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Senate Approves 4-Month Delay In Digital TV Switch

Posted by kdawson on from the procrastinators-win-again dept.

DJRumpy sends word that the US Senate has voted to delay the switch to digital TV until June. "The transition date would move to June 12 from February 17 under the bill that was fueled by worries that viewers are not technically ready for the Congressionally mandated switch-over. It would also allow consumers with expired coupons, available from the government to offset the cost of a $40 converter box, to request new coupons. The government ran out of coupons earlier this month, and about 2.5 million Americans are on a waiting list for them."

27 of 438 comments (clear)

  1. Ahh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And then it'll be December 17.

    1. Re:Ahh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      ..., 2035.

    2. Re:Ahh... by el+americano · · Score: 4, Informative

      Don't ignore the other aspect of this bill. As a holder of one of the 14 million expired coupons, I look forward to getting and using a new one. I requested so early, that it came in February, with an unexpected 3-month expiration period. For price and selection, I was motivated to wait as long as possible, and time ran out. My mistake, but if I get a second chance, I'll buy it right away.

      I'm unsure if it'll really happen, because the funding looks to have been spent, and there's a waiting list of people who didn't waste their coupon ahead of me, but it's in the article, so it must be true. [sign-up required, editor - or you can change your user-agent to be the googlebot.]

      --
      Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others. -Groucho Marx
    3. Re:Ahh... by Bootarn · · Score: 4, Informative

      I envy you.

      Here in Sweden, they switched us over without considering the signal coverage in the countryside. Analogue reception was already bad, and it's impossible to put these heavily distorted radio signals together into digital video frames. No, the viewers were not ready. No, the government didn't care.

      And no, they didn't offer coupons for set top boxes either.

  2. Just do it! by XanC · · Score: 4, Funny

    One motion! Right off!

    1. Re:Just do it! by matazar · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Seriously, I don't think this is that big of a deal.
      Just make the switch and stop those annoying commercials.

    2. Re:Just do it! by cashman73 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It really doesn't matter when they do it -- February, June, two years ago, two years from now. Either way, they'll still have 2 million clueless idiots cussing out at their TVs wondering what happened to their TV signal. And all of those 2 million will be technologically clueless senior citizens -- anyone under the age of, say, 40, already gets most of their TV from the internet, where it's on demand and there's far fewer commercials.

    3. Re:Just do it! by porcupine8 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      When they finally do it, instead of shutting off all analog signal they need to make every station in the country broadcast a repeating message for a week explaining what happened and giving instructions plus a phone # to call for more details. That's about the only way to limit the number of angry phone calls that everyone from the electric companies to the stores that sold the remote controls will get.

      Amazingly, my technologically-handicapped grandmother actually noticed the commercials and listened to my dad when he told her about this, so she's fine - I, on the other hand, waited too long and am now on the dtv waiting list. (Though I also might use it as an excuse to upgrade to hd.)

      --
      Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
    4. Re:Just do it! by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm on the fence on this.

      I'm on the fence about whether or not the change is worthwhile -- by all accounts the digital transmissions have worse reception and worse issues with multipath -- but if we accept that it's worthwhile it seems to me that we should stop stonewalling the change. Just get it over with already. Or cancel it and tell Verizon and AT&T to go pound sand (like they were ever gonna give us a third pipe anyway). Either way make a decision already.

      They could delay it for 10 more years and there'd still be people out there that have no clue until the TV stops working and a big graphic comes on that explains why it stopped working.

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    5. Re:Just do it! by AuMatar · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And if we hire a thousand kids to throw rocks at windows, it will stimulate the economy by forcing the purchase of new windows!

      Forcing people to buy things they don't need or want with no benefit to them won't stimulate the economy- it will force dollars away from useful purchases to useless ones. It harms the economy, not boosts it.

      --
      I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
    6. Re:Just do it! by David+M.+Andersen · · Score: 5, Informative

      Obligatory Wikipedia page explaining this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_broken_window

    7. Re:Just do it! by commodore64_love · · Score: 4, Informative

      >>>TV Stations can still switch to digital early if they want to.

      You're about the 10th person on this forum to say that, and it's not true. KSNC received a *waiver* from the FCC due to antenna damage. Other stations have asked for waivers because of economic hardship. Without these waivers they would still be required to continue broadcasting analog.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    8. Re:Just do it! by Daa · · Score: 5, Informative

      one problem right now is many DTV signals are not being transmitted at their final full power because they are being sent from temporary transmitters and in many cases on different frequencies than then their final assignment. the stations will switch transmitters and frequencies when the switchover is made.So looking at DTV today does not necessarily tell what the signal will look like after the changeover.

    9. Re:Just do it! by SuperQ · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It is worthwhile. For this one reason. Gigawatts.

      Using data from the FCC, http://www.fcc.gov/mb/video/tvq.html I calculated the sum total effective radiated power of all TV stations in the US.

      Total for ATV: 3.6 GW
      Total for DTV: 1.5 GW

      Savings before you factor in transmitter efficiencies: 2.1 GW.

      I have no idea what the real efficiency of a TV transmitter is, but if it were 80% input to ERP you get about 4.5 GW of energy used to keep running ATV.

      Over the 115 day extension that's 12.3 Terawatt-hours.

    10. Re:Just do it! by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Interesting

      by all accounts the digital transmissions have worse reception and worse issues with multipath

      Just to add a datapoint for you. I'm in a large city (NYC) with a big building blocking the path to midtown where the antennas are... analog gave me almost no reception - certainly nothing clear. Using the same antenna I get most of the major networks. The signal sometimes drops out a little and I get those funny digital artifacts or lose the sound for a second, but not often enough to sour the average ball game or sitcom. We NEVER watched analog TV because of the quality, but now we'll occasionally fire up the TV.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    11. Re:Just do it! by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Funny

      Over the 115 day extension that's 12.3 Terawatt-hours.

      What's that in burning-libraries-of-congress?

      C'mon man, use STANDARDS.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    12. Re:Just do it! by kent_eh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I have no idea what the real efficiency of a TV transmitter is, but if it were 80% input to ERP you get about 4.5 GW of energy used to keep running ATV.

      Given that a TV transmitter is mostly just a huge power amplifier, and in my experience most of the higher powered ones contain at least a couple of tubes*, I'd be surprised if the efficiency got over 50%
      As a matter of fact, it looks like it's lower than that. Take a look and do your own math.

      * Why tubes in this day and age?
      They are a proven reliable way of amplifying up to 100s of kilowatts. Transistor amplifiers get very complex even as low as 10KW (the biggest solid state transmitter I've personally worked on). And when they fail it usually takes out dozens, if not hundreds of components. Replacing a pair of final amplifier tubes, and maybe a capacitor after a lightning strike can get you back on the air in an hour or 2.

      --

      ---
      "I can't complain, but sometimes still do..." Joe Walsh
    13. Re:Just do it! by Skapare · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually it is true. Early in the transition, waivers were needed. Towards the end, this was eliminated. You might want to read some details here.

      --
      now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
    14. Re:Just do it! by beckerist · · Score: 4, Informative

      Duh. That wasn't it. In my haste I posted a dumb link. I found a lot more info here: http://www.tvfool.com/

  3. Bad Move by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This a bad move by an equally mismanaged program. They say that there was not enough funding for the demand for coupons, but then the number of coupons exceeds the estimate of TVs receiving through broadcast signals. Most of those boxes are now for sale on eBay. And this does not even touch on the lobbying from the cable industry and other vested $$$ interests. Bad move.

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  4. Will this change anything? by fo0bar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm not talking about the "will delaying the transition allow everybody who has been ignoring the constant barrage of ads to ignore them some more" debate. February 17 is (soon to be "was") a date all broadcasters must stop BY. It doesn't mean you have (had) to stop ON that date. A local broadcaster actually just turned off their analog tower yesterday.

    I'm wondering if many broadcasters will just choose to switch over on the 17th anyway, as the ball is already rolling, so to speak. It'd probably cost them a decent amount of money and wasted resources not to go ahead with the original plan.

    (I could be wrong; there could be wording in the bill forcing broadcasters to wait off.)

  5. Just transmit in B&W the last 90 days by Hadlock · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seriously, if you're watching TV and your color TV suddenly is B&W on every channel, and so is your buddy's, even the clueless idiot is going to drag his ass to the TV asile of walmart and start asking questions. You still get TV, and HDTV is avalible, but SDTV is black and white which will prompt people to go to the store and at least consider a HD tuner.

    --
    moox. for a new generation.
  6. This is good. by Alien+Being · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The cable companies have been using the February switchover as subterfuge for their own plans.

    For about a year, Comcast have been advertising that their customers can "keep on watching their favorite shows" after the switch with no changes needed. Very recently, the wording of their ads changed. Now all they say is that if you use their set-top-box, then you're covered.

    I decided to call them and ask for the real answer.

    Me: I see that you've changed the wording in your ads. Will my service change in February?

    Comcast: blah blah blah blah affected blah blah.

    Me: Would you please repeat that?

    Comcast: blah blah blah blah affected blah blah.

    Me: Wait. Will I be affected, or will I not be affected?

    Comcast: You will be affected.

    Me: How?

    Comcast: You will lose some channels.

    Me: Really! Which ones?

    Comcast: We don't know yet.

    Me: Well, how many channels will I lose?

    Comcast: Between 7 and 10.

    Me: I see. For a year you've been lying to us and you still won't tell us the truth. By the way, why does the Comcast have to change anything?

    Comcast: We don't. The timing is coincidental.

    Me: Fuck you!

    1. Re:This is good. by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Comcast is trying like hell to eliminate the analog lineup. They can then force you to pay extra for EVERY TV by forcing a cable box rental. The upper management has been drooling over this for over 4 years and this in fact has been planned for a while now. Most places that have comcast will be FORCED over to the digital boxes by the end of 2010. At least those were the plans I saw in one of the last meetings I was in on back in 2005. They get a rate cut from the content providers by encrypting everything. Plus they get to fire 70% of the installer workforce as they no longer need to roll a truck for a disconnect. They simply shut off your boxes.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  7. PBS by 787style · · Score: 4, Informative

    PBS claimed that delaying the conversion would cost them $22 million. Is that a check we have to write now lest we get sued?

  8. Advertising dollars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The media is scared shitless that millions of households won't have converter boxes installed by the Feb. date, which, coincidentally, is during one of the "sweeps weeks" for broadcasters. Millions of eyeballs not able to watch tv will mean several millions in lost advertising revenue in a time when tv is already showing declining viewership among the more coveted demographics. Broadcasters prefer putting off the deadline till the beginning of summer when most everything on tv are reruns and viewership is at its lowest.

  9. Karma sacrifice (Re:Just do it!) by peektwice · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Horse shit, there is no fence. These assholes (government, network TV, viewers) have had four years to get ready for this. Anyone dragging their feet over a $49US converter box is just a lazy shit-bum. Remember folks, TV is a luxury item that you don't need. It shouldn't be subsidized. If you want to continue watching it, get a converter. Simple as that. You've all had ample time to get the converter. The fact that 2.5 million people are on the waiting list tells me that there are 2.5 million lazy sons-of-bitches that will NEVER get with the program as long as there are delays. Remember when Al Gore said we had ten years to fix global warming? These same fuckers are waiting for the government delay on that too.

    --
    Other than this text, there is no discernible information contained in this sig.