Obama urges Congress to postpone Digital television switch

www.foxnews.com...

www.foxnews.com

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready.

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[edit on 9-1-2009 by ChilledVoodoo]

Get with it people, you can go and get a converter box and you will be ok! HOw many dang commercials have we seen on this? Even though i think it is wrong to force someone to pay for the converter box. I guess Obama is just trying to do something good, but seems like he is going to end up stretching this out much longer than it needs to be.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)


Mod edit: Fixed title.

[edit on 1/9/2009 by Hal9000]

good.. maybe people will get away from the idiot boxes and live a real life

Sure makes you wonder switching over to digital,will we now see interuptions in broadcasts by terrorist's or manipulated terrorists,I can see no other reason to change broadcasting

Why would the president even care about this... how is this important? Talk about wasted time and energy.

I have an idea..... everyone just turn off their TV's... problem solved.

reply to post by ChilledVoodoo


I don't like the idea in the first place. Why are the governments of the world trying to chase people away from the free air waves? Why is it that they want to have complete control over what we see or hear? It smacks too much of Big Brother and slavery. I think that people had better wake up fast. I know that many don't believe in conspiracy theories and believe that our governments are still basically good but I think it is time to put on the black sunglasses. What difference does it make if it is labeled a conspiracy theory if it is true? There is something being transmitted that they do not want us to see or hear. You will know this is true when they ban the ownership and use of an analog unit. When this happens if we don’t get serious it will be all over before it starts.

reply to post by NightSkyeB4Dawn


I'm with you. I don't like it and I don't understand the rush. Like you said, it smacks of controlled media. (I mean even MORE controlled than it already is)

Secondly, when people are trying to figure out how to put food on the table and shoes on their kids feet, a $40-$80 converter box is the last thing they're going to be able to afford.

Well, it is a bit expensive to upgrade if you have to (even though the government does offer vouchers) but that isn't the point.

This is TV we are talking about, not a necessity or must have item. If people can't afford it right now because they have to put food on the table, then they can do without TV for a little while.

It won't be the end of the world.

Originally posted by SleeplessInUS
Why would the president even care about this... how is this important? Talk about wasted time and energy.

Considering what is going on in the country and the world, it seems like a waste of time and that some micromanaging is going on. Kinda out of his sandbox.

actually this is really quite smart of him - with all the `big and important` things going on in the world , he has the time to be concerned over the likes of you and me , and the millions who will lose there TV next month - great move , shows he is in touch .

although , `the big switch off` has kinda been announced for soemthing like 10 years , so those people being effected are just damn lazy tbh.

reply to post by nyk537


They are already out of Vouchers

And if people are so slammed by the recession that they're having trouble keeping their house and feeding their kids, they're certainly not going to be going to movies, renting movies, playing miniature golf or even buying books. What are they supposed to do in the evening? Have sex and stare at the wall?

I don't know. TV can be an escape for people. It may not be the healthiest of activities, but it's free. And in these times, when nothing else is free, I have some sympathy for people whose evening entertainment consists of watching Survivor and ER. If it's not necessary to take that away from them (and I don't see how it is), I don't see what the big rush is.

For the record, I don't have network TV and don't care to. This change doesn't affect me at all. I just feel for people whose only entertainment is a little TV in the evening...

Harlequin, I starred your post before I read the last paragraph. I wish I could take it back...

[edit on 9-1-2009 by Benevolent Heretic]

I don't disagree with you BH, but I just can't see making such a big deal about it.

I mean honestly, how long have we known about this switch? How long have we been told to get ready and make sure we get a converter or the right TV? And these things are what, $40? You're telling me that some people can't come up with $40 over the course of a year and half or however long we've been seeing those commercials? If that is the case, then as I said, those people have bigger problems than watching television.

It's not that I'm not sympathetic, because that I am. I know all too well about struggling to provide for my family. But as I said, it's only television, not something you need to survive. People can find other ways to entertain themselves you know.

Most towns have these neat buildings that will loan people books and movies....for free.

Go back to radio. It's far more entertaining.

Why does it matter if the fed is out of vouchers?

They can just print more

Or are the vouchers more valuable than our money?

Stupid federal government. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I see. I don't think we need to switch to HDTV right now. This is a good idea. I'm not much of a big TV watcher right now but I don't really understand what the benefits of doing the switch during this economic downtime. As has been suggested people may not be able to afford this HD converter and they may be without television for months or for a while before they get one. I think that they need to wait to do it until the stimulus package gets passed and we have more money to buy stuff.

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
I see. I don't think we need to switch to HDTV right now.

It's not HDTV it's DTV as in digital.

HDTV is another thing entirely. You're not going to see high def on your SDTV just because you have a digital to analog converter box.

I guess with all the PSA's and fliers all over people still dont know whats going on.

I think that they need to wait to do it until the stimulus package gets passed and we have more money to buy stuff.

You mean wait until Obama passes legislation to "steal" someone elses money and give it to you for doing nothing.

Right?

We had one channel growing up. We'd play outside and talk all the time. Now I'm great with people, and my tv is rarely on. I think t.v.'s gotten a little full of itself, from end to end. I'm mainly talking about msm news.

reply to post by nyk537


Nah, he'll just get the fed to print it.




That's Kenesyan economics at work! It's silly, that they can print money at will isn't it?

Originally posted by purplemonkey
good.. maybe people will get away from the idiot boxes

and live a real life

Yes! People who can't afford television could become better thinkers and more engaged with their communities. Too bad that sometimes means an increase in crime.
When they can't afford TV, cheap beer or hand rolled cigarettes we will have a much needed revolution. In the meantime my heart goes out to all the financially devastated people in the USA.

Originally posted by ChilledVoodoo
Even though i think it is wrong to force someone to pay for the converter box.

Actually, the converter boxes are technically free since the government offers vouchers for them to everyone (up to 2 vouchers per household). So, they are not really forcing anyone to pay for them, just the stupid people who don't pay attention when the commercials come on and tell them exactly what I just said.