DTV Converters In Short Supply

Ponca City, We Love You writes with a New York Times story saying there could be a shortage of DTV converter boxes in addition to the problem with coupons. "At the current rate of coupon redemption, 115,000 per day, plus sales without coupons, that means the current stock of converters could be sold out by the end of this month. So what would have happened if the whole digital transition worked the way it was supposed to? Many of those 3.7 million people would be marching into their local Radio Shack and Best Buy stores trying to buy converter boxes next weekend right before the scheduled cutoff on Feb. 17. And if the electronics association's numbers are right, the boxes would have sold out." Good thing the extended cut-off date was approved.

Comments

Re:Why are we going in debt over CONVERTER BOXES?

[flajann]

Indeed - by setting up a transmitter of significant wattage, you're depriving everybody else in the public the use of that particular frequency. You're only one member of the public, and the rest of us get to have consideration too. Try looking up the 'tragedy of the commons' sometime.

You get to use the frequency exclusively by paying the licence fee, thus compensating the rest of the public for their loss. That money goes back to the government, and ultimately (at least in principle) benefits all the public - including yourself. Yes, you get back much less than you put in as an individual; but with exclusive use of the frequency, the benefit you get is that much higher also.

Am I depriving the community? Or providing a service? If no one was using that frequency anyway, who cares?

Thank goodness we don't have to license our websites. I can reach a far greater number of people with my websites than I ever could with a transmitter. And yeah, I am "depriving" others the use of the domain names I've acquired.

I would do with the airwaves what I do with my websites -- provide free information, free commentary, and the like. The "benefit" to me is not described in terms of money, but in being able to make a tiny difference in the world I live in, which, in theory at least, should benefit all.

The stuff you have said is what they teach us in civics class. As usual, what the government teaches you about how the government "operates" fails to reflect the reality of what actually goes on. Today, our "airwaves" are filled with torrents of mediocrity, paid for and pumped by those who licensed those frequencies. I fail to see the benefit to the public. Oh, but the civics lesson sounds "good" and "right". It is also a fantasy. In reality, something else is afoot.

Funny thing is, no one cared diddly about "the spectrum" until someone invented radio. Where was all the concern about "rights" over "airwaves" before then?

And why the frell is it called "airwaves", anyway? It's got nothing to do with air. "Sound" is "airwaves". Electromagnetic energy, as you know, does not need air to propagate. Basic physics. So perhaps I really should build a high-wattage "airwaves" transmitter -- except my neighbors may get annoyed at not being able to get a good night's sleep! And the FCC wouldn't bother me either, though the local cops may. :-)