Digital Transition Not Delayed

[youtube xy-pD-M0rY4 Digital Transition Information Video]

The Senate had signed off on a delay of the mandatory broadcast digital TV transition until June 12th, from February 17th, but despite Obama administration support, House Republicans defeated the bill, leaving the transition date where it is.

“In my opinion, we could do nothing worse than to delay this transition date,” said Joe Barton of Texas, the top Republican on the House Commerce Committee. “The bill is a solution looking for a problem that exists mostly in the mind of the Obama administration.” Barton led the push to scuttle the bill, which passed the Senate unanimously on Monday night.

The problem stems from the converter box coupon program, administered by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration, is now sending out coupons only as older, unredeemed ones expire, freeing up more money. They have nearly 2.6 million coupon requests and those people will not be receiving theirs till after February 17th.

Eliminating analog television is a good move in that the possibilities offered by digital television are much improved. Discounting the freeing up of bandwidth for other applications, digital television is clearer, higher resolution, offers multiple subchannels in the same space, and converting older televisions, with or without coupons, is a simple process, as outlined by the above video. And if you have cable or satellite, you aren’t even affected right now unless your cable company is using it as a smokescreen to try and upsell you based on fear.

it is an improvement, it will be confusing, and instead of the government delaying it, they need to put together a new coupon program, which will be less expensive than it will cost to delay analog transition. It would cost PBS $22 million alone to delay. Many have leases for signal transmitters that were due to expire on the date of the switch over and will have to make new arrangements.