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Opinion: Local Columns

DTV converter flap going to hit the pocketbooks soon

By WENDY MITCHELL

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 2:28 PM EDT

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Call me psychic; call me a large medium ... either way, when Feb 17 rolls around in 2009 I predict one thing -- People will be P.O.ed about their television reception.

Thanks to the FCC mandatory conversion to digital television planned for that date, millions of perfectly good televisions will be relegated to the trash or game room.

Is "Pong" still out there?

This change cameabout after the emergency communications problems in NYC during 9/11.

Ping.

Sure the government will send you a $40 coupon for a $60 converter box, which may or may not allow your television to receive transmission, but you can also be assured some sales person is going to try bait and switch with the converters to get you to buy a more expensive one, which, may or may not qualify for the coupon and may work no better than the cheaper one... it's the Uhmurikan way!

Pong.

By the way ... research says you will still probably also have to purchase an expensive antennae to boost the iffy digital signal, if you can even get one.

A $0 coupon is available for that $400 antennae.

Ping. Ka-ching ...

Rocket scientist I am not but doesn't that combination sound like a way to force new (DTV ready) television sales upon the already cash-strapped masses?

Choice A: Buy $400 of electronics crap to maybe allow your old TV to get iffy reception from unknown locations.

Choice B: Buy a new $400 DTV ready TV ... to get iffy reception from unknown locations.

Choice C: Read a book. Priceless ...

Pong.

All I want is a few hours of Judge Joe and some CSI 10-12 times a week. Right now we get 3-6 channel, plus KET from the Lexington area ... depending on the atmospheric conditions and where Rooster parks the truck. Yes, we have "rabbit ears."

News flash to the FCC -- there is no cable in most of rural Kentucky and rural America ... if the goal was to free up more airwaves for emergency broadcasts, you will need them, because the change-over is sure to create a new generation of uninformed Americans. Lack of knowledge breeds fear and fear breeds anarchy. Good going.

Ping.

Get a satellite, you say ... well, what goes out first in a storm?

Ding, ding. a winner. The satellite.

What do you need in a storm?

Ding , ding. A winner, communications.

Satellite; had it, dropped it. Nothing new to see and charged too much ... even had to pay for the "free" channels.

Pong.

Emergency (battery operated black and white) televisions are a question mark. The assumption is that they will no longer have a signal to pick up after Feb. 17, 2009. What good are emergency items if they don't have a signal to send information by ?

Ping.

For years the government subsidized getting telephones into every home. Now they want DTV .

If they are so sure they have not created a monster to benefit China's knock-off technology market then the FCC should install, for free in each home that wants it, a unit guaranteed to supply the television owner clear TV signals.

More emergency bands my foot ... that's what the scan button is for on a two-way radio with multiple frequencies.

Ironically, any grandma with a scanner can tell you what is going on in a town 30 miles away, but bureaucrats can't see the obvious problems from their knee jerk reaction to 9/11.

Pong.

For me, I am stocking up on DVDs and looking forward to not having to watch any more political lies, I mean commercials, after Feb. 17, 2009.

Ping...pong...ping...pong....ping....

Reader Comments

Comments are limited to 200 words or less.

antennaguy wrote on Aug 6, 2008 11:54 AM:

" Spending $50 to $70 on a new, more powerful antenna to receive free TV seems to make more sense than watching the same DVDs over and over. Go to antennapoint.com and see what broadcast stations are in range. "

Gilbert wrote on Aug 6, 2008 6:27 AM:

" I am in agreement. Live where I barely get KET on the analog. Cannot pick it up digitally unless cloud cover is 100%. Then I get it a ION also. No clouds, no TV.
Get 3, 32, 41, 58. Sometimes. Audio drops and frozen pictures. *Sure beats Analog*. "

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