[Earl]

You know I don't post thread's that often, so that shows the importance of this one.

President-Elect Obama isn't even president yet and I am keeping my mind wide open, but this is really making me mad.

HE WANTS TO POSTPONE THE DIGITAL TV TRANSITION-- that means we have to watch those stupid commercials every other minute for how much longer? I was so looking forward to them ending. He said Americans need more time, I say if they haven't figured it out by now, they either don't watch that much TV or are too dumb to EVER get the message. The commercials air (literally) on EVERY commercial break here in Phx. And its a story on the news every night. I have them all memorized.

AAAAAHHHHHHH

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,478005,00.html

Have a nice day.

[watsonsh]

Well it also looks like many people did not listen to the commercials becuase they all waited until the end to try to find their converters hence the delay.

Plus there were flaws in the federal coupon program, no surprise there.

If they went ahead with switchover on the date, millions of low income, rural and elderly would be left with blank screens with would further hurt the economy because TV stations would lose ratings and revenue. Not to mention those left with out TV would have to spend their own money to navigate the transition and it would cost consumers even more money out of their pockets while the gov't made 19 billion on the sale of the air space.

BUt I hear you....the commercials are annoying.

[Curious]

The government spouts how many coupons were sent out. Give dollar figures. They don't tell you how many will never be cashed in because they gave an expiration. Those coupons expired and were never redeemed.

I had 2 of them.

I sent for mine right away like we were told.

In the beginning they did not tell you they expired.

I didn't have the money to redeem mine on the high dollar boxes. The cheap ones were no where to be found.

So when I went to use them, they were no good.

Yep, the program has flaws.

[soxmom]

there are quite a few here who went to redeem their coupons and they
found the coupons were expired. how could they expire???

So..Im sure the problem is wide spread....I guess we have to just tune
out those commercials, its not so bad.

[Curious]

But I do agree Earl...those commercials need to be cut way back.

They play them back to back. The government ones then the local news. oy. Guess they think we are back from the bathroom.

I think having an expiration date a month or so after the change over would have been fine.

But the way the economy has been? Yeah...let give the auto makers more money to party on and take away TV from the real people.

Do you know that residents from a nursing home here could not get any coupons? Pretty sad. Only 2 per address. Not everyone there has family who could get them. You think they can upgrade to new HDTV's?

Pretty sad.

[yeahbut]

I for one VERY seldom watch TV but the college I go to only posts cancellatons on the TV now so now it is winter I needed to get a box for we don't have cable.

I am one that did wait to the last minute and ordered my coupons the end of November. I finally got my card on Monday - looked at the expiration on the back which was January 5th! Got the card on January 8th!

We did go to the store to find a box and the cheapest we can find is over $79 - I guess I won't be buying one for a while since money is so tight and I will just have to hope classes aren't cancelled!

Plus I found out that the little rabbit ears that I have that came with the TV are not the correct ones for the digital and I also need a new set of those!

Yes, I am personally one of those "low income" folks that will miss out when the change over takes place. But, then again since I don't watch to much TV I am sure some people think it shouldn't matter to me.

Let me tell you I personally feel there is certainly a flaw in the system!

[watsonsh]

Stupidly the coupons were only good for 90 days. ...what were they thinking

[watsonsh]

Also you can think of it this way. Depending on where you live there could be a disporpotionate number of people that need converters.

Or the stations pretty much put those commecials in when they have nothing else to run so where they dont have paying customers. So the more you see it the more the TV stations are hurting for business. Not good.

[weegot5kiz]

well I for one am still working on how the govt can order us and company's on having to have digital, why? are the tv air waves contaminated or do they need it for national security, talk about a crock. this has nada to do with any of us its for the cable companies and the tv companies, and those who produce and sell digital carppola, its to their benefit not ours ....why is it a LAW and it is a law, WTH talk about a waste of time and money , if it aint broke leave it alone

[Erin524]

I'm glad that I have cable.

I'm also glad that my less-than-a-year-old tv (LCD tv) crapped out a couple of weeks ago. It's still under manufacturers warranty (and I have the 4yr store warranty) I'm getting a new tv in a couple of days. The store is reimbursing me for the dead tv. (yay for warranties!)