It's just another of the daily examples of how government is so much better at spending your money than you are, peons.

In a letter to key lawmakers Thursday, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta said the digital transition needs to be delayed largely because the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers.

Given that, I guess I can understand.

But I kinda agree with PoopStain. If you're so reliant on your TV that you can't live without it, you should be well aware of what you need to do since you clearly watch the damned thing all the time.

So, it's true, The Messiah does care about each and every one of us and will fix all of our problems.

My bike has a flat tire. I'd appreciate if he could get to that next.

Who the hell watches broadcast television?

kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

My grandmother is situated perfectly in NJ to get broadcasts from both NYC and Philly. If we weren't paying for her cable she'd still be using the aerial and be quite satisfied.

i have no idea if my tv is ready. my plan is this: if it doesn't make the changeover, when i notice sometime in the next few months, go buy a new tv.

kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

I only watch television on extremely rare occasions, so I figure I might as well not pay for it. Teh Interwebz take care of most of my entertainment needs.

So does this mean we're going to hear/see six more months of those farking commercials?! They've been on for two years! How can anyone not know about this yet?!

And tell you what, Fox... if you put a scrolling ticker below 24 on Sunday/Monday to remind me, again, about the transition, I'm going to stab someone in the face with a wrench.

Seriously. In the face.

Too bad they've already auctioned off that bandwidth. Hell, a company I used to work for purchased the bandwidth on 4 channels for wireless broadband way back in 2004.

They are STILL waiting to be able to expand into all the markets because there are TV stations that are still using that for anaolg that should have made the switch years ago.

I'd say just cut if off, but the negative political press the new administration would get for something that is not their fault has the potential to be rather large.

If it goes through, be prepared to here "Obama blew up my TV!!!!!"

//Ready with a new TV and a homemade UHF antenna

converty whaty?

xtex: So does this mean we're going to hear/see six more months of those farking commercials?! They've been on for two years! How can anyone not know about this yet?!

And tell you what, Fox... if you put a scrolling ticker below 24 on Sunday/Monday to remind me, again, about the transition, I'm going to stab someone in the face with a wrench.

Seriously. In the face.

Ha! You should try the fox channel I get (55 out of Wausau, WI). Those guys are so retarded that they aren't going to even be ready by the transition date. They have some sort of beef with the FCC over the fact they couldn't get paperwork done in time, so they decided not to get their act together on being ready for the transition. That'll show 'em. Nothing says FU to the FCC like pissing off your viewers and advertisers.

nacker: xtex: So does this mean we're going to hear/see six more months of those farking commercials?! They've been on for two years! How can anyone not know about this yet?!

And tell you what, Fox... if you put a scrolling ticker below 24 on Sunday/Monday to remind me, again, about the transition, I'm going to stab someone in the face with a wrench.

Seriously. In the face.

Ha! You should try the fox channel I get (55 out of Wausau, WI). Those guys are so retarded that they aren't going to even be ready by the transition date. They have some sort of beef with the FCC over the fact they couldn't get paperwork done in time, so they decided not to get their act together on being ready for the transition. That'll show 'em. Nothing says FU to the FCC like pissing off your viewers and advertisers.

Will the FCC come in and turn off the power if they don't stop broadcasting analog? If anything they will be heroes to the local community standing up to the big bad government.

meat0918:

Will the FCC come in and turn off the power if they don't stop broadcasting analog? If anything they will be heroes to the local community standing up to the big bad government.

Unlikely. There's a month or two "sunset" provision in which local stations are going to only broadcast "emergency information" and "how to get a digital tuner" commercials. That's why I don't understand this whole latest thing - it's not like analog TV's will just stop working. They'll at least tell people what just happened and how to fix it...

After that, though, the analog license expires.. when that happens, and if they're still broadcasting on the analog frequencies (especially 55, since that's smack in the middle of the new "vacated" range of frequencies that were auctioned off), the FCC can seize their transmitting equipment for transmitting without a license and intentionally introducing interference (to the new services, that won't even be live yet).

kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

Me. This isn't England. TV is free.

meat0918: Will the FCC come in and turn off the power if they don't stop broadcasting analog? If anything they will be heroes to the local community standing up to the big bad government.

The FCC has a thing they like to call "fines". In this case the big bad government told them what was up, and they either ignored it or were too incompetent to understand it. Either way, I have no sympathy for the idiots.


meat0918: Too bad they've already auctioned off that bandwidth. Hell, a company I used to work for purchased the bandwidth on 4 channels for wireless broadband way back in 2004.

They are STILL waiting to be able to expand into all the markets because there are TV stations that are still using that for anaolg that should have made the switch years ago.

I'd say just cut if off, but the negative political press the new administration would get for something that is not their fault has the potential to be rather large.

If it goes through, be prepared to here "Obama blew up my TV!!!!!"

//Ready with a new TV and a homemade UHF antenna

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you don't really know what you are talking about... Of course they have to wait, the TV stations will still transmit until the transition date. It's really not the broadcasters' fault, and the company doesn't have a claim to the space until after the transition date.

You want people ready for DTV on Feb 17th? Here's an idea - SWITCH IT RIGHT NOW. Let's see if anyone who cares isn't ready by Sunday afternoon.

It's no different than disaster preparation. There will be those who never prepare no matter what warnings they receive. Necessity is the mother of gettin' off your fat ass.

nacker: meat0918: Will the FCC come in and turn off the power if they don't stop broadcasting analog? If anything they will be heroes to the local community standing up to the big bad government.

The FCC has a thing they like to call "fines". In this case the big bad government told them what was up, and they either ignored it or were too incompetent to understand it. Either way, I have no sympathy for the idiots.


meat0918: Too bad they've already auctioned off that bandwidth. Hell, a company I used to work for purchased the bandwidth on 4 channels for wireless broadband way back in 2004.

They are STILL waiting to be able to expand into all the markets because there are TV stations that are still using that for anaolg that should have made the switch years ago.

I'd say just cut if off, but the negative political press the new administration would get for something that is not their fault has the potential to be rather large.

If it goes through, be prepared to here "Obama blew up my TV!!!!!"

//Ready with a new TV and a homemade UHF antenna

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you don't really know what you are talking about... Of course they have to wait, the TV stations will still transmit until the transition date. It's really not the broadcasters' fault, and the company doesn't have a claim to the space until after the transition date.

Well, the FCC is very... dumb... They sold these licenses by county or region of counties, as if radio waves respect county lines.

They were licensed for over 40 (low population) counties in the state back in 2004. No one else was using these channels of licensed bandwidth in those counties.

Unfortunately for them, the cut over date has been postponed several times already. Nothing they can do about that but wait to move into the counties closer to the still running TV stations.

Most if not all of counties they are licensed for do not get a usable television signal for these channels. Unfortunately, the little bit of signal that got through was enough to crash the wireless modems, which required a restart. That however was a poor choice of technology, not the FCC's fault.

And of course, the FCC's hands were tied when we filed a complaint, because no rules had been broken.

I'd say that anyone ignorant enough to not be ready should simply be shiat out of luck, but I know better.

That group of people was Obama's base.

Can we delay it another 20 years? My TV set works great now.

dahmers love zombie: I'd say that anyone ignorant enough to not be ready should simply be shiat out of luck, but I know better.

That group of people was Obama's base.

I thought the small-town hicks & idiots were the Mcain/Palin demographic. That's what I recall. Palin was like the pied piper of hicks & idiots.

dahmers love zombie: I'd say that anyone ignorant enough to not be ready should simply be shiat out of luck, but I know better.

That group of people was Obama's base.

elections been over for a couple of months still butthurt?

seriously, can we just get this over with.

at this point, i'll unplug my tv if i never have to hear about it again.

No, for the love of someone's god I want the PSAs and reminders on the local news and the damn crawlers they run to end.

B-B-B-But without the looming switchover, how else are the grease-faced liars at Best Buy going to convince people to buy 46" flat screen TVs?

"Yes, sir! After the switchover, not only will your old TV stop working on (insert cable, DirecTV, etc. here), but it might just explode. You NEED this 1080p LCD set! It's not a choice..."

studebaker hoch: Can we delay it another 20 years? My TV set works great now.

This.

I hooked up my new converter box. I got ONE DAMNED CHANNEL.

(I live out in the sticks somewhat)

There was a company that came out with 4 different antenna grades to try, even a powered mast antenna. Their answer "Get cable. You are in a bad place"

Without DTV, I get 12 channels.

With it . I get one good one ..and 3 fuzzy ones.

This is why we need to arm the sons Fark article submitters.

/Been say'n it for years.

Explanation from Gizmodo, which I think pretty much nails Obama's concerns:

John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama-Biden transition team, requested that "the cut-off date for analog signals should be reconsidered and extended". The letter was sent this Thursday to the chairs and ranking Republicans on the House Energy & Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee.

Probably realizing that the Roman Emperors were right with their "bread and entertainment" policies, Podesta also argues that Americans can't wake up 28 days after the inauguration "to find their analog TV's no longer able to receive an over-the-air signal".

Indeed. I can see exactly what he means here. Not only it is true that the analog to digital TV program is broken, but I can already imagine people getting up in arms, thinking that the world is over after "the muslim" got into the White House: "Whar's mah TV? This ain't wawkin'! ah knowed thet guy warn't enny fine! Fry mah hide! Kids, t'th' shelter! Git mah rifle!"

So yes, this is a wise move that would benefit everyone until the issues with the program-funding and public education on the analog-to-digital transition-are solved.

burndtdan: i have no idea if my tv is ready. my plan is this: if it doesn't make the changeover, when i notice sometime in the next few months, go buy a new tv.

February 19 you will notice. Most people with cable boxes say, not older than a year and a half have the HD part built into them already. But I read stories about people already tossing $8-900 TV sets because they're too cheap to get a $75 converter.

I think Obama is seeking the delay because funds appropriated for the converter coupons has run out. And a lot have expired because they weren't received or not used. And now there's a backlog.

Wasn't all this supposed to be implemented by no later than 2005 when it was initiated in the mid 90s?

Its already been delayed 2 years. Don't wait any longer.

/Change you can believe in

The warnings about the upcoming conversion have been all over TV. Some TV stations even run tests during their news broadcasts so people can know if they are ready.

Even my 83-year-old grandmother who lives in the middle of nowhere and doesn't even have a computer bought 2 digital converter boxes and is ready.

/hotlinked
//how is this so hard for people to figure out?

OK, I'm one of those people that most Farkers hate. I haven't owned a TV since my ex-wife took ours when we split up 12 years ago.

I have to say that I've never fully understood this whole thing about the government mandating how television signals are broadcast/delivered.

Can anyone explain why this is a federal issue? Does it have something to do with freeing up the airwaves for other uses?

Seriously, whenever I hear about this I feel like it's the plot of some bad Sci-Fi novel.

Shadow Blasko: studebaker hoch: Can we delay it another 20 years? My TV set works great now.

This.

I hooked up my new converter box. I got ONE DAMNED CHANNEL.

(I live out in the sticks somewhat)

There was a company that came out with 4 different antenna grades to try, even a powered mast antenna. Their answer "Get cable. You are in a bad place"

Without DTV, I get 12 channels.

With it . I get one good one ..and 3 fuzzy ones.

Make you own antenna. Cheap, easy, more channels.
All you need is a metal coat hanger, some foil, and a block of wood.

kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

This guy. Watching it right now, in beautiful HD and completely for free. It's possibly the one benefit of living in a very urban area. No, I don't get to watch a lot of cable channels, but somehow, I live on. And not giving exorbitant amounts of money to Comcast so that I can get the Golf Channel or Lifetime makes my wallet happy.

Worst President-elect ever!


/ j/k
// got digital cable, a dvr and bigass Sony
/// don't give two shiats.
\\\\ Mary Kay slashies

DTV is for homos.

If you think this is bad, wait until we get to "Transition 2: Cable Boogaloo"

Please for the love of God NO!! I have had to suffer through these farking commercials for way too long to have this happen. I don't give a flying fark is some blue-hair has to buy a new tv. JUST MAKE THE ADS STOP!!!!

nonvideas: kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

This guy. Watching it right now, in beautiful HD and completely for free. It's possibly the one benefit of living in a very urban area. No, I don't get to watch a lot of cable channels, but somehow, I live on. And not giving exorbitant amounts of money to Comcast so that I can get the Golf Channel or Lifetime makes my wallet happy.

instructions or it didn't happen.

kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

I've started now that I can receive digital. Went from two to five PBS stations, there's other stations that have cool stuff on some of the subchannels that you can't get on analog (and isn't on my cable feed.) The on screen guide is cool too (hey, just like cable.) I'm waiting until after the real switchover to see if I can get any more digital stations (I believe some of the current digital broadcasts are not at full power right now) I might actually cancel my cable if there's enough choices, because I don't watch TV that much.

lostcat: OK, I'm one of those people that most Farkers hate. I haven't owned a TV since my ex-wife took ours when we split up 12 years ago.

I have to say that I've never fully understood this whole thing about the government mandating how television signals are broadcast/delivered.

Can anyone explain why this is a federal issue? Does it have something to do with freeing up the airwaves for other uses?

Seriously, whenever I hear about this I feel like it's the plot of some bad Sci-Fi novel.

Standards. Its like ASCII or html. The new standard frees up more of the EM spectrum to sell for commercial use.

just_dis_guy: kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

I've started now that I can receive digital. Went from two to five PBS stations, there's other stations that have cool stuff on some of the subchannels that you can't get on analog (and isn't on my cable feed.) The on screen guide is cool too (hey, just like cable.) I'm waiting until after the real switchover to see if I can get any more digital stations (I believe some of the current digital broadcasts are not at full power right now) I might actually cancel my cable if there's enough choices, because I don't watch TV that much.

Forgot to mention, I can watch football in widescreen HD off the air, but only SD 4:3 off my cable.

SwallowTheKnife:

instructions or it didn't happen.

Seriously? Buy an HDTV. Buy an antenna, any antenna. Plug in antenna.

Strategy may not work if you live in a rural area, like that other dude elsewhere in the thread.

DTV is for heteros too.

PoopStain: Or how about we start slapping the ever loving shiat out of whomever is stupid enough to be unprepared at this late date? They've been running commercials non-stop for six months!

Pretty much this, but there are several who likely don't now and will never understand what is going on. Those are the folks who are still unprepared. But ultimately, it sucks to be them- there ain't shiat we can do.

I really think that at this point, there's nothing more the government, broadcasters, or anybody else can reasonably be expected to do to get people more ready. So they ran out of cash for the vouchers- go buy a converter box on your own, nobody is stopping you. You had plenty of time to take care of business and you didn't.

Time to make the switch and move forward. I feel sorry for the folks who can't understand it (senior citizens) or for those who live too far out for a clean signal, but TV reception isn't a basic human right.

SwallowTheKnife: nonvideas: kronicfeld: Who the hell watches broadcast television?

This guy. Watching it right now, in beautiful HD and completely for free. It's possibly the one benefit of living in a very urban area. No, I don't get to watch a lot of cable channels, but somehow, I live on. And not giving exorbitant amounts of money to Comcast so that I can get the Golf Channel or Lifetime makes my wallet happy.

instructions or it didn't happen.

Uh. That's what this entire thing is all about. They're transitioning all of the over-the-air transmissions to digital. Just stick an antenna on your TV (as long as it has a HD tuner -- most sold in the past three years do).. and you get... free... high def... local channels. *shock*.

Not only that, but OTA signals aren't compressed like cable/DirecTV/etc. The picture is noticeably better in most cases.

Unfortunately, I live too close to the transmitters/antennas in Atlanta -- the signals "overshoot" me and I don't get them very clearly. *listens to the humming*

my cheap ass has been anxiously waiting for the switch.
please Mr. President sir, dont delay any further.

i am currently enjoying the digital HD programming for free and how often do you get to use "for free".
maybe America is still the greatest, minus Florida and Alaska of course.

Fark that. My Mom's been freaking out for the last three months about having to buy a new TV so I finally got her one last Saturday.

Fark them.

Use the remaining analog channels and analog sets to bring up the revolution.

MEMO to to DIGITALMONEYOVERLORDS:

Resistance is futile.

We're going to kill you.

Have a nice day.

SeismicJizzer: dahmers love zombie: I'd say that anyone ignorant enough to not be ready should simply be shiat out of luck, but I know better.

That group of people was Obama's base.

elections been over for a couple of months still butthurt?

Well, I got one at least.