[mythtv-users] Obama Recommends Delay in Digital TV Switch

David Brodbeck gull at gull.us
Mon Jan 12 02:12:15 UTC 2009


Allen Edwards wrote:
> The entire DTV transition overall should save consumers money as many
> people who could not get a watchable signal over the air can get a
> perfect signal now.

It goes both ways.  I've heard a fair number of complaints from people 
in fringe areas who are falling off the "digital cliff" -- they can get 
a watchable analog picture, but get nothing on digital.  So it may be a 
wash overall, with some people getting better service and some people 
losing service altogether.

I'm not sure how this will save people money.  Either they have to spend 
$50 for a converter box, or they have to get a new TV at three times the 
  price of what analog TVs used to sell for.

It seems to me that most of the benefits of this transition are not 
going to consumers, but rather to electronics manufacturers (who get to 
replace equipment that otherwise would have stayed in use), the 
government (which gets to sell the extra spectrum), and content 
providers (who now have their foot in the door when it comes to using 
DRM to block broadcast recording.)



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