I think it is hillarious the goverment can't even estimate the number or boxes needed or at least how many old TV's are out there...

This is a poor decision, in my opinion. The public was given over a year's time to take the necessary steps to transition over to a digital signal. The government even gave out $40 coupons to offset the cost.

 

What happens to the companies that won the auction on using the "freed up" wireless bandwith? This netted the FCC over $19 billion. Surely there will be financial consequences for not allowing companies to use the bandwith that they were promised?

 

No offense Rockmom, but people who have not prepared for the February transition will once again procrastinate until the next deadline looms.

I think it is hillarious the goverment can't even estimate the number or boxes needed or at least how many old TV's are out there...

 

And even funnier, they're still selling TV's that are analog. Go figure.

This is a poor decision, in my opinion. The public was given over a year's time to take the necessary steps to transition over to a digital signal. The government even gave out $40 coupons to offset the cost.

 

What happens to the companies that won the auction on using the "freed up" wireless bandwith? This netted the FCC over $19 billion. Surely there will be financial consequences for not allowing companies to use the bandwith that they were promised?

 

No offense Rockmom, but people who have not prepared for the February transition will once again procrastinate until the next deadline looms.

 

So, exactly what's the exciting stuff that will happen when we all go digital? What are people like me getting in the way of?

Pretend you're driving on a 10 lane highway. Most cars take up a single lane (digital), but older cars are 5 lanes wide (analog). In order to improve the traffic flow, we would need to get rid of the old cars (analog signal).

 

Better traffic flow = more channels, more devices, etc. to be used.

 

Verizon wireless was the "winner" of the auction to use a frequency for cell phones... but that will have to wait now.

No offense Rockmom, but people who have not prepared for the February transition will once again procrastinate until the next deadline looms.

I think if you read her post more closely, you'll see that she thought she had taken steps to prepare by buying a new TV. So it wasn't really a procrastination issue in her particular case.

Pretend you're driving on a 10 lane highway. Most cars take up a single lane (digital), but older cars are 5 lanes wide (analog). In order to improve the traffic flow, we would need to get rid of the old cars (analog signal).

 

 

I'm not getting it. What's wrong with the traffic flow now?

So, exactly what's the exciting stuff that will happen when we all go digital? What are people like me getting in the way of?

 

Technically your not getting in the way of anything. But I have a feeling that those who keep on putting off the digital transition that actually watch/care about TV will throw a fit when they can't watch their tube anymore. They've been given a year to prepare, I don't think 4 extra months is going to matter.

Technically your not getting in the way of anything. But I have a feeling that those who keep on putting off the digital transition that actually watch/care about TV will throw a fit when they can't watch their tube anymore. They've been given a year to prepare, I don't think 4 extra months is going to matter.

 

 

So, the conversion to digital accomplishes what? I'll admit I've been a little peeved that I'm forced to buy something I've never needed before, or subscribe to cable or satellite.

I'm not getting it. What's wrong with the traffic flow now?

 

The highway is maxed out, slow moving, and cannot be widened. The only way to create more capacity is to make the cars thinner.

So, the conversion to digital accomplishes what? I'll admit I've been a little peeved that I'm forced to buy something I've never needed before, or subscribe to cable or satellite.

 

To make it short, it's pretty much modernizing everything and eliminating old "lagging" signals.

The highway is maxed out, slow moving, and cannot be widened. The only way to create more capacity is to make the cars thinner.

 

 

I'm an idiot, so please bear with me. You want the highway for what?

To make it short, it's pretty much modernizing everything and eliminating old "lagging" signals.

 

 

Interesting. So, nothing earth shattering will happen if it's delayed a few months. No cosmic forces will implode, or explode. So, what's the big deal to wait another few months?

RM, if you don't watch TV anyway and just watch movies then this doesn't affect you at all.

 

Until you want to watch TV.

I applied for 2 vouchers about a month ago and got them in the mail 2 weeks ago.