This is really making me mad now...
 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. :wink:

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. :mad:

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. :(

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!

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

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.

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

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!)

Dude, did you even hear what you typed?

New word:

"Book"

Yeah....what she said! If watching those commercials is my biggest gripe......I need to count my blessings for sure. Good thing nobody is holding a gun to my head forcing me to watch them!!

I got my coupons in plenty of time and when I ordered them and it was processed it came back that one was invalid and there was nothing to do about it! So then I still only got one??
I just love those nifty little buttons on my remotes that says mute or off:)

Why are we switching to DTV?

[An important benefit of the switch to all-digital broadcasting is that it will free up parts of the valuable broadcast spectrum for public safety communications (such as police, fire departments, and rescue squads). Also, some of the spectrum will be auctioned to companies that will be able to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services (such as wireless broadband).

Consumers also benefit because digital broadcasting allows stations to offer improved picture and sound quality, and digital is much more efficient than analog. For example, rather than being limited to providing one analog program, a broadcaster is able to offer a super sharp “high definition” (HD) digital program or multiple “standard definition” (SD) digital programs simultaneously through a process called “multicasting.” Multicasting allows broadcast stations to offer several channels of digital programming at the same time, using the same amount of spectrum required for one analog program. So, for example, while a station broadcasting in analog on channel 7 is only able to offer viewers one program, a station broadcasting in digital on channel 7 can offer viewers one digital program on channel 7-1, a second digital program on channel 7-2, a third digital program on channel 7-3, and so on. This means more programming choices for viewers. ]
http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html#faq2


We also have some threads about the DTV change and converter boxes on our Computer & Technology forum if anyone needs to find more details on those.

The commercials don't bother me at all. I just want to be stimulated again! Screw the tv, show me the money babay!

There's people actually paying attention to this?

I have my personal opinions. I doubt anyone wants to hear them. Think Europe. That's where we're headed.

The last couple of conflicts were called world wars. The ones previous to that were called something else...

Tom

Of course I am out of the loop again. :rolleyes:

This problem only affects people who are not currently on cable, right? I live in the city, but haven't met anyone since the 70's that isn't on cable yet. There's no issue for cable customers, is there? :confused:

Sounds like things are different in the US, and lots are still using antenna's there? :confused:

Cherie

It doesn't effect cable or dish network.

We have an attena on the roof of the gym. With that we get about 30 channels. No need to pay for cable. To many shows that couldn't been seen by our younger members anyway. :wink:

The kids have one TV in a bedroom for them to watch. I don't let them have cable in there. Meany huh? They rarely watch TV. It has a keyboard and a guitar' plus a video game hooked up to it. Even those are used for a certain amount of time.

And this is the only thing making you mad with the incoming administration Earl ?????

just a reminder that the guidelines on political threads remain in force

this thread is NOT to become political "bashing" please.

I have also changed your title Earl

Pft. :icon_rolleyes: Jane, you ignorant slug. You typical Hollywood media mogul spindoctor! Pahleeze, Shappy, take off your rose-colored glasses and stop trivializing Earl's suffering. http://www.pic4ever.com/images/2mo5pow.gif

Ayup..mogul...changing my name to P Shappy like P Diddy. Media has been berry berry good to me.

We have had very few commercials where I am. They just put a scrolling line on all the local stations while the news is on.

There was an article in the paper today that confused me even more than I was already confused! They wrote "if you have a TV (older or digital) hooked up to digital or satellite cable service, you should be set. However some cable and satellite subscribers may need new digital TV equipment to view programming in the digital or high-definition formats". But on the commercials they say if you have cable service, you are all set. Huh?? :Scratch-Head: Sounds like they won't know if viewers will need extra equipment until the switch is actually made.

The article also talked about people who hooked up the converters and even special digital antennas but are not getting the channels clear. Also, some residents outside of the region will not be able to get certain channels because although the digital signal is stronger than analog, it doesn't reach as far.

Sounds like a wait and see approach. If we can't watch TV, that means more family time for movies, books and games!! :Trapeze 2:

I have cable. At first all was good to go, then they decided if you had the old style t.v. like me and more than the basic cable pkg after the switch certain stations would not come in. So....they provide you with boxes.

Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with this t.v. and drool face DH doesn't need a new one till this one breaks!:mad:

Earl
 

Faith, I do believe Earl was being facetious and isn't that mad.

Silly, silly Sandy, that will be his claim in hindsight, no doubt. LOL!:D

The truth is....he's just mad that Obama is Prez...LOL!!

That I would believe, and understand completely.

Not his fault, Kell, he had to go have his foot surgically extracted from his keyboard.

Are you sure it wasn't from his TV? :D

True, I have been advised not stop my sniveling and grow up, so there ya go.

It didn't work so now his foot looks like this.

http://blog.makezine.com/keyboard_shoes.jpg

:p:p:p:p

Oops...I posted this on the wrong thread..:o

My local Fox station ran a story on a glitch on the swtch. Setting up a box won't be so easy or inexpensive if your home is older and so is your wiring.

Watch this: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/...Y&pageId=1.1.1