Obama encourages a delay in DTV

[illusionofjoy]

Ye olde Associated Press reports:

President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready.

In a letter to key lawmakers Thursday, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta said the digital transition needs to be delayed largely because the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers. People who don't have cable or satellite service or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their older analog sets working.

Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not doing enough to help Americans -- particularly those in rural, poor or minority communities -- prepare for and navigate the transition.

I honestly haven't been paying much attention to the shift from analogue to digital broadcast signals. Frankly, any television shows I watch are either viewed by me online or on DVD months after their initial broadcast. The home TV isn't even hooked up to basic cable or a pair of "rabbit ears" - the only thing connected to the coaxial cable running into the back of the set is the DVD player.

So, I can't really say if I agree with a delay or not. Part of me is thinking that we've waited this long, so what's a few more months? Another part of me says switch it over now and leave people with static on their old sets - they probably watch too much TV anyway.

Comments

[slinkybetty.livejournal.com]

Honestly, the show switching business pisses me off. I have an old set in my bedroom with the bunny ears, and I get only 4 channels on it. That's fine with me, I use it to watch the news (and Simpsons) at night and sometimes news in the morning s I get dressed for work. I don't need fancy-scmancy TV in my room, I just want my four channels, and I don't want to have to pay for another cable box or a converter box. I think that TV is fine the way it is, and the whole thing is silly.