<strong>"We need to get the digital transition right."</strong> _Senator Daniel Inouye
The Senate Commerce Committee on Science and Transportation held yet another hearing last Thursday, (July 26, 2007), on the digital television transition. With only eighteen months remaining until shut off of all analog terrestrial broadcasting (switching to all-digital) there is a frightening recognition that the public has yet to be informed about it. Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) opened the hearing with a fist full of "facts".
"Between 15 and 21 million households," he said, "rely exclusively on over-the-air television. Many more have second and third over-the-air sets in their homes. In February 2009, these Americans could see their televisions go dark, disconnecting them from news, public safety announcements, and their community unless they get a converter box and attach it to their television. Yet far too few of these consumers know that the transition ... is underway. "
Inouye pointed to a June 07 edition of the National Journal which claimed that
[url=http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2007/07/preparing_consu.php]Read the Full Article[/url]
Preparing Consumers for the Digital Television Transition
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Dale
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jimdeaderick
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Re: Preparing Consumers for the Digital Television Transitio
Dale,
I'm pretty smart and other than the date, I don't know what's happening during The Great Transition. There was talk about the government providing STBs for those who choose not to buy a digital TV. Is that still supposed to happen?
My understanding is that 85% of households receive "live" TV from sources other than OTA. So, though "15 to 21 million" is a large number, it really is only 15%.
I ask you, who has the most to lose by people not converting? The TV stations, since they don't want to lose our eyeballs for their advertisers. Therefore, I would think that they would be in the forefront of letting people know. And of course, there are the manufacturers who want to sell their STBs and HDTVs. I suspect they'll want to let us know too.
My sense is that this is going to be a non-event like the Y2K issue 7 years ago.
Jim Deaderick
I'm pretty smart and other than the date, I don't know what's happening during The Great Transition. There was talk about the government providing STBs for those who choose not to buy a digital TV. Is that still supposed to happen?
My understanding is that 85% of households receive "live" TV from sources other than OTA. So, though "15 to 21 million" is a large number, it really is only 15%.
I ask you, who has the most to lose by people not converting? The TV stations, since they don't want to lose our eyeballs for their advertisers. Therefore, I would think that they would be in the forefront of letting people know. And of course, there are the manufacturers who want to sell their STBs and HDTVs. I suspect they'll want to let us know too.
My sense is that this is going to be a non-event like the Y2K issue 7 years ago.
Jim Deaderick