Say goodbye to analog TVs

[stratman]

History was made today, our old beloved spinach-green friend is gone, a victim of unstoppable technology. You can argue it was long overdue, but you must admit ol' spinach-green gave us plenty of joy Saturday mornings watching the Roadrunner play with the Coyote's head. Long before the digital age dawned it was our only friend and he will be missed for nostalgia's sake, here's to ol' spinach-green, may your analog circuits rest in peace.

America's largest consumer electronics seller Best Buy effectively stopped selling analog sets October first and will instead participate in a converter box coupon program sponsored by the government. The company said it pulled all remaining analog sets from the shelves and issued orders to all stores to stop selling analog sets immediately, although Best Buy said it will continue to support analog TV owners by carrying coupon-eligible converter boxes beginning early next year under the U.S. Department of Commerce's voluntary National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) DTV Converter Box Coupon Program.

Best Buy will also set up recycling options for consumers wishing to replace their old analog TVs with new digital ones. Smart sales move.

Under the government's DTV Converter Box Coupon Program, which goes into effect on January 1, 2008, U.S. households can request up to two electronic coupons, at a value of $40.00 each , that can be used in participating retailers toward the purchase of eligible digital-to-analog converter boxes. Best Buy says it will start accepting coupons next year as the program gets on its way. So long spinach-green!

[annunaki]

I am glad to see this take place. It means we finally not have another date pushed back and we can finally embrace the digital age.

[stratman]

There is a bit of nostalgia attached though. Remember the old sets when turned off there remained a phosphorescent dot in the middle of the screen for about two seconds.

[annunaki]

I say forget nostalgia. We had the same television transmission system for 50+ years. It had its day in the sun, just die already.

[mouettus]

do you think it's the same here in canada? any news?

[stratman]

do you think it's the same here in canada? any news?

I'll snoop around and see.

[MDS]

I said goodbye to my analog TV the first week of June. I will be saying hello to my new digital TV around Thanksgiving.

[stratman]

do you think it's the same here in canada? any news?

"The CRTC (Canadian-radio television and Telecommunications Commission) has stated that come the end of August 2011, all television stations will need to broadcast in ATSC digital format only, the only exception will be the rural and northern most areas where analog broadcasting may continue for an undetermined period."

So you've got till the end of August 2011 to get a digital ready TV.

[admin]

As the government mandated all-digital broadcast TV deadline approaches (February 17, 2009), Best Buy decided to discontinue selling analogue TVs as of October 1st. This move comes on the heels of an announcement by John Kneuer that RadioShack had pledged to sell converter boxes by January 1st. Best Buy also pledges to sell the converter boxes (which will enable people with analogue TV's to receive and view digital broadcasts).


Discuss "Best Buy goes Digital" here. Read the article.

[mouettus]

thanks strat!