This may interest you

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20080101/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/digital_tv

http://www.dtv2009.gov

 

It may be redundant to point this out, but this is being done so the Fed can sell access to the airways for more than they currently can. It's all about money for Congress to waste.

[/rant]

 

Forced digital TV switch-over? We're doing the same thing over here. Shame there's little on free-to-air digital that's worth watching right now.

 

Word on that Omnius. If free-to-air TV didn't suck so bad, chances are people might be happier with the switch. As it is, I'm sure most would consider staying with the basic 4-5 channel package.

 

I'll keep the current 4-and-a-half channels.   There's occasionally something worthwhile on BBC3 but for the most part it's nothing but home shopping.  

 

Sorry, forgot about money for other governments to waste. My bad.

I suppose this isn't only a non-partisan issue, its also a non-national (to me multi-national would mean cooperation rather than just concurring self interest) one as well.

Does that push it beyond being "political?"

 

Are there people besides my parents still viewing standard-def TV over the air?  

For the record, this will have no effect on those of you with cable.

 

I have cable in my living room, but not in my bedroom. I live in an apt and their are no cable jacks in the bedrooms. So we use anteanna's. So this will help me. I guess these devices give you access to digital tv channels as well!

 

Here in the UK - a lot.

 

The feds should give me a coupon towards buying a new TV.

 

Actually over here, the government is offering financial assistance to certain groups (the elderly, the unemployed etc) to buy digital TV adapters as and when analogue signals in their area are being switched off.

 

I have not had cable (or satellite) for almost 5 years, it was a waste of money, there was never anything worth watching no matter how many channels I had.

...though recently my wife has been wanting to get cable again, which means we probably will.

 

You sir, speak the truth

What I wish you could do is just pay a "per channel" subscription fee and only pay for the exact channels you want, rather than paying for a huge bundle riddled with shit you never even turn on. I watch maybe 4-6 channels at most.

 

Haven't had cable or an antenna since '03. Netflix FTW.

Yeah, I catch shows a year late, but I end up watching 'em without commercials, when I want to watch 'em, and only the shows I know are good.

 

I'm right with you there! I only watch about 10 channels at most, plus the network channels on regular TV. It pisses me off that I can't just give a company $5.00 a month or so just for those channels.

There was a bill brought before congress previously, proposing for ala carte channel selection. Cable, Satellite, and TV Network lobbyists killed it though.

Their logic is that if they don't get the money for all the channels, the less watched/ordered one's will be forced to shut down.

Funny how the one area that truly deserves capitalism gets socialism instead.  

 

That is my dream. I don't WANT fucking QVC, ESPN-9, and the All-Sabado-Gigante channel. CN, Comedy Central, Travel Channel, Discovery, and Food Network +/- the standard networks would be more than enough. But that system would be far too convenient to ever exist.

Of course, if the WGA strike never ends, I probably won't even want those.

Meanwhile, I hate the way the DTV conversion "PSAs" are worded. With some of them, I'm fairly certain they're TRYING to scare/confuse people into going out and buying a new TV.

 

Ditto for TV habits.

 

Point of note: Currently the US gubermnet is offering $40 coupons, but all the conversion units cost at least $50.

And you can only use the coupons on gov certified units from certified retailers......

Haven't used cable in a few years and seem to be doing just fine.

 

I love my HD service and DVR. Call me a fascist pig if you like, but I love channel surfing just because I can.

But OT, this sounds like a pretty lame idea. How can we expect to adopt new technologies is we are still supporting the least common denominator?