Comments about ‘Senate OKs 4-month delay to digital TV changeover’

I imagine that four months hence almost everyone who is not currently ready for the transition will still not be ready for the transition. Pull the plug already, and people will come on board. Too many broadcasters are nursing analogue equipment to the finish line or have made tower lease commitments etc. to start messing with it now.

"If you're getting your television signal from an old-style antenna on your roof or from rabbit ears on top of your TV set, you are NOT ready for the digital conversion. You're one of the estimated 6.5 million households whose TVs will go dark if you don't do something before June 12."

This is not true. I have an old-fashioned roof antenna and I receive excellent digital signals from it, which I watch on my newer flat-screen LCD TV and on my older TV (using a converter box). Are you trying to scare people into subscribing to cable or satellite? DON'T FALL FOR IT, FOLKS!

Just do it! Flip the "off" switch now! I'm not ready for the change, and I don't plan to get ready. I'm looking forward to a world without TV (at least in our home!)

What a scam: Digital Change over we paid a company to distribute a $40 voucher for Digital TV. When more that half of those vouchers are nun and void because the expired in 90 days. Most people did not no there was an expiration. And once issued you could not go back and get another voucher! That same company was paid for those all of the expired unused vouchers the same rate as the ones that were turned in for the Digital converter Box.

What Hug a scam on American tax payers once again!

This is ridiculous. I agree with Techie, do you really think these procrastinators will be ready in 4 months? They've have at least a year to do it. These people are so ignorant to the world around them it is amazing how they survive. I got my converter box last February and have been watching digital TV for a year now. Are they really that stupid? I mean there are about 10 commercials every hour talking about the conversion. Wake up people.

All this delay will do is cost each station at a minimum $100,000. PBS is estimating that it will cost PBS stations over $22 MILLION for this delay. That doesn't take in to count the many stations who had to hire tower crews (at a premium price) to physically change their antennas to switch to Digital. Across the Country this will end up needlessly costing stations $100's of Millions and possibly JOBS in this tight economy and for what. Techie is correct those who aren't ready today will still not be ready then. Some of the phone calls I have taken from the 12:00 flashers show that even after making the switch, some of them will never be ready for the digital age.

Dear Scott, I enjoy reading your TV editorials. This particular article needs help. Maybe your co-author made the mistake, but here are the basics of Congress:
Congress is made up of two parties, 1- the House of Representatives, and 2- the Senate. When someone wants to pass a Bill, the House of Representatives gets it first. Then if they are in favor of it, the Senate will vote on it. In your Article, you said the Senate already voted in favor of it, and now Congress will get it. Thanks again for the many good reads.

I can't believe this is getting delayed so that less than 1% of our population can have their converter boxes subsidized by the government! Over $1 Billion was set aside & spent, and I say those who didn't act quick enough simply loose out and have to pay for their own procrastination. I requested my two coupons last February, and even though I didn't know about the 90 day expiration at the time, when I got the cards, the expiration date is printed right there! So, what did I do? I used them before they expired!

And, in these economic times, wouldn't it help the economy to have those 2.5 million people actually be forced to either go without TV or pay $40 of their own money for a converter box? These people won't get up and do anything until the switch is flipped - whether it's February or June! All this does is devalue the credibility of deadlines in our society and facilitate procrasinators!

Lately I feel like our government is teaching people to be lazy. Government bailouts, postponed deadlines. It's like everything I learned as a kid is going right out the window. It makes me worry about the next generation. There are no consequences for poor behavior anymore.

What about telling people when to brush their teeth? Isn't that what government is really all about and not this electronic mumble jumble. We should get our priorities straight.

The same people who haven't done anything to change over now, will STILL not be ready in June.

What a big waste of money. Have they passed a "Wipe their nose bill" yet?

Hey folks, don't buy a converter for old folks, get them a digital TV, 'cause they won't be able to figure out how to change the channel on the converter, and will get crappy signals on the TV that they changed off channel 3. Don't get me started on the AV outputs which work much better.

And... VCRS anyone?

Once we get the major stations off analog, then we can start addressing the issues facing those with special needs - who will not do it until they are forced to.

Government consistently botches almost everthing they do and yet people continue to vote for politicians who tell them that they will do something for them after they get elected.

When will people learn that govt is a last resort and should be involved as little as possible. Less damage that way.

Here is another example of their pathetic priorities. Everyone has known for years this was coming--I mean how much notice do you need? Rest assured though--once again THE GOVERNMENT INCREASES THE EXPENSE FOR MOST ALL TO ACCOMMODATE A FEW.

Why hasn't anyone asked the basic question?

Not when the switch will occur, but why is the federal government in the business of handing out $40 coupons to buy converter boxes?

Especially when we are in serious economic straits. We have already spent 1.34 BILLION DOLLARS on this foolishness!

Where in the Constitution does if authorize stuff like that?

I'd like a new TV and a new car too, if Washington insists on giving stuff away.

However, I would be happier if they first figured out how (and when) they were actually going to pay for all this generosity!

Is it possible that millions of people aren't ready because they know they've got until Feb. 17 to get ready and that it only takes an hour or so to get ready - including the trip to the store to buy the converter box? And where are the numbers - "6.2 million households by some estimates" - coming from, anyway? I smell a big wad of cash tied into this delay and I wonder where it's going. The $40 coupons were bad enough - but I happily cashed both mine in yesterday.

I think this delay is stupid. It's not going to solve a thing. I bet you anything that most who aren't ready now still won't be come June 12th.

What about all of us (the vast majority of people in the country) who have been good boys and girls and done what we need to in order to be ready for Feb. 17th?? I myself have been scrambling... getting a converter box for one TV and buying a brand new TV for another room.

So what if some people haven't gotten ready during this past year and a half? They've had ample time. A converter box only costs $45-$70, isn't 18 months more than enough time to save up for that. Couldn't they have scraped up $2.50 to $3.89 a month (that's what it works out to for 18 months) ever since it was first announced?

Owning a TV that works is something we as individuals should be responsible for, the government shouldn't be worrying about making sure we each have one.

I say keep the Feb. 17th date.

Just another example of people wanting Big Government to solve all their problems

Re "Why hasn't anyone asked the basic question?

Not when the switch will occur, but why is the federal government in the business of handing out $40 coupons to buy converter boxes?"

People have asked. The government is mandating a change that makes obsolete analog TVs. Part of the give and take that is politics was a compromise whereby people could get up to two $40 coupons good toward converter boxes.

"However, I would be happier if they first figured out how (and when) they were actually going to pay for all this generosity!"

Then you are happier! The coupons for the converter boxes are being paid for out of the money that the government raised auctioning off the analog spectrum. That, by the way, is why the date is important. There are a lot of companies that paid billions to get the spectrum. They can't start making money until it is vacated. Do you know what the interest is on the billions of dollars that they have already sunk into spectrum licenses?

Submitted a request for a converter coupon in December, then placed on a waiting list. Who cares if I don't get the signal. It is just TV. What shows are worth watching anyways. Maybe now my kids will watch less PBS and read more books. Its the same thing, keep the people fed and entertained.

GOOD NEWS!

It apparently doesn't matter what they decide to do as a nation (if Obama gets the delay to June)... I heard/read/saw this weekend that Utah stations (except for PBS) all plan to make the switch to digital ON Feb. 17th as originally planned no matter what the rest of the country is doing.