[mythtv-users] Broadcast flag thrown out

[Brad Templeton]

On Fri, May 06, 2005 at 11:32:40AM -0700, Scott Alfter wrote:
> Nate Thompson wrote:
> > On 5/6/05, Wendy Seltzer <wendy at seltzer.com> wrote:
> >>The DC Circuit has ruled in our favor, unanimously throwing out the
> >>FCC's broadcast flag -- the rule that would have prevented pcHDTV and
> >>Air2PC from making HDTV tuner cards in the US after July 1.
> > 
> > Excellent news! I just read this on news.com and was getting ready to
> > post something about it. I'd like to say good job and thank everyone
> > who put effort towards getting this thrown out.
> 
> ...and right when I was about to post a question to the list asking which HD
> tuner I should get before the broadcast-flag requirement kicked in.  Looks like
> I get to put off buying a tuner a little while longer now. :-)

Why wait?  Yes, the cards, and PCs and TVs will be cheaper and better
in another year.   And the same will be true the year after that and
the year after that.

Once you get HD you'll find regular TV looks really fuzzy and wonder why
you watched it when HD was available.    I will admit it's not as
dramatic a change as getting a HDVR like MythTV or Tivo, where the people
who are "waiting for the tech to mature" are absolutely nuts, but it's
still a pretty big change.

Of course, with just the tuner card you can watch the HD shows on your
computer monitor which is as good or better res than the HDTV you will
get, though not nearly as comfortable to watch, particularly with more
than one person.   You may find it you go this route that you start
shopping for HDTVs.  And they will get better and cheaper next year,
and so on for some years go come.