Will the switch to Digital TV Be Postponed

[edDV]

consumer electronics were also not ready. I went shopping for DVD recorders in the fall of 2006, and none that I saw had digital tuners. I also looked at inexpensive TV's, few of which had digital tuners.

I agree the FCC et al botched the ATSC tuner requirement,it wasn't mandatory in all tv's until 7/07.

The ATSC tuners that existed prior to chipset version 5 weren't worth having and would have added about $500-1000 to the price of a TV or DVD recorder. Tuners were ready beginning mid 2007. Cheap coupon tuner chipsets were ready in volume about a year later.

[edDV]

It looks like the House voted against the delay this afternoon. No surprise.

The 258-168 vote seems like a fatal blow with only 3 weeks left. The Feb 17 DTV switch is back on.

Washington Post "House Votes Against Delaying Switch to Digital TV"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/28/ST2009012802327.html

[fritzi93]

It looks like the House voted against the delay this afternoon. No surprise.

Well I'm surprised. They did the sensible thing.

[SmokieStover]

It looks like the House voted against the delay this afternoon. No surprise.

Well I'm surprised. They did the sensible thing.

That's a very strong vote to extend the deadline....all political theater though....the ones running everything can not resist the temptation.

"Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees telecommunications issues, said he wants to bring the same bill back to the floor next week under regular order, meaning that it would need only a simple majority to pass."

[gadgetguy]

But bringing it back under regular order means discussion and possible amendments, both procedures that could delay the process beyond Feb 17 rendering the subject moot. Of course they could pass it retroactively and really screw the broadcasters since many of them will be occupying channels that were previously used by another station's analog signal. But, that seems to be the goal...

[usually_quiet]

The legislation that was defeated seemed pretty pointless to me. According to the article I read in my local paper, it allowed broadcasters to go ahead and make the switch on or before February 17, if they want to. They will want to. So, it doesn't much matter if it eventually passes, unless they change that provision, and they probably won't.

[Edit] I couln't find the story on my own paper's website, but here's a link to the same information they printed. http://courierpress.com/news/2009/jan/28/house-defeats-bill-delay-digital-tv-transition/

It says: "Senate Democrats won over Republican support by allowing broadcast stations to make the switch from analog to digital signals sooner than the June deadline if they choose and permitting public safety agencies to take over vacant spectrum promised to them as soon as it becomes available."

[edDV]

The legislation that was defeated seemed pretty pointless to me. According to the article I read in my local paper, it allowed broadcasters to go ahead and make the switch on or before February 17, if they want to. They will want to. So, it doesn't much matter if it eventually passes, unless they change that provision, and they probably won't.

[Edit] I couln't find the story on my own paper's website, but here's a link to the same information they printed. http://courierpress.com/news/2009/jan/28/house-defeats-bill-delay-digital-tv-transition/

It says: "Senate Democrats won over Republican support by allowing broadcast stations to make the switch from analog to digital signals sooner than the June deadline if they choose and permitting public safety agencies to take over vacant spectrum promised to them as soon as it becomes available."

So this gets it back to funding the DTV tuner coupon program that should have been done last September and would have passed last week.

The Rockefeller bill has just added confusion. The news made it seem like everything has been delayed but the defeat in the house was less reported.

I notice local promos warning about the analog shutdown have increased. One station is even running a test in the middle of their #1 rated daytime soap opera.

[Frank-0-Video]

Greetings ...

The anticipation's getting to me ....

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video