Senate Passes DTV Delay Bill - Home Video News - Digital Trends
Yeah.. U.S. Senate has voted to push that back to June 12. Confused yet? The United States Senate has passed a bill that would delay the U.S. Although the Senate's passage of the bill doesn't mean the DTV deadline has been changed, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to support the move, and the new Obama administration has already come out in favor of delaying the transition.
The idea behind putting off the digital TV transition is to give the estimated 20 million Americans who rely solely on over-the-air television broadcasts time to obtain converter boxes to receive digital television signals. The U.S.
Although many urban television viewers and folks who've purchased new TVs in the last few years are ready for the transition, many poor and rural viewers rely on over-the-air broadcasts and have not been preparing for the transition.
Some viewers will also need to set up new or enhanced antennas to pull in DTV signals, since old-style analog antennas don't do a particularly good job. Others have decried mismanagement of the converter voucher program, and claim a significant portion of the U.S.
Analog television "going dark" would mean those viewers can't receive news, emergency alerts, or other important information…plus, Oprah might take a hit in the ratings. Shutting down analog television broadcasts will also free spectrum in the 700 MHz band, which has already been auctioned off by the FCC-and largely snapped up by communications providers-to develop so-called 4G mobile broadband services. Delaying the digital TV transition will extend licensed to the 700 MHz space bought up by companies like Verizon and AT&T.
Print Page Post Your Comment.. Comments Kit on Jan 27th, 2009 at 10:09 AM: Some viewers will also need to set up new or enhanced antennas to pull in DTV signals, since old-style analog antennas don't do a particularly good job. To me this is the most important reason that putting off the transition is a good idea.
I got a converter box last summer, as soon as I could find one in a local store - one of my coupons expired before any boxes were available locally, but fortunately I didn't ask for both at the same time. Since then I have been trying to get a reliable signal.
I have researched the signal directions and strength and antennas, but I can use the extra four months to try to get something better, and I am at least somewhat knowledgeable and motivated and aware. Many neighbors are less prepared, because they don't understand, not because they aren't trying. Jan 27th, 2009 at 11:14 AM: "since old-style analog antennas don't do a particularly good job."
Wow, your creditability has just dropped 100%. There is no such thing as a digital antenna. There are UHF and VHF antennas. Digital 8-VSB covers both regions. Most of the digital stations are in UHF band because the VHF band was fairly full in most regions. Man the media is so-confused and fact less. RX8 on Jan 27th, 2009 at 8:51 PM: James, gimme a break. He was referring to an antenna that picked up analog stations, not digital. Any person with common sense would get that..
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