Comments on: Update: Obama Calls for DTV Switch Delay

By: 6.5 Million Homes Not Ready for DTV | Viral Video Maker

6.5 Million Homes Not Ready for DTV | Viral Video Maker — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:17:59 +0000

[...] affect lower income and those in rural areas. The Obama administration is urging Congress to push the date back because of insufficient support for problems consumers will [...]

By: j

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:00:16 +0000

well people are saying that people had enough time to make the switch well if your like me yeah you had enough time but problem is i was going to get digital cable guess what i got laid off and now cant afford it it seems as though these people that are saying everyone had enough time are the ones that have the money to spare to buy a new tv or have cable and aren’t being affected by the dropping economy to much they are the ones that feel that the rich should get richer and the poor should become poorer for me its not that i didn’t have ample time it was getting laidoff that made me not able to afford the switch so now while i am out searching for a job in this hopelessly hard economy i have to come home and watch nothing on tv to relax i play my part in society i paid taxes when i had a job i helped people when they were down on their luck i did all of this i just look forword to my two hours of tv a night and now i am going to be forced to go out and buy a box that i can’t afford (that i hear from most people don’t even work half the time when they buy. some have even had to buy and return them 3 times before they could get it to work. so lets go out and buy a box that doesn’t work so that everybody can waste returning and to be disappointed that there isn’t one that they can get in replace because the store ran out) This ecomony is full of poor people that can’t afford to pay for tv. the one thing that their family does together at night because they can’t afford to go out, they cant afford to buy games, they cant afford much of anything. i thought spending time with your family should be free but i guess not anymore. i guess all the people who made this switch happen want us to have to pay for that too so much for family values. (the question should we pay this , or should we buy a box; should we eat dinner tonight, or should we buy a box, should i buy my kids school supplies, or should i buy a box, should i spend time with my kids or should i go wait in line to buy a box.) the list could go on forever. whether we like it or not we are a society that spends family time at night time in front a television, and dont say take the kids for a walk, cause guess what A) its winter and cold, B) some people don’t live in that great of neighborhoods to walk in oh well i guess this is just another way for the rich to stay rich and the hard working minmum wage american working three jobs just to make ends meat to stay poor.

By: o more DTV commercials, please!

o more DTV commercials, please! — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:57:58 +0000

Seriously, 2 years wasn’t enough to get ready? How hard is it to go pick up a converter box? Obviously a lot of these folks don’t watch enough tv to be able to notice. I’m sick of the commercials as it is…tv, radio, billboards. Make them go away. I hope to see lots of stations throw the switch on the 17th… too expensive for most of them to keep supporting the analog signal. Gonna bail all the tv stations out too when they can’t afford to support all the signals after spending all the dough to convert over?

By: DTV Delay Almost Official

DTV Delay Almost Official — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:51:30 +0000

[...] and since both bills are in accord, the only thing left is to get the presidential signature. Since President Obama asked for this legislation in the first place, it should be a slam [...]

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:06:41 +0000

This will require the purchase of a new tv for us, since ours is too old. Just another expenditure that will cramp our pocketbooks.

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:41:51 +0000

What a crock. "leaving millions of consumers in the dark". You would think we were talking about turning off their electricity. It's only TV!

Once again the answer is "follow the money". TV networks and advertisers are worried about lost revenue due to all those commercials that won't be seen.

This has been coming for 4 years. It has been well publicized. And especially in the leat few months, I am getting tired of seeing the "Are you ready for DTV?" commercials. They are everywhere - between shows, during shows, even as crawls along the top and bottom of the screen.

I agree with the sentiments expressed above. Throw the swith on the 17th. Those who procrastinated and really need their TV will get "converted" very quickly when it disappears.

By: Is a DTV Delay a Bailout for Procrastinators? | Viral Video Maker

Is a DTV Delay a Bailout for Procrastinators? | Viral Video Maker — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:24:34 +0000

[...] week, President-elect Obama suggested that the country push back the upcoming nationwide switch to digital TV (DTV) on Feb. 17. After bailing out banks, Wall Street [...]

By: Is a DTV Delay a Bailout for Procrastinators? « NewTeeVee

Is a DTV Delay a Bailout for Procrastinators? « NewTeeVee — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:00:10 +0000

[...] a Bailout for Procrastinators? Last week, President-elect Obama suggested that the country push back the upcoming nationwide switch to digital TV (DTV) on Feb. 17. After bailing out banks, Wall Street [...]

By: PAUL DIAZ

PAUL DIAZ — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:49:40 +0000

As far in the time as 2003 the country TV industry is ready to turn off the analog system. What’s the buss? What’s the happening !!!? Does this switch off belong to the family of Vista and Windows 7 family?
TV. 31 opportunities at NAB Convention.

By: Neil Polimeni

Neil Polimeni — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:12:51 +0000

As usual those of us who prepare must sit back and watch Big Brother come to the rescue for those of our population that chooses to make excuses for lack of preperation. I agree with the other postings, when the screens go blank people will make the change.

By: Kevin Adams

Kevin Adams — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:55:26 +0000

We have all known about this for 10 years now. Maybe those who didn’t heed the warnings and waited until the last minute can rely on the old standby for their news and information–RADIO.

By: John Evans

John Evans — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:41:51 +0000

This has been discussed very publicly for two years. The airwaves have been blanketed with warnings and explanations for several months now. The coupons were available for a long time. They were clearly advertised as first come, first serve with a limited supply.

Meantime, for months, I've had constant reception problems with DTV because broadcasters can't get on their final designated channels while analog broadcasts continue. The upshot is that I can't receive the CBS station in my market (Chicago) and reception is irregular on many of the other channels while we await the final switch. This state of affairs should not be allowed to continue in order to cater to those who have been ignoring all of the warnings. The switch should happen as scheduled.

When televisions stop working, the procrastinators will finally make the effort to do what they need to do. It isn't right that the rest of his should wait longer to get decent reception back because 10% of the public are habitual procrastinators.

By: DeeNice, the Digital Dynamo

DeeNice, the Digital Dynamo — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:27:26 +0000

Finally, the sleeping DTV Giant has awoken. A Press Conference this week at the Natl Press Club in DC the topic was “Reforming the Federal Communications Commission”, Jessica Rosenworcel, Senate Commerce Comittee panelist stated “that there are currently 21 million Americans not ready for the DTV transition on Feb. 17, 2009.” A disproportionate number of these TV viewers are elderly, disabled, minorities, and rural. It would be morally irresponsible to not recognize that as diligent as the FCC, NTIA and NAB have been to “get the word out” more needs to be done in the application area. Focus 80% on the grassroots level assisting people getting connected and 20% on the awareness level.

To support this campaign click: http://www.pushthedateback.com which sends a letter to congress
To sign the petition click http://www.pushthedateback.net

By: Bob Boynton

Bob Boynton — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:44:56 +0000

If we wait until the recalcitrant are ready it will never happen. If we make the switch it will be remarkable how quickly those who just cannot make the change will make the change. There is almost no one in our society who wants to go without TV. They will get it when it is no longer there.

By: John

John — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:23:42 +0000

if my 80yr old grandma got the memo and got her converter box, everyone else should have as well.

ok, maybe that leaves open those in the +80yr range, but that can't be a large number-- especially when you filter that by those that dont have cable.

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:18:38 +0000

In the UK, we are switching over a region at a time. We found in the first region that there were a lot of scare stories and scepticism, but with blanket communications in the weeks leading up to and succeeding the dates (it happened in two phases) very few people were left unable to watch TV