Senate pass deadline for Digital TV transition.

[Smokey]

The Senate has voted to set April 7, 2009, as the deadline for U.S. television stations to switch to digital broadcasts and free up analog radio spectrum for wireless broadband and public-safety uses. The Senate approved the digital-television (DTV) transition deadline late last week as part of a large budget package aimed at reducing the federal deficit. Auctioning off part of the freed-up spectrum is expected to raise $10 billion or more, with $5 billion going to the U.S. treasury in the Senate legislation.

Under current law, broadcasters are required to give up their analog spectrum by the end of 2006, but only in television markets where 85 percent of homes can receive digital signals. Some estimates say there are tens of millions of analog TV sets that receive signals over the air. Those sets won't work after the DTV transition without converter boxes.

Also on Thursday, the FCC moved up the deadline that all TVs sold in the U.S. must be capable of receiving digital signals by March 1, 2007.

[GMichael]

Well, this is good news for us HDTV fans. But crappy news for Joe Smoe with the old TV. So much for the lower middle class. Move up or move out?

[Pat]

Thank goodness for DVD's, we have over a hundred and repeats are far an few between. Some day we will jump on the hi-def bandwagon...just not in the near future.

[Smokey]

As analog Tv is still a big seller, a [didgital-to-analog] converter box might be a big seller as deadline nears. And one really can not blame Joe Smoe buyers from keep buying analog TVs as they are ridiculously low priced.

A brand name 27 inch such as Sharp can be had for $169, or a 32 inch Toshiba for $279. And prices (especially for analog TVs) keep dropping big time.

I also have an analog Tv which is only one year old

[GMichael]

As analog Tv is still a big seller, a [didgital-to-analog] converter box might be a big seller as deadline nears. And one really can not blame Joe Smoe buyers from keep buying analog TVs as they are ridiculously low priced.

A brand name 27 inch such as Sharp can be had for $169, or a 32 inch Toshiba for $279. And prices (especially for analog TVs) keep dropping big time.

I also have an analog Tv which is only one year old

I bought a 32 inch Apex TV for 199.95 two years ago. Not the greatest but still a good price. Works good for the bedroom for now. It may end up being a monitor for Karaoke nights.

[ericl]

Those sets won't work after the DTV transition without converter boxes.
.

My Mom is soooo mad about this. I'll probably end up getting her an HDTV by then.

What the heck is going to happen to all those old TVs?

[GMichael]

My Mom is soooo mad about this. I'll probably end up getting her an HDTV by then.

What the heck is going to happen to all those old TVs?

Paper weights, really big paper weights.

[gonefishin]

If you have cable or dish*...you're already safe.

[Invader3k]

Man, that date just seems to get pushed further and further back, doesn't it?

[nightflier]

Wonder if they'll legislate the same for analog (ie. AM/FM) radio?

Also, to answer another post, all those old TV's will end up in landfills and further polute the earth just like old computers do now.

Aside from the fact that we export most of our trash to the Third World anyhow, I also wonder what this digital TV deadline will mean for people outside the US. Just because the US and (Europe, I suppose) has gone digital, that doesn't mean the rest of the world will.

[gonefishin]

Those old Tv's will be just fine when used with a seperate set top convertor box. Like the ones used by cable companies and satellite companies.

Satellite companies have offered full digital programming to consumers for several years now...cable has been moving their channels into the digital range (albeit they're moving them extremely slowly!). Digital channels are nothing new...and have no problems operating on "old" televisions.

Why do you think the Tv's will be junk and needed to be thrown away?


dan

[hwirt]

The FCC is pushing to reallocate the existing analog TV bands for public service use, most likely for an interoperable emergency communications system. As mentioned in previous posts, workarounds exist for the millions of analog sets still in use. Viewers using off the air reception will require new antenna systems and set top digital to analog converters. Cable and satellite users are already good to go. Hopefully the price for these converters will fall rapidly when the demand increases.

Heath

[Smokey]

Man, that date just seems to get pushed further and further back, doesn't it?

I think this time this date will stick since it was passed by Senate rather than suggestion by FCC. As of now , it is law.

As it was mentioned, televisions hooked up to cable or satellite would not need the converters. The only people that will have to worry about their analog Tv might be those that only recieve their signal thru Air. And buying a converter box will solve their reception problem.

The good news is that on the same Senate's budget bill, which passed last week, it contains a $3 billion subsidy for owners of televisions that can not handle eventual transition to digital television. The subsidy would go to pay for converter boxes for low-income Americans that would have difficulty coming up with the $40 or the $50 for a conversion box.

[hermanv]

My Mom is soooo mad about this. I'll probably end up getting her an HDTV by then.

What the heck is going to happen to all those old TVs?

Let's see, 6 years of notice that this would happen folowed by 4 more years before it's too late. Still not enough? Does anyone read newspapers anymore? The vast majority of those old TV will have died by then, so the impact on landfills is far less then worst case.

I saw my first high definition picture in 1966 even before UHF tuners were mandated, this conversion to better quality TV is long, long overdue. It was just not practical to design a backward compatible system

Cable boxes will still work with old TV's so will satellite boxes.

HDTVs are now available for under $500 and prices are still dropping, the set top converter will probably be a financially a poor choice. Most people saw this coming and bought TVs that can deal with it. I don't think that many converters will be sold, so they won't be that cheap.

[gonefishin]

Let's see, 6 years of notice that this would happen folowed by 4 more years before it's too late. Still not enough? Does anyone read newspapers anymore? The vast majority of those old TV will have died by then, so the impact on landfills is far less then worst case.

I saw my first high definition picture in 1966 even before UHF tuners were mandated, this conversion to better quality TV is long, long overdue. It was just not practical to design a backward compatible system

Cable boxes will still work with old TV's so will satellite boxes.

HDTVs are now available for under $500 and prices are still dropping, the set top converter will probably be a financially a poor choice. Most people saw this coming and bought TVs that can deal with it. I don't think that many converters will be sold, so they won't be that cheap.

Plus...they made a mandate that a person will have a choice of buying an analog Tv (that's plug and play DTV compatable) today...and all Tv sets will be required to be plug and play DTV compatible as of March 2007.
This not only applies to HD sets that will be made...but also analog sets as well. Yes, that's right...there will still be analog DTV compatible sets in the future. That is...if there's a market for it
The change in Tv sets is really similar to the first sets that came out that were "cable Tv" compatible. The older sets didn't accept many of the cable channels. But soon, all sets were able to receive these "cable channels".
What this is doing...is allowing people, in the future, to receive many of the digital stations without having to rent a cable box.

take care all>>>>


dan

[Smokey]

Plus...they made a mandate that a person will have a choice of buying an analog Tv (that's plug and play DTV compatable) today...and all Tv sets will be required to be plug and play DTV compatible as of March 2007.

That is a good point Fisherman (Woodman used to call you that ).

Although probably after march 2007 date, no more [larger] DTV compatible analog TV will be produced (or shrink considerably), but smaller 14, 20 and 27 inch analog TVs with Digital Tuner will still be available well after that date and beyound.

[Woochifer]

I think that this digital TV transition's not as huge a deal as some have made it out to be. Basically, it will happen and it very well might happen by the new deadline. The reason is pretty simple IMO -- less than 20% of the TVs out there right now use over-the-air analog signals. The vast majority of TVs are playing stuff piped in via cable, satellite, DVD, VCR, or video game. Even though the over-the-air analog signals will get cut off, I doubt that cable companies and satellite providers will transition their signals to digital-only anytime soon.

The only TVs that will likely become obsolete are the portable TVs that people might take with them when going to the beach or sitting in their backyard. All the other TVs only need to get connected to a cable or satellite provider, and they're back in business.

[markmac50]

I bought a TV a few years back thats not HDTV but is Flat Screen and has Component inputs the red, green ,blue seperate inputs which has been around for awhile. Satellite or converter boxes look great on these tvs. Mine wont be a paperweight soon. 122 lbs I dont want to throw it away. I cant and wont even pick it up anyway.ITS STAYING!