One major issue currently making its rounds at the FCC is the switch to Digital television (DTV) that is scheduled for February 17 of next year. Various problems have arisen on the road to the changeover. There have been lawsuits and complaints all over the place. Actual progress is finally being made however, as one US city will be tested in advance later this year.
On September 8, Wilmington, North Carolina will become the first market to test the DTV transition in advance. What this means is that the country will get a preview of the problems it may face on a much grander scale come next year. The information that this testing could provide may be truly invaluable.
But what is the real point?
The entire transition to digital is ridiculous. It serves no real purpose. No one should need to go buy a new TV just so that the government can convert to digital signals in broadcasting. How many grandparents is this going to upset? How many older individuals are going to be calling help lines asking what to do? I know that there is plenty of educational information about the switch. I get reminders in my snail mail box and online a few times each year. I see television commercials maybe once every week (once while doing this blog in fact). Is everyone really going to understand what they read on those things anyway?
Probably not.
So here’s the deal. The switch will be made mandatory next February. If you have a TV that you purchased recently you are fine. If you have cable or satellite you are fine. If your television set sports rabbit ears…not so much. The FCC, which is heavily involved in the transition, is doing its part to help educate people on the changes that must be made. For those stuck with a dinosaur-like TV, there are only a few options.
1. Buy a new TV
2. Purchase a converter box
The second option is probably going to be the most logical. It won’t be free though. At a time when the national average for a gallon of gas is nearing $4, who wants to pay more to watch the TV they already have? My guess is that no one is going to agree with that. That’s not to say people won’t buy converter boxes, but no one is going to be real happy about it. So what is the FCC in conjunction with the government planning to do about that? The answer, at least from their end, is a $40 voucher that people can redeem when purchasing the digital boxes. It seems generous, but really it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth. The fact that you have even to apply just to receive the coupon takes away from its appeal. The cost of the box has not yet been disclosed either, which makes me wonder if $40 off is really going to make that much of a difference for those needing one.
The thing that gets me thinking is what the difference is really going to be. Do I care? No. Should I? Probably not. The fuss that is being made over the whole transition is ridiculous. Why change something that has worked so well for so many years? Does everything need to be digital? Are people going to “ooh” and “ahh” because their signal is digital? No. The picture is going to essentially be the same. The content is going to be the same. Everything that we watch on TV is essentially going to be the same. The whole fuss over DTV is sad. Let’s focus our energies and worries on worthwhile causes and issues.
Starting now.