Senate okays digital TV transition delay to June 12th

by Darren Murph posted Jan 26th 2009 at 8:05PM

We knew it was bound to happen, and sure enough, it's happening. For the millions of Americans still waiting for their $40 voucher before buying one of those newfangled DTV converter boxes, the US Senate has just given its stamp of approval on providing them a four month reprieve as it attempts to get its act together. Oddly, there's no mention of Congress looking for new sources of funding, though we are told that consumers holding expired coupons can now request new ones. We suspect more details will flow out on all of this soon, but for now, you can bank on the digital TV transition -- originally scheduled to go down on February 17th -- now occurring on June 12th. Until it changes again, of course.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Tuners, OTA

Tags: 2009, barack obama, BarackObama, breaking news, BreakingNews, congress, cutover, delay, digital tv transition, DigitalTvTransition, dtv, dtv delay, DtvDelay, obama, senate, switchover

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highest Ranked

fett327 @ Jan 26th 2009 8:25PM

I believe the article says that the Senate voted. There is still hope that the House votes against it? Although I'm not holding my breath.

Highest Ranked

Nathan @ Jan 26th 2009 10:37PM

Considering it was unanimous in the Senate (not ONE senator stood up and said "no"???), it should easily fly through the House.

Highest Ranked

Brian Kaempen @ Jan 26th 2009 8:28PM

Well this sucks! I can't get my local CBS station OTA, but on Feb 17th, they were gonna get a new, GOOD, frequency. Now what? I thought I was just gonna miss episode of Survivor in HD, now what, the whole season?

Leave it to the Senate to screw something up last minute.

-Brian

Neutral

Deadpenguin @ Jan 26th 2009 8:52PM

I don't think you have to miss a whole season of Survivor because our elected officials are the same people that are befuddled by this change in technology.

There are multiple ways to catch the shows online. And if all else fails there is always torrentz.

Search: Survivor.S18E.HDTV.XviD.avi

Highest Ranked

Ordeith @ Jan 26th 2009 8:37PM

Impeach the lot of them!

Highest Ranked

T-bone @ Jan 26th 2009 8:50PM

If this cut-off date isn't mandatory (I.e. meaning they can turn off the analog signal anytime between Feb 17 and June 12), get ready for even more confusion and hysteria, once again, caused by our government.

Highest Ranked

EJNelly @ Jan 26th 2009 9:10PM

Yeah, I don't even know why we have government. All they do is fuck shit up.

Highest Ranked

EJNelly @ Jan 26th 2009 9:09PM

Awesome! My tax dollars hard at work... costing me more tax dollars.

Highest Ranked

jacob.larson @ Jan 26th 2009 10:28PM

Thats the beauty of their system. Waste our money because as a group we have so much of it :)

Neutral

YouFaceTheTick @ Jan 26th 2009 9:21PM

That's a shame. Damn shame.

Highest Ranked

MI @ Jan 26th 2009 9:21PM

Ah, socialism at it's finest.

The government stalls technological progress until I buy everyone in the projects neighbor a new TV.

Highest Ranked

THizzle7XU @ Jan 27th 2009 1:23AM

Bingo. Cater to the lowest common denominator. So sad.

Low Ranked

James @ Jan 27th 2009 3:21PM

It's the Bush Administration that fucked this up...they didn't fund enough coupons.

Highest Ranked

HD Max @ Jan 26th 2009 9:35PM

Even if they move the *mandatory* switchover date, a whole lot of channels will likely be switched in Feb anyway. There's no reason they can't do it, it just means they're not being forced to.

Most TV stations have been planning this for a long time, and would likely have everything set up for the switchover in Feb. If it costs them more to pull all these plans and perhaps go out and buy another months worth of SD programming, they might just go ahead and pull the plug early.

Hell, there's a bunch of stations already who have done so, well outside Feb.

Highest Ranked

DEEZNUTZ @ Jan 26th 2009 10:01PM

"No ma'am, you need a Monster HDMI cable that supports 120Hz... Yes ma'am, only $130... yes ma'am, that is the only way you can receive the new digital signals"

Highest Ranked

armyjon99 @ Jan 26th 2009 10:05PM

So now I have to hear about this for a few more months.... GREAT..... Shoot me now. I'm tired of the news stories and commercials.

Neutral

TRT @ Jan 26th 2009 10:23PM

I don't care anymore. I'm all set. Furthurmore, I don't have any SD broadcast in my fav guides. I a stations sole broadcast is SD, I DON'T WATCH IT. PERIOD. They can do what they want.....I'm all set.

Highest Ranked

BmG @ Jan 27th 2009 1:24PM

Would everyone please tell their Grandma this is going to happen so I don't have to see the banner during all my shows!!! For God Sakes so much for "the future is now" .....idiots

Highly Ranked

Spiza @ Jan 26th 2009 10:29PM

OBAMAnation.

Neutral

j @ Jan 26th 2009 11:35PM

More like abomination

Highly Ranked

Spiza @ Jan 27th 2009 7:01AM

Uh, that's what I was going for?

Highest Ranked

gt1racer47 @ Jan 26th 2009 10:49PM

Worse case scenario for America has come true!

Expect the new transition date after this to be January 1st, 2010

And forget the HD channels the Companies promised you there never going to happen. until more bandwidth is freed (especially the Espnews HD and The Weather Channel HD's of the world)

Neutral

Le Big Mac @ Jan 27th 2009 9:53AM

Not even . . . .the Feb. 17 date wasn't just random. It was picked to be after the super bowl, before march madness and masters, and a bunch of other events (although it looks like it's just before the academy awards).

So if it gets pushed back again, expect more negotiations over the precise date.

What a clusterf*ck

Highest Ranked

Jeff N. @ Jan 26th 2009 11:33PM

Boy did the government screw this one up. Just read where PBS will need $22 million more to delay the digital transition. This will cost many TV stations quite a bit of money. Again they voted before they knew all the issues involved.

Highest Ranked

Mike @ Jan 27th 2009 1:59AM

That is this administrations thing....close gitmo before knowing where the terrorists are going to be kept....delay the dtv switch before finding out what happens...and it's just going to continue with a stimulus package....and again with socialist style health care... never researching the negatives....

Follows the logic of those that voted for the most liberal senator in the US with minimal job experience....they didn't think what negatives he bring...and obama does't think either.

Neutral

Spiza @ Jan 27th 2009 7:02AM

Some PBS stations have already gone only digital. You can file a waiver. The problem is the analog equipment that was going out that can cost 10s of thousands of dollars to replace for only a few months so many were already shutting down.

Neutral

Brian Kaempen @ Jan 27th 2009 12:18AM

Also, I read on this very site that the FCC asked cable co's to pause their own digital transitions until the Feb 17th date, so do they need to wait until June now? If so, that's gonna piss off a lot of MAJOR companies (Comcast, TWC, RCN, Charter want to speak up here?) and consumers who I'm sure would love more HD for those that already have STBs, and for those that don't have 'em and will need to get 'em, well they're gonna be mad whether they need to get a box now or in 6 months, so give those that want their HD their Flipping HD CHANNELS!!!!!

-Brian

P.S. I have a way of still getting CBS HD OTA, but it's MUCH more convoluted and I really hope my CBS sticks to the 17th.

Neutral

Ordeith @ Jan 27th 2009 12:15PM

This doesn't affect cable companies.

Cable companies were already required to continue delivering analog signals until 2014.

This only affects over the air.

Highest Ranked

Ken @ Jan 27th 2009 2:24AM

Oh fvcking great...now stupid people are going to be even MORE confused because their TV will work after Feb 17th, and they will assume they are compliant.

Stupid, STUPID government. I love my country, but an very annoyed with my government.

Neutral

kermit24 @ Jan 27th 2009 2:35AM

Darren,

This is the best picture EVER! I love that lady!

Highest Ranked

Ryan C @ Jan 27th 2009 8:36AM

Don't these politicians have more important things to do other than worry about the DTV date? This date has been set in stone, now they want to change it.

I hate this administration. One week and they're already pissing me off.

Neutral

gt1racer47 @ Jan 27th 2009 4:25PM

The only way this could be stopped is if Pres Obama veto's this package which is likely not going to happen.

The fund-only bill would of made much more sense than a Date Change!

Neutral

csp @ Jan 27th 2009 7:17PM

This was in play with the last administration, Bushies... it was delayed more than once in the last 8 years. It is an idea that should have been killed off, but unfortunately the new administration was suckered into it. I have FiOS, so I don't care, but really...if you aren't ready now, it's your own damn fault.

Neutral

Bob @ Jan 28th 2009 1:21PM

I'm not suprised by the Senate vote. Most of those old geezers probably don't know if their own tv sets can receive a digital signal.

Neutral

John @ Jan 29th 2009 3:45PM

Ugh, dumb move. They will just keep delaying this, what makes them think people will be ready by June? Same people who are not ready now still will not be ready. The converter is like 20 bucks at radioshack, stop waiting for coupons it is not that expensive Take a break from McDonalds for a week.

Neutral

John @ Jan 29th 2009 3:48PM

oops 54.99 at radioshack, still not that expensive and way cheaper then a new TV

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