No more NTSC broadcasts in 2009

USA Today

Warning: ranting ahead

This is stupid. To allow the FCC to collect a bunch of money auctioning off the VHF/UHF airways the government has decided to obsolete NTSC televisions by 2009.

This especially hurts people like me…

I for one own an AWESOME NTSC Sony Trinitron Wega TV. I’ve looked around at getting a replacement.. YOU CAN’T. To get an equivalent HDTV version of my set I’d need to spend like $1300. I’m not ready to drop that much cash on something I consider to be a waste of time to watch.

I also don’t have cable or satellite. The only TV I watch is Fox and PBS. Fox has Seinfeld and Simpsons re-runs, and PBS once in a blue moon has a cool documentary on. If nothing’s on the airways and I absolutely MUST watch something I turn on a TV show I downloaded off the net. Or, I have friends that record stuff for me on their PVR and ship it to me. I hate watching ads. It’s a waste of time. I’d rather be playing video games or doing something interactive with my time.

So I’m very upset about this decision to obsolete my TV in 2009.

Sure, I’ll probably buy a HDTV set by then, but the primary reason for that will be for video games. Halo at 1280i would be pretty nice, and I imagine there will be other games that will look a lot better in high-def. But what about people that can’t afford to replace their old sets?

I’ve looked into buying an HDTV tuner for my current set (yes, there are tuners that will receive DTV and down-scale it to 480i), but they’re so freaking expensive it’s just not worth it (last I checked the cheapest boxes were $400). Plus they all require expensive antennas, which usually run another $100.

This is stupid. 2020, maybe 2015 I would understand, but I just can’t imagine junking this excellent TV of mine four years from today.

If the government gave me a free DTV to NTSC converter box that would be fine, or if the prices dropped below $50 that would also be fine. Wait.. if the government handed out these boxes that would be messed up. “Here you go… watch TV… turn on.. tune in..” you know the rest. LOL.. yeah, they all default to Fox News..

OK that was my most random blog post yet.. My apologies.

3 Replies to “No more NTSC broadcasts in 2009”

  1. http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.htmlWhen Will the DTV Transition Be Complete?”Television stations serving all markets in the United States are airing digital television programming, although they still must provide analog programming until the target date set by Congress for the completion of the transition to DTV – December 31, 2006. That date may be extended, however, until most homes (85%) in an area are able to watch the DTV programming. At that point, broadcasting on the current (analog) channels will end and that spectrum will be put to other uses.”Congress is currently tossing around the idea of setting this date for 2009.There’s also talk of the government subsidizing consumer purchases of DTV equipment for older TVs. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. Millions and millions of dollars so people can watch TV??? I don’t want my tax dollars paying for that.

  2. Buy the Samsung SIR-t451. You get all the ATSC channels. You get an antenna out to go to your TV to keep your current functionality. Price is just $250. You can get a less expensive HD monitor now if you want or keep using your TV til it dies. Then figure by 2008 or 2009 the price for new TV’s will be down in the 200-400 range for average quality sets.It is incorrect that you need a new antenna. ATSC is transmitted in the same channels as current TV. NTSC has to go because it interfeers with adjacent chanels, unlike ATSC. What we are losing is 1940’s technology with a kludge inthe 1950’s to add color. What we get is very good.Since I bought the ATSC tuner last week I have been very happy with the new reception using my antenna without change.

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