Digital Tv: Haven't we had enough warning??? Why the delay???
By vivasuzi
@vivasuzi (4127)
United States
February 17, 2009 11:54am CST
I knew about the delay of the transition to Digital TV for a bit now but just decided today that i'm annoyed by it a lot. I've been seeing messages and commercials and advertisments and flashing things on the bottom of the tv for MONTHS. "Feb 17 switch to digital!" Today many channels have switched, regardless of the fact that the government delayed the official transition to June 12.
There have been so many warnings, and discussions, and news, and etc etc.
I do not know a single person who was not ready for the change - and I also don't know anyone that needed a converter box b/c most everyone around here has cable and therefore they don't need a converter.
So why the delay? Why on earth was this issue so important that the government had to take time out to discuss whether or not it should be delayed? What is going to happen when June 12 comes around and there are still people who aren't ready? Are they going to keep delaying it until every single person in the US is ready? Why is the gov even involved? Don't they have more important decisions to be worrying about (like the economy - hello!)
And let's just say the switch DID happen today, and 10% of the people were not ready for it - so they live without TV for a bit until they get a convereter box. Is being without TV the end of the world? Are those 10% of people going to DIE because their TV isn't working? It's their fault for not listening to all the warnings and news and stories that have been going on for MONTHS and MONTHS.
I am so tired of hearing about this digital tv switch, and now I'll probably still see commercials through June to warn people to switch. I just read a local news story where the family DID buy the converter boxes but they just haven't set them up yet so they are going to live without certain channels. How lazy can you be that you can have the box in your house and just not take 5 minutes to plug it in? Should the whole USA have to wait because of lazy-butts like that????
Share your thoughts and frustrations!!!
1 person likes this
1 response
@kareng (54665)
• United States
17 Feb 09
I agree, we, the public have had plenty of time to make adjustments, get a converter box or go HD with upgrading television sets. I think that the TV stations should have all revolted on this delay since it costs them more to operate vs. switching over, which they were all ready to do on schedule. Oh and those commercials are really getting annoying. I think it's time to give them a rest already! Geesh!
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
17 Feb 09
It seems the TV stations like ABC are frustrated but not willing to stand up to the gov. Perhaps they don't see it as something worth fighting for.
I am not looking forward to another 4 months of those annoying commercials. Too bad they can't direct them only at people who have antennas.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
17 Feb 09
That's not really true kareng...the government ran out of those $40 coupons that would allow low income families/household (like myself) to get the converter box. $40 plus dollars for a box might not sound expensive, but for people on benefits like SSI which I'm on, there be no way I could have afforded a converter box...luckily I was in time to get one of those coupons before the govt ran out of the funding for the program....others may not have been so lucky
1 person likes this
@kareng (54665)
• United States
18 Feb 09
They shouldn't have waited a year or more to request them. They could still use anteaneas, why should everyone else have to suffer for just a few? It's not that I'm not compassionate about those that can't afford the boxes, it is just that there has plenty of prior warning for people to make plans as to what they want to do--go anteanea, converter box, or buy new HD TV.
1 person likes this
