Senate ok's delay for Digital TV

[Rico]

Almost seemed destined to happen.  Not settled yet, but it's looking likely that all the people still not ready are getting a reprieve until June 12th.  Sigh,....    ::)

WASHINGTON – The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting by four months to June 12 — setting the stage for Congress to pass the proposal as early as Tuesday.

Monday's Senate vote is a big victory for the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress, who have been pushing for a delay amid growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready for the currently scheduled Feb. 17 changeover.

The Nielsen Co. estimates that more than 6.5 million U.S. households that rely on analog television sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals could see their TV sets go dark next month if the transition is not postponed.

"Delaying the upcoming DTV switch is the right thing to do," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., author of the bill to push back the deadline. "I firmly believe that our nation is not yet ready to make this transition at this time."

The issue now goes to the House, where Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., has vowed to work with House leaders to bring Rockefeller's bill up for a floor vote on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama earlier this month called for the transition date to be postponed after the Commerce Department hit a $1.34 billion funding limit for government coupons that consumers may use to help pay for digital TV converter boxes. The boxes, which generally cost between $40 and $80 each and can be purchased without a coupon, translate digital signals back into analog ones for older TVs.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the arm of the Commerce Department administering the program, is now sending out new coupons only as older, unredeemed ones expire and free up more money. The NTIA had nearly 2.6 million coupon requests on a waiting list as of last Wednesday.

Jonathan Collegio, vice president for the digital television transition for the National Association of Broadcasters, argues that the Nielsen numbers may overstate the number of viewers who are not ready for the digital transition. He noted that the numbers exclude consumers who have already purchased a converter box but not yet installed it, as well as those who have requested coupons but not yet received them.

What's more, consumers who subscribe to cable or satellite TV service or who own a TV with a digital tuner will not lose reception.

Still Gene Kimmelman, vice president for federal policy at Consumers Union, argues that millions of Americans — particularly low-income and elderly viewers — will pay the price because "the government has failed to deliver the converter boxes these people deserve just to keep watching free, over-the-air broadcast signals."

In 2005, Congress required broadcasters to switch from analog to digital signals, which are more efficient, to free up valuable chunks of wireless spectrum to be used for commercial wireless services and interoperable emergency-response networks.

Republicans in both the House and Senate have raised concerns that a delay would confuse consumers, burden wireless companies and public safety agencies waiting for the airwaves that will be vacated and create added costs for television stations that would have to continue broadcasting both analog and digital signals.

Paula Kerger, president and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service, estimates that delaying the digital TV transition to June 12 would cost public broadcasters $22 million.

But Rockefeller managed to ease some of these concerns by allowing broadcast stations to make the switch from analog to digital signals sooner than the June deadline if they choose and by permitting public safety agencies to take over vacant spectrum that has been promised to them as soon as it becomes available.

source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090127/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/digital_transition_delay

[Ktrek]

I hope this is the last and final delay. I think it's stupid to delay it and four more measley months won't make a bit of difference in the outcome.

Kevin

[Rico]

I think a lot is timing due to the new President.  Even though it's silly, I can see people a month after the new President is in office blaming him when their TV can't get a signal anymore.  I agree Kevin, a few more months won't matter.  Whenever they do it, there will be people running to their local stores the day after the change to FINALLY get a converter box.

[Captain BJ Wanlund]

I'm kinda happy that they're no longer putting that STUPID bar at the bottom or top of the screen that says "This channel may no longer be receiving signals on Feb 20, 2009" or what have you.  I absolutely HATE that, and it takes away from the picture.

It'll delay my purchase of a top-notch digital antenna for a few months, but I don't care.

BJ

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Ya know, seriously?  The only way people are going to be ready is this way:

Just do it already. 

That way they HAVE to upgrade.  I think that if people haven't done it by now, they aren't going to until they have to.  This delay is incredibly unneeded and moronic.  (To be very honest).  We've been ready for months.  How?  We just went to the store, bought the adapter and PRESTO!  We're ready.  How hard was it?  Not hard. I'm very disappointed....

Big thumbs down to this decision by the President and Congress.  Big Thumbs down. 

King

[X]

I think that this is a very interesting idea given the current finical crisis. I think that in four months, those people that are getting back taxes will have that money to buy new tvs and give a jolt to the economy. It's not much, but whatever we put back into the system gives us all a chance to keep our jobs.

I just spent two grand on a new setup and I didn't feel a bit of guilt about it. The sales are good, my bills are paid, and it keeps someone else in a job for a day longer.

I think that this delay is a hope that when people are flush with tax return money, they can put it back into the economy. For those people not wanting the new tv, you can get the coupon and spend all of two bucks to have DTV.

[Bryancd]

They don't need new TV's, they just need cable or satellite. But Obama doesn't want to force people to spend the $ right now and the Congress knows that. A delay really is meaningless in the big picture.

[Rico]

All they need is a converter box.  And those you can get almost for free with the coupons they are giving out.  You should see the old TV I hooked one up to at my mother-in-laws.  And if she is now ready for over-the-air digital broadcasts (no cable, no dish, no new TV), then anyone can be. 

[Dan M]

This is stupid.  People have had years notice.

I can't believe I'm going to have to suffer through 100 more ads explaining this to the 0.05% of the TV audience that doesn't have cable or satellite and is too stupid not to have gotten the message by now.

[Captain BJ Wanlund]

Only reason I'm waiting for a new antenna is I am NOT about to pay upwards of $50 for a good indoor antenna, only to find out that it won't work post-transition.

BJ

[X]

Only reason I'm waiting for a new antenna is I am NOT about to pay upwards of $50 for a good indoor antenna, only to find out that it won't work post-transition.

BJ

Most places are already using the digital signal at full broadcast levels, the only change will be them dropping the analog signal. If you can get the digital channels with the antenna now, you'll be good after the conversion.