Senate passes bill to delay DTV switch (from Feb. 17 to June 12)

[Hawaii Hiker]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28863961/

I thought Feb. 17 would be locked in stone as they've been saying that was going to be the transfer date for quite some time...

[ferrous wheel]

1. That's great. Now maybe we can get our adaptation of the Metric System put off another 20 years

because a bunch of neo-Luddite / fundamentalists need it.

[Abq_Sarah]

2. And will they vote again on June 12th?

Jeez... this has been in the works for over a decade. The people who aren't prepared aren't going to be prepared in June either unless people go into their homes and install conversion boxes for them.

[silverojo]

5. It's not about the converter boxes!

It's about the fact that digital signals are simply unable to be picked up in some areas with difficult terrain.

Also, if an analog signal doesn't come in well, you can at least pull in a *snowy* picture. With a digital signal, it's either on or off, which means that station would be OFF, period.

It's not individuals that need to keep up with this, it's the broadcasting technology itself that's flawed.

Please put the blame where it belongs. :)

[Abq_Sarah]

6. But that's not going to change

By June 12th. The spectrum is different so they can't expect the same signal strength at distances. The technology is not flawed, it's just limited by the spectrum. There will be people who are unable to get a digital signal just as there are people who either can't receive an analog signal or have crappy reception. For instance, in the town I live in now, you can't get an analog signal without an expensive high power antenna. If I want TV reception, I have two choices: Satellite or cable. That's not the broadcaster's fault.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Some stations have already started the switch

Our statewide PBS network has made two of the four stations dark, readying for the change. And a local commercial station talks about its change in February.

[elocs]

4. I already have 2 stations that have announced they will shut down their analog signal by the 17th.

There are stations where it is costing them an extra $20,000 a month to keep both the analog and digital broadcasting. I'm sure even smaller stations would love to reduce their costs. I wonder how many stations will have their analog transmitters mysteriously break down with no available parts?

My guess is that if they delay until June they will delay again because of people begging because they are still not ready.

[NightWatcher]

7. I just got my box (stop giggling) and I cant pick up PBS. I hope they start broadcasting

in digital sometime soon, else I'm going to disconnect the damn box.