5.7% (6.5 million) U.S. homes still not DTV ready
by Richard Lawler 
posted Jan 22nd 2009 at 10:09PM
One one hand, it's nice to see that the number of U.S. households not ready for the coming analog TV shutoff dropped to 5.7% from 7.7% back in October, but then comes the sobering realization that with 26 days to go, around 6.5 million homes still don't have the necessary equipment to get digital TV. Coming straight from the latest Nielsen report, Albuquerque-Santa Fe, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Houston top the charts for digital unready markets, with African American and Hispanic households still lagging in percentages of unready homes. Of course, we still don't know if things will take place on schedule, but barring a delay, have a look around and make sure people in your community are ready (or as ready as they can be until the coupon program is back up and running.)
Filed under: OTA
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FFXIIIAngelVanille @ Jan 22nd 2009 10:18PM
Obviously 5.7% of the US population is utterly retarded and uninformed....
I say who cares. Putting this off is just ridiculous at this point and time.
MadMike @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:43AM
As much as I hate to say it, that 5% are poor, uneducated people. But then again, how many of those people actually WATCH television? 99% of the Hispanic populous in those areas probably CAN'T speak or understand the English language which gives them all of 1 channel that has native Spanish programming, the rest they need to listen to the abhorrently unsynched SAP function.
What really pisses me off is that a large majority of upper middle class folks probably got the converter box coupon for the TV in their basement that THEY NEVER TURN ON ANYWAY! Thus taking away money from the Elderly and Impoverished who NEED the coupons. I mean, WTF. Get $10 of RG6 and hook the freaking thing to cable, you cheap bastards.
Rob @ Jan 22nd 2009 10:26PM
Wait, so they're trying to get this switch delayed for this little bit of people? Are they all from Palin's Alaska? Then, hit the switch. In any event, I don't think this is a very significant number to delay. If you're not ready by now, you won't be by the summer either. Besides, watching tv is a privilege not a necessity. In the event of an emergency, the first thing to go is electricity. So, what good is tv then.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 22nd 2009 10:31PM
they said mostly black and Hispanic.......not that many black people in Alaska....
Garst @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:56AM
Alaska's population: 686,293 (2008 census estimate)
While there's a posiblity that Palin may "live" in some alternate Alaska, they all can't be from the Alaska that the rest of world recognizes as the real reality of Alaska.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 22nd 2009 10:35PM
just 5% is enough to halt things??? I mean I'm sure there is more than that as it sounds low.......but if you watch TV enough to need a converter then you undoubtedly have seen the flood of commercials and should have BEEN got one.....the way I see it less than 15% should not garner a red light to the switchover....
Rob @ Jan 22nd 2009 10:35PM
I don't know about brothers. But, according to George Lopez, there's "Raza" all around this country. So, chances are Alaska still the main culprit here.
Squid7085 @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:29PM
That is an acceptable number, hit the switch!
Marrvia @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:42AM
1st day after the switch = 5.0%
4th day after the switch = 0.1%
These last few people who don't understand what is going to happen, are just going to need it happen before they decide to do anything about it. Off with the analog already, I want the airwaves cleared up so I can get my more HD channels.
BananaBoat @ Jan 23rd 2009 4:09AM
At this point it is mostly seniors that haven't figured the whole digital switch thing out yet. I don't think any amount of delay is going to work better than them suddenly finding that they can't watch the 100th rerun of an episode of Matlock.
Flip the switch already
Dan @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:13AM
If 5% of people can hault this, why can't 5% be enough to halt all the money going into broken financial institutions.
Eric @ Jan 27th 2009 5:35PM
I say, “On with it, already!!!” Why? Here in America, even the poorest people have TVs. (Either passed on to them by someone they know, or purchased cheaply at a garage sale.) So, what is $60 for a converter box? Coupon or not, it still beats cable or a new TV. Anyone who wants badly enough to continue watching TV will do so by any means possible.
MadMike @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:45AM
The majority of people who don't have cable and rely on hand-me-down or garage sale televisions live on $60 a WEEK! So they can get a converter box or not eat for a week.
YouFaceTheTick @ Jan 24th 2009 1:39AM
Why does it matter? Who still watches TV and watches it OTA? Dang, even my parents ahve found the internet for catching shows.
We use a laptop and 32 inch LCD in our room to watch the daily show and 30 rock. No sense paying for cable when our internet connection does the job.