TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Stephanie in Placentia, CA — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:12:25 GMT

I guess this will just prompt the procrastinators to finally make sure they take care of business if they want to get a television signal.

The big thing that's being overlooked in all of this is that radio is still a viable way of getting emergency information. In fact, in a widespread emergency situation there is a good chance of power outages. A person's best bet is to use a battery powered, solar or hand-crank rechargable RADIO to get emergency information. Everyone should have an emergency radio.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Jon W. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:20:56 GMT

People have had years to get ready for this. If they have not made the necessary changes by now then too bad.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

John, St. Louis, MO — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:33:21 GMT

More important, reality TV, or an updated and (more) efficient emergency and warning system that could help save lives? Seems funny that we keep choosing to prolong the deadline so the massive potato chip manufacturers don't go running to the government for a bailout.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

N. Stricker — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:51:22 GMT

Here in Western Nebraska if you don't have cable or a sat. dish you can/could get 3 channels ove the air (analog). Those are 4, 10 and 13. ABC, CBS and PBS. Back in Novemeber channel 13, PBS went digital and you can only get it with a converter box. I've read in a local newspaper that they are now on with the Dish network. That left 4 and 10. Where we live 10 only comes in sometimes. Even with a roof antennae.
So we get a converter box, after our coupon expired (long story short, hubby didn't realize it had an experition date on it) and hook it up to one tv, the one that isn't hooked up to the sat. dish. Now even with the box turned off, we can't pick up channel 10. We can get it on the tv in the next room, but not the one with the box hooked up to it. We also get 3 PBS channels, but last night 3 more PBS channels popped up but you only get a nasty headache trying to watch them with the super jiggly, wiggly and scrambled pictures on those three or you get to see a box that says 'no signal'.
Also I've noticed that the shows in the digital format are smaller. Hard to read stuff on the screen and when you zoom or make the picture bigger then words get cut off so you can't read them either. I've also noticed some interfence like we get on the dish with the sunspots and weather, scrambled picture and the like. Just last night in a half hour period a 'lost signal' message popped up about 10 times and wouldn't go away until I shut it off and turned it back on.
So why is this supposed to be so much better than analog? Oh, I know the 'reasons' but it seems to me that it's all a bunch of hot air and the 'we know better what you really want/need' crud. Sorry, but this is one person that doesn't like this 'mandated' (read forced) change. I'm 43 and not all that bad with tech, I just think we're getting screwed with here is all. Anyway, that's just my oh so humble opinion.
Peace!

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

david — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:56:56 GMT

Not much info here.Simple matter,why not list actual stations,locations,etc,.At least try to tell me why Is is
of interest to me.Otherwise the article is nothing
more than extraneous nothing.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Frank Rizzo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:24:59 GMT

I am doing the same on TV all together. I am tired of the propaganda, right, left or otherwise. When TV brings back real debate and access for all ideas, I'll start watching again.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Some One — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:27:38 GMT

Am I wrong or wasn't this delayed to June?

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

FERN — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:36:30 GMT

I HAVE A DIGITAL TV AND I'M WONDERING WHY I LOST MY
KWWL TV STATION IN WATERLOO, IOWA? I HAD IT ON MY DIGITAL TV BEFORE TODAY.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Dave,Northern California — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:50:21 GMT

People have known about the transition for a very long time. Forget about cable tv (too expensive & sucks anyways) and forget about using a rooftop antenna system why bother with it. Simply get service with DirecTV or Dishnetwork. No out of pocket expenses to switch to satellite tv service. www.directv.com & www.dishnetwork.com Go check them out. They have local channels as well.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Michael Capone, North Arlington, N.J. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:56:22 GMT

Just make the change already. People had enough time. Geez. What were they waiting for? These are the same people that voted for Bush.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Not Concerned, Los Angeles, CA — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:03:39 GMT

I still don't know why this is an issue. EVERYONE was aware this was going to happen over a year ago. So there was plenty of time to get a box and hook it up. Also, to say that poor people can't afford the box is BS. Let's use $50.00 as a price for a box....in 12 months that works out to $4.17 a month. Even people on a fixed income can afford that.....maybe one less pack of cigs, one less 6 pack of beer, one less case of soda ANYTHING! But, if that is too mean and cruel then all the Democrats out there can give their money to the government to help out the poor.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Dan T Texas — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:06:38 GMT

They all should switch to Digital today. The Feds did not help us when we went from 8-track to cassette to CD. They also did not help when we went from VHS to CD to DVD not to Blue Ray. People have had 3 years to do something 4 more months is not going to make a difference.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

DigitalJoeBob, Seattle, WA — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:15:31 GMT

I'm thinking that the 6.something million "viewers" still won't be ready in June and congress will again "rally" to the cry of "but it's too confusing, we're not ready". You won't get a 100% rating of "we're ready" until people are forced by the turning off of analog TV. What congress isn't taking into consideration is that broadcast radio still exists, so there's absolutely no reason why *any* TV station has to remain analog until June.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Christopher P. Lo Pinto,Willits,CA — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:16:14 GMT

I think extending the cutoff deadline is a false hope for people who live beyond cable like myself, and encouraging pople to buy converter boxes but not telling them that the signal will be worse possibly seems dishonest. We had to resort to 10 foot diameter dishs in 1986 to get TV from C-Band, and when I was offered a small dish in 2001 I was ecstatic at the improvment. There are still a few fols left who never switched over and are happy with C-band, and this might be something people will have to consider if they lose their signal.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

TXSFRED Houston, Texas — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:22:54 GMT

Obama and the Congress are not worried at all about pushing the Gulf Coast right into the leading edge of Hurricane Season with a screwed up communications system in June. Let's remember that and if it causes some unnecessary death and destruction, I want to see WOnderman, Wonderwoman and Filthy Harry held personally responsible al la W...( Won't hold my breath with the blind eye media that helped elect Wonderman )

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Patrick in Atlanta — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:31:21 GMT

What happens when some people suddenly can't watch TV anymore? They might go for a walk, read a book, read a newspaper, heck read a pamphlet, play with their kids or their cat or dog, surf the net, listen to music, play a board game or computer game, or watch a DVD.

Name something bad that happens when TV goes away. I can't think of any myself. Not one bad thing. Imagine being free to find something to do every night instead of having it preplanned and forced on you by the whims of a network TV programming executive.

We should be jealous of those being set free tonight.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Mary Holl, Appleton, Wisconsin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:28:37 GMT

"In San Diego, Gary Stigall, a longtime TV engineer, said he thinks the impact could be minimal because '93 percent of the people here have cable, meaning they won’t be affected.'"

I'm on SS Disability and find it irksome that so many people seem to think those who don't have cable and won't have viewable reception are just unprepared or of "minimal" concern.
I cannot afford $60 for cable on the $700 per month I receive. My antenna reception was not great, but OK. With the converter box, I'm never sure from one day to the next which, if any, channel I will be able to get.
I live in the Midwest, in a relatively small city (no high-rises, etc.), so the wide open spaces which used to be our friends now work against us due to our modern technology.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

KITTY BUTTERFLY-BILES, grove, oklahoma. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:44:00 GMT

i GREW UP IN THE 50'S AND 60'S WITHOUT TELEVISION. MY PARENTS WERE OPPOSED TO THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION AND EVEN MOVIES. I NOW HAVE SATELLITE IN MY HOME. HOWEVER, I RARELY HAVE CONTROL OF THE REMOTE. sO. EVEN THOUGH i VAGUELY UNDERSTAND WHY THE "AIR WAVES" NEED TO BE FREED UP (FOR WHAT?), i'M WONDERING why ANALOG SIGNALS HAVE TO CEASE. cAN ANYONE GIVE AN INTERPRETATION OF THIS? i STILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH ANY DECISION SO FAR-REACHING, THAT WILL STOP ANY FORM OF COMMUNICATION. AT THE MOMENT, ALL DIGITAL SIGNALS COST MONEY AND CAN BE MONITORED. i'M BOTHERED AND DON'T KNOW WHY. SOMEBODY EXPLAIN PLEASE.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Laurie, Frisco, TX — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:51:28 GMT

The changeover should have happened on all stations, IMHO.Some people have just been too lazy to do anything about it(getting converters). There are always some who have to be forced into action. Then, again, TV is NOT a necessity.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

me — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:40:19 GMT

2 years notice is not enough???????? no sympathy....you snooze you lose....

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

DTV Engineer, Gilbert, AZ — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:52:18 GMT

As an engineer who began working on DTV over a decade ago, I am excited to see this historic step finally being taken -- even if it is only a half step instead of the complete switchover that we all thought it would be a month ago. It will be painful for some who are unprepared, but that pain will be very short-lived. The long-term benefits to all of us of freeing up valuable broadcast frequencies for other purposes, enjoying high quality DTV and HDTV television programs, and the extra revenue that the government is taking in from the sale of the analog TV spectrum will outweigh the brief inconvenience to a small percentage of our citizens who are still not ready. Sometimes change is painful, but is still the right thing to do.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Tom, IL — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:03:23 GMT

Can,t believe that with over a year to prepare, and after all those commercials and shows, some will still wonder what the heck happened. Human nature is a strange beast.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Ranger Freeman, Tappahannock, Virginia — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:13:31 GMT

I feel that the America public shouldn't be forced to go to digital dignals. We have been using analog as long as I can remember, so why should the elderly and the poor be punished. If it isn't broke, why fit it. Change isn't always for the better. It is sometimes for those who can afford it.

TV stations pulling the plug on analog

Robert Peet — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:07:03 GMT

There are certain people who will not do anything until they lose the signal. For many months, TV stations have been warning people about the switch.Too bad about people in fringe areas. I grew up 50 miles from a TV transmitter and we all had antennas on our roofs. Why wait for a $40.00 coupon?