TV’s digital switch is back on for Feb. 17
The House refused today to follow the Senate in voting to delay TV stations’ mandatory switch to all-digital broadcasting, so the change is back on for Feb. 17. I think this was the correct decision. But unlike many of the people who’ve previously commented here on this topic, I do see the switch as a hardship for some people. especially the elderly for whom TV is a lifeline. Getting the coupon (even when they were available), buying the box and hooking it up might be a piece of cake for you, but the process takes a lot of steps and often produces complications. What if you were 80 and didn’t (like one of my neighbors) really understand what the on-screen crawls were warning you about? What if you hadn’t grown up hooking up components and running channel scans? What if it turned out you needed a new antenna, or were suddenly too far out to get the digital signal even though the analog one had been fine? No, I don’t think a four-month delay would have solved these problems, and it would have created more. I’m just saying, don’t be so quick to scorn the people who aren’t ready.
Gail– What if you are 80 and don’t know how to hook up your box–or can’t even get out of your house to get one? What should you do and who should you call? There has to be someone doing it. I’d like to know in case someone I run into needs help.
Gail, I agree with what you are saying. I have grandparents that would be in dire circumstances if I didn’t make it home every now and then to hook electronics up or fix them when the settings get off. But pushing the date off would not have helped anyone. Those that haven’t converted over yet wouldn’t have done so in the months given to them. Those people need to be pushed into doing making the change and having no tv access would be the catalyst for that.
I agree that this has become truly a hardship for many. If it were just simply hooking up a box that would be bad enough for some people but it’s so much more than that. Many people also need an expensive new antenna even if they live in the middle of St. Louis county! If they live in a valley or have buildings around them blocking the signals the box won’t be enough. I’ve had experience with this and it would have cost over $500 to be able to get most, but not all, of the channels (this is in Bridgeton). I guess the cable and satellite companies are loving this since for many people that is now their only option. And you can bet the government isn’t going to use any of the billions of dollars they’re making selling the frequencies to help. It is extremely frustrating. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!!!!!!!!!!
I am duly chastised, however I agree with those that say that delaying the conversion won’t help those folks anyway. And I still say that among the 6 million who haven’t yet converted there are a fair share who are professional procrastinators.
The best reason I can think of to delay is that I can’t get the antenna company to work on my roof until the weather gets warmer.
And I didn’t know I was going to need a new antenna until the leaves fell off the tree and the air got cold and thick which degraded the signal characteristics tremendously.
Is going without television such a hardship? This would be a good time for people to read more books and newspapers, skip TV all together.
Does anyone wonder who besides electronic manufacturers, cable companies and satellite TV companies is really benefiting from this change. Their lobbists just put the bite on our Congressional representatives. A clearer picture of garbage still looks like garbage.
Is going without television such a big deal? Content is still poor; this would be a good time to read more books and newspapers.
Anyone wonder who is really benefiting from this change besides electronics manufacturers, cable and satellite companies? They just put the bite on our congressional representatives to push this through and increase their revenue. As for better picture quality, a pile of garbage will still look like garbage in Hi-Def.