Someone explain this to me? Why does the US need digital TV?
 

Why did congress need to pass a bill to make all television broadcasting convert to digital?

What is the "big" advantage? I don't see any advantage that would require a government mandate.

:helpme

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/200801..._pe/digital_tv

So that Google can buy the airspace and provide almost nationwide wi-fi...:pimp

because not everyone can get digital tv - by switching off the analogue broadcastng, the digital signal can be boosted so that all can receive it via their regular antennas.

From the guys I know here working at a cable provider the basic reason is space and cost. 10 channels are needed to transmit analog vs 1 for digital so if you got the major 5 analog channels to convert to digital they could sell 50 more spots for programming. ABC FOX NBC an so on need a kick in the ass to make the switch so congress has to step in.

and the advantage is more for the broadcaster, not you... more channels delivered in the same frequency

Why in gods name do we need more programming?

what going to suck is alot people are going to have buy new tv's

What else is new.. Congress and the rest of this govt stopped working for the citizens of this country a long timer ago. Isn't it obvious that they can always pass bills when it's something that benefits large corporations or special intrest groups. Yet they argue for years and years about illegal immigration, health care, social security ect.. ect..

You know all the stuff that affect's the adverage Joe..

let me guess...you don't have digital TV.

1. better graphic quality
2. better sound quality
3. more TV channels
4. a digital channel demands less bandwith then a analog one, which makes it possible to send more channels in the same time on the same space.
5. there are some other technical issues too.

good news for me. I can't wait for more and more HD channels.

A digital set top box covers all TVs back to 1966 :2 cents:

Welcome to Corporate America?

BTW it also helps the cable companies bypass a little known law from the FCC. With digital they can control access to the stations, hence the reason they are really pushing digital.

With analog, you could "legally" buy what they called black boxes to watch cable. (assuming you paid for normal cable) Once everything is digital, they can force everyone to use their boxes elimating the ability to use aftermarket cable boxes. (which are legal btw)

i didnt know that.

I agree with all that, but where does the need for government to make a law come in?

I mean, why not make a law requiring all websites use Linux servers?

If the device is better the market place will respond without a new law.

So the question still is "why pass a law?"

If you think crooks are going to wake up one a day and give up on stealing cable then you are wrong. They will crack this box just like everything else.

To convert 100% to digital
1. All end users need to at least get a digital set top box
2. All broadcasters need to transmit in digital

#1 cannot happen without #2 and #1 and #2 cannot happen without forcing the switch off of analogue.

If they can crack DirecTV then they can crack the boxes.

There is nothing illegal about using after market cable boxes. Using a stolen box of course is illegal but buying boxes that have chips or cards in them is 100% legal. Assuming you are paying for standard cable.

FCC rules make it illegal for a cable companies to force users to use their boxes. There are specific laws which are meant to protect consumers which allows you to use aftermarket boxes. It's not stealing it's enforced by the FCC.

The cable companies got around it in the past by putting what they call "traps" on the line to block signal. Once everything goes digital, they will be able to block out any channel they wish and after market boxes will for the most part be useless.

On the other hand people who use carded Satellite boxes are breaking the law, because satellite TV is not covered under the same FCC restrictions.

btw I pay for my digital DVR and all the channels because it's not worth the hassel to me.. I'm just saying it's not illegal.

Its happening in the UK as well... Not JUST the states...

I don't think so. The digital boxes are activated on the cable companies end and it has to match up with an account. It's not a simple case of putting a chip or card in. They match it up with your account by the mac address on the box.

That's exactly right. Analog just takes up to much room on the spectrum. Converting to digital will free up a lot of space. Just like comcast digital cable. They can cram a ton more channels over the wire vs. analog by using digital/compression.

You still don't get the question.
WTF does the government have to do with a nonessential free enterprise system? Nobody is going to die if they can't watch TV...well ok maybe some fat fucker has a cardiac over it, but nobody else is going to croak.

It doesn't matter if digital TV is great. It's just not the governments job to dictate this.

I hear ya. My issue is that the government can all of a sudden decide that your car takes up too much space and you need to get a moped.

Slippery Slope.

The impetus is in the last line of the last paragraph in the article. The original purpose of the legislation was to free up frequencies for emergency responders.

I just told you a very big reason for it. The cable companies want to push for digital so they can totally control the market. The other reason is what the other guy said it takes up less space. That means more profit for the cable companies.

They use lobbyist to make it an issue in congress. It's the way things work now days in our govt.

Al Gore invented digital tv.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. There is not real government need for this.
It's all about big companies controling our laws to make more profit for themselves.

OH Puhhhleeeezzee! Everybody knows Regan invented it.




:1orglaugh

:2 cents:

There is zero need for the emergency broadcasting system or its damn tests that fuck up your TV shows or recordings.

Hell the damn thing was not even used during 9/11. Instead what happened was naturally every news station went live and covered the shit. Everyone write to congress and demand they repeal the emergency broadcasting system.

Right.

Then it will stop waking me up at 3 AM with, "Who's the Duke? The Duke of New York, A plus stand up guy, number one, the top notch"... :Oh crap

the digitial tv thing was decided like 10 years ago, it's not like this is some sudden decision... and lets take the tinfoil hats off, there is no conspiracy here... it's impractical to broadcast both digitial and analog, so either we would get stuck in analog broadcasting for another 2 decades, or someone had to decide that on date xx/xx/xxxx we are switching over to digital by passing a law...

Awesome point about 911. Just went over my head until now.
When the time came to actually use the system it did totaly nothing.

You say that as if the broadcast industry was incapable of organizing this nby themselves. Yet they organized it to be what it is already.

so what's the issue? It's clear that we had to switch to digital one day, date was decided, we are switching... what's the problem?

Possible government overreaching of it's boundaries for the financial gain of lobbyist.

You people are so fucking retarded it's crazy. The digital transition has NOTHING to do with cable you fucking idiots. It has to do with OVER THE AIR signals. Also known as OTA. If you get your Tv from satellite or cable NOTHING changes for you. Only if you get TV from rabbit ears or an antenna on your house does this affect you. And only if you have a TV that doesn't have a built in digital tuner.

Some of the spectrum freed up by swicthing to digital is going to be used for first responders. Um kind of a good thing you know. In case there another national emergency like 9/11

Um they did nothing during 9/11 if you did not read above. We have sat on the emergency broadcasting signal since as long as I can remember and every week I see tests. However anytime there is an actual emergency the news breaks into the channel and says holy crap look at this...

It is being used so they can send more information OTA. An improvement in technology and service yes but please lets not say shit about emergency shit. Yeah they claim it will free up frequencies for fire, police, and emergency but come on. It is about improved picture, sound and multiple channels.