the late 90's. Look at the rest of the world and youll see that we are still 5+ years behind on technology.

Originally Posted by Ride the Lightning

The government controls the airwaves through the FCC. The market for bandwidth has grown to staggering levels, levels that can't be supported by analog broadcasts. The market has forced this change because people can't live without their toys. If the government didn't act we would have broadcasts bleeding into each other and nothing would work right, so the market would have to change anyway. The only thing the government mandate is doing is changing everyone on the same day instead of spreading it out over several years.

And that is outside the realm of what the government should be controlling. Period. The government doesnt need to act. Simple supply and demand, if the telecoms cant get their ducks in a row, people will switch to a different provider, or just drop their service altogether. With regards to your last statement, the only thing the government is doing is arriving late to the party. The switch from analog to digital has been going on for years now.