Senate approves delaying digital switch

[sandor]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

If and when the government finally decides to let the deadline arrive (as I posted above, I think they'll keep moving it), I would expect massive lines and headaches at all consumer electronics stores (and other places that carry the boxes) on the day before the switch. That's just how people are. Why else would the malls be slammed on Christmas Eve every year, ya know? Procrastination is the American way (and if that doesn't work, then complaining is)

As I have heard many people say, the people that need the boxes, will get the boxes. It might be last minute, and it almost certainly will be with their own money (not with a coupon)... but they'll get them.

the other thing to realize is exactly *what* these boxes and the coupon program is for:

This program is **ONLY** for boxes that will convert the ATSC signal directly to NTSC. So there is no HD, there is no digital audio, it is meant only so those with an NTSC tv can continue to watch NTSC feeds. there is specific language that prohibits the coupons from being used to "upgrade current service".

and if you look at the actual numbers, it is a minority of people who will be "affected" by NTSC being shut off:

https://www.dtv2009.gov/Stats.aspx

22 million already redeemed.
10.2 million active coupons
3.7 million on wait list BUT only a 54% redemption rate (exactly as expected)

so that would mean redemption values like this:

22 million redeemed
5.5 million active
2 million on wait list

so 27.5 million people will have converters
2 million wont

so roughly 7% of people currently dont have access to the coupon they want. and we are holding up the transition for 7% ??!?

[Wakecrash]

Private companies and individuals spendt billions to prep for the deadline, so we are delaying because of an incompetent government that can't manage a coupon program, which was ridiculous to have in the first place, and a few people that the government does not even allow to take responsibility for their own actions. A nation of dependents,,,, same old song and dance....

[stevech]

It is my belief that a very large percentage of those coupon requests are from people who don't need/can't use the converter themselves.

[Wakecrash]

I found this an interesting post on one of my local stations forums.


"As many of you know, Congress and President Obama have officially pushed the date to June 12th as the last day for full power analog television broadcasts. Since this has all taken place in the last 2 weeks, it has been pretty hectic around the station. First we were not going to stick to February 17th, then we were and then when the new date rules came out it was decided that we wouldn't.

Of course we were not the only station to go through that process. From what I hear all the local stations went through a similar process. With the way the FCC had the new termination date rules written, we decided there just wasn't enough time left to fulfill all the additional legal requirements the FCC added at the last minute for stations to comply for a February 17th termination (even though 2 stations locally are terminating analog on February 17th) so we elected to wait until June 12th. Unlike the other stations in the market, we are having to change back to channel 8 post transition which added a lot of additional hoops to jump through that the other stations didn't have to do. In the end, we felt it served our viewers better to wait for June 12th.

Our auxiliary channel 8 transmitter has been converted to digital and is ready to go, as is everyone else in the market so now we wait for June 12th, stuck in a holding pattern, like most other stations."