DescentBB

Link to article.

IMO a BIG waste of money that could be spent on more important things rather than helping fatasses who want to watch their football game on high-def. If anything the MPAA should be forking over the bill, not the taxpayer.

government says analog broadcasts must stop. government decides that since they running the risk that mass hysteria will ensue if they take tv away... they do something to help. i already resigned myself to teh fact that my tax money will be pissed away. oh well.

They want to be able to regulate and copy-protect all television. That is the only reason the FCC is mandating the digital switch.

The goverment is going to make money with this, not spend it. Right now broadcasters have bandwidth for both digital and analog. When the switch to digital is complete the feds are going to sell the analog spectrum for a lot more than the converter boxes will cost.

So in the end we will have high def TV (at least those of with high def sets) and the government will have actually made money instead of spending it.

Why is this a bad thing?

Heckler wrote:The goverment is going to make money with this, not spend it. Right now broadcasters have bandwidth for both digital and analog. When the switch to digital is complete the feds are going to sell the analog spectrum for a lot more than the converter boxes will cost.

So in the end we will have high def TV (at least those of with high def sets) and the government will have actually made money instead of spending it.

Why is this a bad thing?

exactly, the amount of bandwidth freed up is MAMMOTH as analog signals are converted (and compressed) with digital. They can put on so much more on air when they phase out frequency/amplitude modulation and replace it all with CODE MODULATION BABEH! .

and i wouldn't worry guys, the digital broadcast standards are already set yes? If the current digital set-top boxes don't have copywrite protection builtin - then they will not have it built in for a LOOOONG time (since to introduce that they will have to replace everyone's digital set-top box yet AGAIN... considering how hard the changover from analog to digital is becomming, i doubt they will just change it all again at the drop of a hat).

My TV already has the hardware in it. They've been manufactoring them for some time. If a set isn't compatable, it would have to be VERY old. .. like a Curtis Mathis TV.. hehe.. if anyone remembers those. You may not be able to watch in HD but you will be able to recieve it via antenni.

*edit*Thanks ... was blanking out, knew it wasn't right.>fixed<*/edit*

That be "Curtis" Duper.

i would prefer it if the government would actually PAY ME to watch HD. that would be much better than the rebate they are offering.

what's that?

my monthly hd check?

how much you get?

oooh... been reading a lot lately, only $1200

damn... let's watch some TV right now!

good idea!