19 replies to this topic

[isobar65]

Those supporting a delay include President-elect Barack Obama, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Consumers Union, AARP and telecom giant AT&T.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2009-0...itch-june_N.htm

[Mike_The_Golfer]

I wonder how many people applied for the gov't coupon who didn't need it. watch people end up trying to sell the $40 coupon for $20 on eBay.

[metfan4life]

June 12 is the new date.

[Jimrin1967]

How long have they been talking about this? Like 2 years? If people aren't ready its their own damn fault.

[GameOfLove]

People will never be ready. Human nature is to always wait for the late minute to do stuff.

[devilsfan0405]

This is inexcusable. Jesus, can the government get ANYTHING right? They've been talking about this for over two years. And people want nationalized healthcare? That would be a total disaster.

[LocalOnthe8s]

GameOfLove, on Jan 27 2009, 01:12 AM, said:

People will never be ready. Human nature is to always wait for the late minute to do stuff.

I agree...and this ticks me off. People always like to do things @ the last minute instead of ahead of time. There are some things that are beneficial for knowing @ the last minute but many things should be done ahead of time. Like studying for a test or deciding whether your gravely ill loved one should continue to be on life support or not.

This upsets me though. The media has been warning people like hell to get ready for the conversion and there are still too many who fail to heed the advice of getting digital converter boxes or subscribing to cable/satellite.. Also, not to be rude and mean but who seriously uses an antenna for their TV set in this day? I have never been to a single household where their TV is using an antenna. I can only think of those who are elderly (they mainly watch local channels) or have to avoid Crapcast.

[GameOfLove]

People will be ready when there is snow on their tv.

[Mike_The_Golfer]

The delay got shot down in the House.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/28/digital...elay/index.html

[Mike_The_Golfer]

The bill to push the switch back to June was passed today. The vote last week required a two-thirds majority under "fast track rules" (who knew?) - but only required a simple majority under regular voting rules today.

[ericjcrash]

Mike_The_Golfer, on Feb 4 2009, 05:32 PM, said:

The bill to push the switch back to June was passed today. The vote last week required a two-thirds majority under "fast track rules" (who knew?) - but only required a simple majority under regular voting rules today.

I think its good, rabbit ears work just fine if you don't want cable/satellite.

[vascudave]

ericjcrash, on Feb 4 2009, 08:28 PM, said:

I think its good, rabbit ears work just fine if you don't want cable/satellite.

do some research first

[FreezingDrizzle]

More "Nanny State" nonsense

[vascudave]

more money spent by gov't to "help" those who can't afford to by a box....thats why its delayed. if you can't affor d a friggin box to watch tv, then maybe you should get off your azz and work.... this is such a crock, in these financial burdened times they are trying to include this money as part of a stimilas plan???? how much money are we gonna owe the gov't at the end of all this crap??? its tv, its not an american right to have, its a luxury!


On January 21, 2009, Senator Jay Rockefeller (a Democrat from West Virginia) introduced a bill in the Senate titled the DTV Delay Act, because millions of Americans will not be ready for the cutoff on February 17 due to a shortage of converter box coupons, and proposing that the transition date be moved to June 12. Rockefeller, chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (a Republican from Texas), worked together on the bill. Hutchison supported the idea because Rockefeller did not intend to ask for another postponement. On January 22, The Nielsen Company said 6.5 million Americans had not prepared for the switch. Opponents pointed out that TV stations would face extra operating expenses, and those who paid to use the spectrum to be made available would have to wait.

Under later amendments, stations could choose to end analog broadcasts before June 12 even if the bill passed, and any frequencies freed up by such action could be used by fire and police departments and other emergency services. Those whose converter box coupons had expired would be allowed to apply for new coupons. The House postponed a similar bill (by House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, a Democrat from California), until the Senate's version was complete.[42][43]

The U.S. Senate unanimously voted on January 26, 2009 to delay the digital TV transition to June 12, 2009.[44] However, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on and defeated a similar measure on January 28.[43] Republican Joe Barton from Texas led the movement in the House to defeat the measure, saying that "the DTV transition is neither stuck nor broke", and that any problems with the DTV transition can be fixed.[45] Barton also said, "I guarantee you, no matter when you set the date -- Feb. 17, June 12, July the Fourth, Valentine's Day -- there are going to be some people that aren't ready."[46]

On January 29, the Senate passed another resolution to delay the transition to June 12.[47] On February 4, the House also approved this measure. The bill will now be submitted to President Obama, who is expected to sign it into law since his administration initiated it.[48][49][50]

The DTV Delay Act, passed unanimously in the United States Senate in January 2009, will change the mandatory analog cutoff date to June 12, but the first vote, initiated by a suspension of the rules, failed to pass in the United States House of Representatives.[51] A subsequent revote resulted in the measure being passed in the House, by a vote of 264 to 158.[52]


Provisions in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
This section documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

House Republican Joe Barton from Texas introduced a bill that would insert $650 million in DTV transition assistance into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to be used for making more converter box coupons available and for DTV education without moving the date, a measure strongly supported by the Obama administration.[53][43] The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 passed with this revision in the House on January 28, 2009. The bill will now be voted on in the Senate.[54

[NittanyLion]

Starting February 17th, a lot of local stations up here are switching over to digital only.

[terryjohnson16]

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyN...E5197TZ20090211

[LocalOnthe8s]

GameOfLove, on Jan 27 2009, 07:12 PM, said:

People will be ready when there is snow on their tv.

LOL good point, and then they'll find out ther are no more converter boxes left.

[vascudave]

$650 million for DTV conversion coupons and DTV education

part of the package that past..... tax payers paying for folks to watch tv now. should help the economy, great idea.

[icehater]

It's not going to matter before too much longer. I read a trade report that 25% of all TV stations across America have already converted to Hi-def broadcasting only. So if you don't have the right set-up those stations are already out of range for those still only analog based. Another 25% will switch over to Hi-def only in the next 30 days. So what Congress does won't even matter before too much longer.

[metfan4life]

I got my converter box 2 weeks ago. I am all ready.