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US Switch To DTV Countdown Begins

Posted by timothy on from the we're-from-the-gov't-and-we're-here-to-help-you dept.

s31523 writes "In February lawmakers postponed the switch from analog to digital TV. Now, the new June 12th deadline is upon us with no sign of another delay. CNET is reporting that the President himself has stated, '... I want to be clear: there will not be another delay.' So it looks like it is going to happen, for real this time. Even with the delay, there are still estimated to be millions of unprepared viewers. Local stations may participate in the voluntary 'Analog nightlight' services in which TV stations agree to keep an analog signal turned on in addition to their digital signals to provide information about the DTV transition and to notify unprepared TV viewers of emergencies, such as hurricanes."

3 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. I have already faced my worst nightmare by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm not afraid of the switch tomorrow. I've already spent the last few months getting repeated phone calls from my grandma complaining about the funny new box we put on her TV so she can still get her damn Judge Judy.

    The last one was the best. Grandma called up and informed me that her new remote was broken. So I called my cousin, who drives over to her house and finds that the "broken" remote is the result of grandma having put a fucking doily on top of the box (blocking its IR receiver). I shit you not.

    I love my HDTV. But it's a demanding love.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:I have already faced my worst nightmare by CastrTroy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There's tons of people who are going to be cut off because of this. Analog TV has much better range than Digital TV, and has much better tolerances with a bad signal. Think about when there's bad weather with your satellite dish. The picture is either there, or it's completely gone. With analog, you get varying degrees of static depending on how bad the signal is, but when there's bad weather, like hurricanes or blizzards, you can make out some of what's going on to get the news.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    2. Re:I have already faced my worst nightmare by DaGoatSpanka · · Score: 5, Insightful

      During a hurricane or blizzard, turn on the radio if you can't get TV signal. A hurricane will more than likely kill power and my TV doesn't take batteries like my radio!