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Senate Passes Another Bill To Delay Digital TV Transition

Posted by Soulskill on from the it's-almost-like-they're-worried dept.

An anonymous reader tips news that the US Senate has passed another bill to delay the transition to digital TV. This is the second such bill to pass the Senate; the first was narrowly defeated in the House. The new version has an important difference — it would allow the transition to take place gradually over the four-month period between the original transition date (February 17th) and the extended date (June 12th). TV stations around the country could choose when they wanted to make the change, allowing those who have already begun plans to stop analog transmission to continue their shut-down operations.

6 of 318 comments (clear)

  1. How much MORE is this costing us? by DreamsAreOkToo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm someone who doesn't watch much TV. I'm sure other people could go a few days (or however long it takes them to find out what's wrong with their television set) without TV. Now, how much MORE is this bill costing me in taxpayer dollars? And you justify this HOW?

    1. Re:How much MORE is this costing us? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Because some people took no action to get a DTV tuner, and now the government feels really bad about it. Naturally, their response is to delay everything. Those people are never going to be ready.

    2. Re:How much MORE is this costing us? by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No to mention a population and land size about a zillion times larger. That complicates public service/standards programs.

  2. Slowly Now by jswinth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes, yes, lets rip off that bandage as slooooowly as possible so we extend the pain and confusion as long as possible.

    < /sarcasm>

  3. Death of Broadcast Television by chill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    After seeing enough reports on the switch on TV, my wife who hates computers, asked me last night "Can you find the shows I watch online?" After we found them, she then said "What do we need the TV for?" And that is the big question.

    My kids haven't watched TV, other than something in a restaurant or doctor's waiting room, in a couple years now. They watch everything online. Of the three shows my wife watches, two are available online at the network sites and the third can be found via torrents. Actually, all three are available on the network sites, it is just ABC USES SOME FUCKING PROPRIETARY PLAYER THAT DOESN'T WORK ON LINUX! Thus, we either live without that show (no big deal) or hit Pirate Bay. ABC, are you listening? Just use a standard Flash player like everyone else.

    While some of the people still watching broadcast TV don't have broadband, most of those fall into the "old people -- gonna die soon" demographic. What happens to broadcast in 10 years?

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
  4. Let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no by nickruiz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That should be the motto of our government. If the government sets a deadline, they should hold to it, instead of wasting time and tax dollars by pushing back the finish line. What's wrong with making a decision and sticking to it, if there is no quantified risk to continue?

    Just ensure that the vouchers are getting out to the people who haven't received them already. The people can do the rest. If they procrastinate, then let them reap the benefits of procrastination.

    Apologies if I sound troll.