Poll: Do you agree with the DTV transition delay?

by Darren Murph posted Feb 7th 2009 at 8:10AM

We've already expressed our feelings on the matter, but now we're tossing the question out for you readers to debate: are you kosher with the DTV transition delay? Even if it ends up costing taxpayers millions more dollars? We've heard very convincing arguments from both sides of the table, and while we'd prefer you all put partisanship aside and debate the matter based on principle alone, we aren't holding our breath. So, should we delay this thing in order to get more people prepared? Or should things have continued as planned in order to teach lollygaggers a lesson?

Filed under: Industry, Polls, Regulatory, Tuners, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, OTA

Tags: 2009, cutover, digital tv, digital tv transition, DigitalTv, DigitalTvTransition, dtv, dtv transition, DtvTransition, poll, polls, switchover

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highly Ranked

Dwight Mix @ Feb 7th 2009 9:36AM

This is just the tip of the iceberg when voters choose socialism and tight government regulation over a free market economy. They needed to just rip that band-aid off. Now the government has chosen hurricane season instead of winter to have the elderly and uninformed figure out they need a digital converter to see local TV. Seems like they could have provided emergency funds for those still needing coupons at a lower cost to taxpayers than the delay. But, that's right, I forgot, this government is all about spending more and getting bigger. My mistake.

Highly Ranked

Prey521 @ Feb 7th 2009 11:16AM

Agreed 100%

Highest Ranked

jstfinkaboutit @ Feb 7th 2009 2:59PM

and since tv pounded the february 17th transition date for a year now, when it comes around, the people who were worried they'd lose their signal are still gonna be able to get a tv signal, so they'll think that they're okay and survived the transition.

Neutral

Tom Swift @ Feb 8th 2009 12:02AM

Equating this delay with "socialism" indicates a pretty high degree of ignorance on your part. Note that the digital transition is not, and never was, driven by a "free market economy". Instead, it has always been a government imposed deadline. The only thing that has changed is the particular day that the government is telling broadcasters to shut down their analog transmitters. Needless to say, February 17 isn't a "free market" day to do this any more than June 12 is a "socialist" day for the shut down.

I think that delaying the transition is a mistake, but not because of any concerns over "socialism" versus "free markets". My concern is that we're merely delaying the pain for those who will procrastinate about getting ready for digital TV, while causing a real headache for broadcasters who have scheduled transmitter and antenna installations for the original date.

Highest Ranked

Chris @ Feb 9th 2009 9:20AM

Tom, I am gonna guess he is referring to the government being expected to provide converter boxes to people as socialism. The goverment in a socialistic society expects the government to provide all the "necessities" Much like many other things people think that the government must provide people, television is not a "right". On top of what has already been paid, the new bill allows for an additional $650 million in converter coupons. Once the government started doing this no one was going to pay full price.

Neutral

ckelly33 @ Feb 7th 2009 9:47AM

Dwight's right.

That just cost us an estimated $500 million (minimum) when we are trying to figure out how to pay for what we need!

Neutral

Mojo Yugen @ Feb 9th 2009 7:50AM

It's good to see opinions backup up by good, well documented numbers as opposed to just pulling them out of your ass or something.

Neutral

ckelly33 @ Feb 9th 2009 9:20AM

I can tell by your post you truly are one intelligent person, but if you are not too busy lighting tribute candles for your Obama poster just do a Google search plenty of sources (reuters, usatoday, foxnews, etc.) . Or better yet look right here on engadgetHD where Ben has even gone so far as to help you with the math.

EIther way Einstein, watch that gap on your check between gross and take-home grow. Before its over, you're gonna be paying a bit more taxes than Tom Daschle, Charlie Rangel, or Timothy Geithner.

Highest Ranked

Elvite @ Feb 7th 2009 9:47AM

Nothing would motivate those who didn't get their converter faster than for them to sudden realize they can no longer watch Wheel of Fortune. As it stands now, when June comes around, I doubt it will make a difference. There is a certain percentage of people that just won't know about it until analog signals are shut off.

Neutral

Douglas Brace @ Feb 7th 2009 9:51AM

I think that the DTV transition should just happen. I understand that a lot of people that have requested coupons from the government haven't received them but if you can't afford to buy a converter box, even if you are watching free TV, in my opinion, you shouldn't own a TV. I would think that the majority of people that aren't aware of the transition still won't know on June 12th. Just force the switch already.

Highly Ranked

Brad @ Feb 7th 2009 10:10AM

The only way this would make any sense to me is of the do a rolling transition. Start in one area of the country, fix all the problems in that area. Then take the next chuck of the US. This allows the same number of people to be available to a smaller number of problems at one time. And by the 3 or 4th time they try it even government officials can impove.

Neutral

Duran Dujam @ Feb 8th 2009 11:21AM

Wait.... you mean the way they are doing it in almost every other country?

This is America.

We do things our way not with reason but just because we can - and even if we can't, we'll embarass ourselves anyway, out of spite.

Neutral

Rich @ Feb 8th 2009 3:58PM

The only problem the government has to fix is the coupon program that it created. That's been resolved now, so the cutover should move forward as planned. There's no need to do a rolling transition.

Other issue such as fringe reception are issues the broadcasters have to resolve on their own, probably through the distributed transmission system, but is something that will take time and planning at the local level.

Highest Ranked

Rich @ Feb 7th 2009 9:38PM

The delay is idiotic and wasteful. The switchover has been in the works for a decade now, the cutoff has been known for three years, and people have had eighteen mos or so to prepare. No amout of delay will ever push the procrastinators to move.

At the very best Congress should have left everything as is, let the swithover happen as planned, and then let people be responsible to get themselves prepared. At worse they should have replenished the coupon program to help take care of those on the waiting list, let the switchover happen as planned, and called it good.

All the political stuff here is BS, particularly the venom being aimed at Obama. Both sides made mistakes in the process. In many respects Bush and his lackeys at the FCC bungled elments of the transition, most glaringly the coupon program. Obama on the other hand wanted to try and fix the perceived lack of preparation, but in reality failed to undertsand that true root is procrastination ... not the poor and elderly propoganda.

Congress' motivation to delay is purely in it's own self interest. Mostly to avoid being held responsible and shift the blame to broadcasters when the angry calls come in because J6P can't tune in to watch Deal or No Deal and Cheaters.

Neutral

calidan @ Feb 7th 2009 10:44AM

There is a comment section on the White House website on this bill. I don't know if this will even matter but it can't hurt to try.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/dtv_delay_act/

Highest Ranked

gt1racer47 @ Feb 7th 2009 10:55AM

Worse thing to happen to us taxpayers who put so much money into this merry-go round for 13 straight years,

February 17th still and should of been kept etched in stone so everyone would of eventually gotten their HD channels they are paying for in which they don't have yet!

But as noted June 12th is the new date but "the wheels will skid" and congress will find a way to revamp this bill to keep delaying the transition until the last person decides to get a converter box.

500 million dollars spent again on analog channels to stay on air, and that bandwidth to HD channels stays occupied for awhile to come. :(

Highest Ranked

lee @ Feb 7th 2009 11:16AM

We need to stop catering to lazy people who don't get off their ass to buy a box

Neutral

nathan @ Feb 7th 2009 1:32PM

I don't know about you, but I know of many people who have lost their jobs over the last few months, and some who have lost their homes. The last thing they are is lazy. The first thing they are is cash poor. So buying a converter box is not a wise option. This optional delay will provide time for coupons to be funded and delivered to those that need them.

Neutral

DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 7th 2009 3:57PM

They may not be lazy, but TV converter coupons aren't the answer to their unemployment woes. That coupon money would be better suited going towards job training and placement programs. Besides, they need to be looking for a job, not watching OTA TV.

Low Ranked

Prey521 @ Feb 7th 2009 11:20AM

Thank you Obama, you good for nothing POS.

Neutral

Rich @ Feb 7th 2009 9:38PM

Versus King George the Incurious, destroyer of all he touches?

Highest Ranked

Phoenixfury @ Feb 7th 2009 11:56AM

I think it would be more acceptable if the government called it by what it really is.. The DTV coupon delay.. (Or something similar to that.) Granted yes television stations can wait until June 12th, but most will just end their analog transmissions on February 17th anyway. Honestly I don't mind the government delaying the end of the coupon program, but at least call it by what it is, not by what it isn't because that just confuses people.

Low Ranked

nathan @ Feb 7th 2009 12:18PM

I chose the "i couldn't care less" option on the poll because.... I couldn't care less!

But in deference the growing number of poor people in this country (thank you George W. for driving our beloved country over a cliff) I can accept the reasoning for the delay: The government is taking a small percentage of the profits from selling the airways to subsidize converter boxes for people too poor to purchase one from their own limited resources. And, due to a variety of factors, those coupons ran out. And the government has chosen to delay the requirement of television stations to convert to digital, while more coupons are funded and issued.

But here's the thing: The stations can still convert to digital ahead of schedule. Will they? If not, is that because of government? Or do the stations choose to delay, as well?

Neutral

Rich @ Feb 8th 2009 8:39PM

Some stations will move forward with the 2/17 cutoff, and a bunch will wait until 6/12 after no doubt being pressured by congress and the FCC, and another bunch will flip the switch sometimes between feb and june.

Typical Congress, let's muck with something that is black and white, the Feb 17 cutoff, and make it a confusing fuzzy state of gray.

Neutral

TVGenius @ Feb 8th 2009 11:10PM

Yeah, but you're missing one important detail nobody's noticed in the fine print.

The 'early' exemption only allows stations to (1) turn off their analog signal and (2) leave their digital signal as is where it is.

They can NOT move to their final digital channel, if they're moving, and they can NOT go to full power (most are around half now) on their digital channel unless they are granted Special Temporary Authority by the FCC. So they would lose all their analog viewers, but not be able to expand their digital coverage.

It all comes down to the fact that had it been done on the 17th, all at once, there would be no interference issues, but since there are so many channels 'moving', they can't allow over 40% of stations to full power if the transition is done piecemeal. Even doing it 'rolling'/regionally would still have the same issues. It's a logistical nightmare, which is why people who actually know what they're doing decided it should have been done all at once.

Highest Ranked

baldrick5 @ Feb 7th 2009 12:27PM

i don't agree with it but i AM VERY glad that in my market NBC, FOX, and ABC all plan to go digital on the original date of Feb 17. I wish there was a requirement for the Low-Power stations to go digital too since in my market the MyNetworkTV affiliate is a LP station......

Neutral

jmoz2989 @ Feb 8th 2009 4:33PM

Some signal repeaters for stations in north east Pennsylvania are switching to digital. Mostly ones who are on the 700 Mhz spectrum.

Highest Ranked

jd.junk1 @ Feb 7th 2009 12:31PM

I think the Internet is populated with libertarians.

Highly Ranked

minimalist @ Feb 7th 2009 3:17PM

I know. It's like a disease isn't it?

Judgmental, snarky comments seem to be the norm. The fact that they are anonymous on the net just makes the contempt for people they don't even know all the uglier.

Neutral

David @ Feb 7th 2009 12:42PM

They shut it off now and six and half million people are without their TV service. Wait until June and six and a quarter million people will be without TV service. It's just human nature. There is just a lack of understanding, or motivation or available help and nothing is going to change that between now and June. Sadly, it's going to take snow on the screen to move it along. Hopefully the elderly or ESL (English as a second language) people will find friends or family to look after the situation for them between now and then.

Neutral

scJohn @ Feb 7th 2009 1:36PM

For the Charlotte metro area the following have announced that they will turn off the analog on Feb 17th: WBTV (CBS), WHKY, WCCB(FOX), WXAN(Independent), WNSC(ETV), WTVI(PBS). Delaying until June 12th: WUNG. Undecided: WSOC(ABC), WCNC(NBC), WJZY(CW) and WYMT(MyNetwork).

What a mess. If half the stations drop analog on the 17th, then the reality is that the June 12th cut off just as might as well not exist.

Neutral

Rich @ Feb 7th 2009 9:37PM

Very true. In their attempt to shift the blame, Congress in reality made the situation far more confusing for J6P. Oh well, what do you expect from Congress.

Low Ranked

Covarr @ Feb 7th 2009 2:38PM

I don't think there should have been a mandatory switchover in the first place. I don't want my tax dollars going to improve luxuries for people who can afford them, when that same money could be better spent on things people actually need, like food or malaria treatments in third world countries.

Neutral

Thomas @ Feb 7th 2009 3:16PM

It's mandatory because they're opening the airwaves for emergency signals, among other projects.

Highly Ranked

Rich @ Feb 7th 2009 9:36PM

This is the end of a decade long process where billions of dollars has been spent by broadcasters and consumers in preparation, with comparitively a little here and there by the government.

Digital broadcasting has several benefits, the most important of which is the more efficient use of spectrum space. Also, the transition frees up a large band of frequencies for new products and services in the wireless arena, at some point a new public safety network, as well and other services.

Neutral

plonk420 @ Feb 10th 2009 1:33AM

please do some research before opening your mouth.

they spent $1.5bn on the voucher program. they SOLD the frequency range for $16+bn.

power consumption (once this finally goes through) is 33-40% of the amount analog uses.

this delay will do nothing but cost everyone money (disrupt advertising planning or show length) and be more annoying (more ads advertising the switchover), not to mention add to the confusion.

Highly Ranked

capkingy @ Feb 12th 2009 12:15PM

we cant afford the 500 million its going to cost to delay the dtv switch. Im so glad my local stations are honoring the feb 17th deadline. I'm so sick of the dtv ads.

Neutral

slicecom @ Feb 7th 2009 10:23PM

You'll never get everyone ready. Stop delaying it!

Neutral

XYooper @ Feb 8th 2009 2:54PM

It is not just the converter box ($40-70) that must be installed - it's the antenna. Many people will have to put up a rooftop antenna ($60-150). Try doing that in the middle of Feb. And don't forget new coax cable to the antenna ($20-50) and possibly a rotor ($40-60) to move the antenna. Also a signal booster ($30-60) for those of us who are rural. We are not lazy but this transition is more than "just" a box!

Highly Ranked

Rich @ Feb 8th 2009 4:02PM

Most people who access broadcasts via OTA already have the antenna equipment set up. While true, it MIGHT require an upgrade, but that is far from certain.

Antenna issues aside, it doesn't change the fact that this process has been underway for a decade, with a hard cutoff in place for three years, with the coupons and converter boxes available for the past eighteen months. All in all, more than ample time to prepare, and not have to worry about snow on the roof in Februrary. So in fact, it still does come down to largely procrastination for those who aren't prepared.

Neutral

Matt @ Feb 8th 2009 9:42PM

Gotta love that pic!

Neutral

Brendan H @ Feb 10th 2009 6:25PM

In addition to the coupon fiasco, another reason given was that many rural areas can't receive the digital tv signals.
Now with the extra four months, I'm sure those signals will find a way to get through!

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