bye bye cable, hello digital

zoomtm

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Depending on the outcome of discussions in Congress, television as we know it may end at exactly midnight Dec. 31, 2006.

That's the date Congress targeted, a decade ago, for the end of analog television broadcasting and a full cutover to a digital format. If enforced, that means that overnight, somewhere around 70 million television sets now connected to rabbit ears or roof-top antennas will suddenly and forever go blank, unless their owners purchase a special converter box. Back when the legislation was written, New Year's Eve 2006 probably looked as safely distant as the dark side of the moon. But now that date is right around the corner and Congress and the FCC are struggling mightily to figure out what to do.

Congress, however, left itself a loophole in the 1996 legislation, and could actually let the cut-off date slide by. But powerful lobbyists now are pressing legislators to set a “date certain” for the analog lights-out. The debate over when to throw the switch is a strange brew of big money, high technology, homeland security and a single, unanswerable question: just how angry are the couch potatoes going to be? It's also a textbook example of why the future almost never happens as fast as technologists promise.

It all started back in the Eighties, when the Japanese shocked American consumer electronics companies with trade-show displays of high definition television sets that delivered razor-sharp images and stunning audio. Everyone from Congress to the Wall Street Journal raised outcries: America's favorite technology was being taken over by the then-fearsome Japan Inc. As a result, a group of American companies formed the “Grand Alliance” that leapfrogged the Japanese technology by inventing digital HDTV. Thus, early on, HDTV invoked not just pretty pictures, but national pride and economic development. (Ironically, Zenith, the most all-American commercial participant in the Grand Alliance, is now South Korean-owned.)

One drawback to the U.S. version of HDTV was that to make it work, all broadcast television (not just high-definition) would have to convert to digital, meaning that every American television set manufactured since 1946 would be rendered obsolete. To ease the transition, Congress generously gave all television broadcasters additional channel space so that they could keep broadcasting their analog signals while they installed and launched their digital channels. The deal was that they would give up their old channels when the transition was done. That part worked: Over 1400 broadcasters now transmit in digital as well as analog, reaching 99 percent of the U.S. television market.

During the same period consumers were supposed to buy digital television receivers. That part didn't work.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6448213/did/7593620
 
They want to do this in the UK as well (evil Tony Blair :mad: ) I dont think they should, I dont want (my parents) to have to pay more because no-one ever watches tv very often, I watched 1.5 hrs yesterday and that was the most for months, i think it should be left to the individual. I think Sky is pretty good (has anyone got that) I had it for 6 months for reasons I cant be bothered to explain and it was great, I particulary enjoyed the shopping channels (they are soooooo funny :D). But the picture quality is better, heres why:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/analog-digital3.htm
It is about CD's I know but the same principles apply, so there you go :) :)
You can get Digital decoders in Britain , which pick up 30 channels (there are only normally 5) for a one off price of about £50 (dunno how much that is in dollars) and you dont need to pay subscription fees or nuthin'.
Anyway
NO
 
well I had to get time warner digital cable or pay 144 for inital install for internet only. internet only is around 50 bucks/month plus 99 to install (self install kit isnt an option for me) I would have to give time warner 144 at install! so i went with the digital plan and I only gotta give them 95 at install.

but I do get 180 digital channels and 6meg internet 6 months half price! I can add PVR for 10/mo. not bad! Im gonna get it the month after next. and the cool thing about digital cable is you get program guides and stuff liek that. regualr cables got a "guide chennel" that you gotta wait to stuff to scroll on its own.

at least itll give me something mroe to do and I mostly got it so installtion price is lower. however timewarner isnt down as much as comcast is and time warner hs better pricing then comcast does. were paying 62/mo for 6 meg inet and limited basic cable, same thing with digita and 180 cahnnels with comcast is 180/mo!!!
 
and techy geek, those decoders ( called filters here in the US) get "zapped" every month they change thier decrypting ID on thier recievers every month at least, so you'll need to update your filter every month. and it can be costly also.
 
ok then, i dont think it should go away, but you people who think you dont need it well you will, wait until your big sky,cable company do something wrong, like the power goes of or someone hacks them or anything, well what do you watch then, your tell with a blak screen saying 'SORRY SKY IS NOT AVAILABLE , PLEASE TRY LATER', what if it said that, you would be fooked for the night, so think again because sky could go out for days, you nether know.

CHANNEL 1+2+3+4+5 have got films, funny programs all the latest news + much more, so i think i would value my tele, i have got cable with most of the channels.
 
well this can also help the economy....more jobs to build the tvs, more jobs to put the new service in the house, more jobs at the cable place

people will be paying money to help the economy to buy the new tvs

and for those that are short on money/dont have a job will try to get a job or look for a better one so they can afford it

and those who cant get a better job will go back to school so they can get a better one..

i dunno just my thoughts.. :D
 
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