2/17/09 Are you ready?

[Tarub]

Midnight of February 17, 2009 all TV signal will switch from analog to 100% digital. I guess, this is only happening in the US.

 

[jamie2112]

If people aren't ready its their own fault as this has been an ongoing tv ad for 6 months now. I see it all the time....

 

[Pyrrho]

If people aren't ready its their own fault as this has been an ongoing tv ad for 6 months now. I see it all the time....

Well, there are some people who are very poor who may have trouble affording being ready. But for pretty much everyone else, I basically agree with you.

 

[croseiv]

I'm already 100% digital. Been that way for a couple of years.

 

[jamie2112]

Well, there are some people who are very poor who may have trouble affording being ready. But for pretty much everyone else, I basically agree with you.

Hey I am one of the poor people you mentioned and I am ready why shouldn't everybody else be. If tv is so important to folks I would think you would have your act together and be ready for this change. Really though I am with you on the poor folks not being ready and thats just the government screwing the poor guy .....AGAIN....

 

[Djizasse]

Wo Wo Wo Period... LOL

 

[highfigh]

If people aren't ready its their own fault as this has been an ongoing tv ad for 6 months now. I see it all the time....

Six months, they delayed it more than six years!

 

[highfigh]

Well, there are some people who are very poor who may have trouble affording being ready. But for pretty much everyone else, I basically agree with you.

The point of the coupon was supposed to be that people were supposed to be able to get a converter without spending a lot, because they didn't want to force people to buy a new TV when they couldn't afford one. As opposed to allowing people to buy a house when there was no way they could afford one.

 

[jamie2112]

The point of the coupon was supposed to be that people were supposed to be able to get a converter without spending a lot, because they didn't want to force people to buy a new TV when they couldn't afford one. As opposed to allowing people to buy a house when there was no way they could afford one.

OOOHHHH SNAP!!!!! soooo true....

 

[ZX14NINJA]

Cool product! Wonder when we'll see it in Canada.

 

[Tarub]

Cool product! Wonder when we'll see it in Canada.

It is a cool product...it will make Jack Benny come back but he needs a passport to go to Canada. Wo..Wo..Wo.. period....period orgy

 

[Pyrrho]

The point of the coupon was supposed to be that people were supposed to be able to get a converter without spending a lot, because they didn't want to force people to buy a new TV when they couldn't afford one. As opposed to allowing people to buy a house when there was no way they could afford one.

Yes, that is the point of the coupon, but for the poorest people, any extra expense can be a problem. The ways to get a coupon are easiest for those who are not desperately poor, as really poor people don't have internet connections, and may not even have a phone to call the toll-free number to get a coupon. Additionally, some people find that their reception with DTV isn't as good as it was with analog, so they need a new antenna, which can be a problem for the desperately poor.

In my case, this isn't a problem, but it is for some. Many people with some money don't seem to have a clue of what it is like to be very poor. For some who are living in poverty, this transition is a bad thing. For most of us, it is a good thing.

 

[Mort Corey]

Ah, only in America can you be "really, really" poor and be concerned about the trivialities of receiving a television broadcast. Having electrical service to run the danged thing (and probably indoor plumbing too) are pretty high end items for some of the worlds really poor people. (I assume, but have not observed this in person)

Maybe a converter box stimulus package will come up on the menu

Mort

 

[j_garcia]

Ah, only in America can you be "really, really" poor and be concerned about the trivialities of receiving a television broadcast. Having electrical service to run the danged thing (and probably indoor plumbing too) are pretty high end items for some of the worlds really poor people. (I assume, but have not observed this in person)

Maybe a converter box stimulus package will come up on the menu

Mort

Not sure if you had seen the report, but they said that the funding for the coupons is almost run dry and they are saying that they expect it to actually run out by mid Jan. due to the number of people requesting them.

I have been ready for years also.

 

[Pyrrho]

Ah, only in America can you be "really, really" poor and be concerned about the trivialities of receiving a television broadcast. Having electrical service to run the danged thing (and probably indoor plumbing too) are pretty high end items for some of the worlds really poor people. (I assume, but have not observed this in person)

Maybe a converter box stimulus package will come up on the menu

Mort

Yes, poverty is a relative thing. But it is not only in America where the standard for "really, really" poor would be such that running water and electricity are usually had; much of Europe is the same in this regard, where something as trivial as not being able to receive TV might make one be "really, really" poor there, too. In fact, the really, really poor in most (if not all) western European countries are probably better off than the really, really poor in America. Universal healthcare is just a dream in the U.S. If I had no money at all, and no prospects, I would much rather be in England than the U.S.

 

[annunaki]

Yes, that is the point of the coupon, but for the poorest people, any extra expense can be a problem. The ways to get a coupon are easiest for those who are not desperately poor, as really poor people don't have internet connections, and may not even have a phone to call the toll-free number to get a coupon. Additionally, some people find that their reception with DTV isn't as good as it was with analog, so they need a new antenna, which can be a problem for the desperately poor.

In my case, this isn't a problem, but it is for some. Many people with some money don't seem to have a clue of what it is like to be very poor. For some who are living in poverty, this transition is a bad thing. For most of us, it is a good thing.

Shouldn't really poor people be more focused on getting more income rather than how they are going to watch TV?????

Just a thought...

I guess it shows why we have people in that position in the first place.

 

[Tarub]

President Elect Obama wants to delay the switchover.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/TV_theater/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212701459&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

 

[Pyrrho]

Shouldn't really poor people be more focused on getting more income rather than how they are going to watch TV?????

Just a thought...

I guess it shows why we have people in that position in the first place.[emphasis added]

Very often, poverty stays in families. This might have something to do with the fact that poor people often need to quit school in order to get a job so they can eat and have a roof over their heads, so they can't get a good paying job because they lack a good education. Also, poor people tend to live in districts with poor schools (as much of a school's income is typically tied to local property taxes, and not surprisingly, this means that there is much less funding for poor areas), even if they don't have to quit school to get a job. Additionally, even if they make it through high school, mommy and daddy are not going to be able to pay for college (obviously, because they are poor), and, because they went to a bad high school, they are less likely to be able to get a scholarship to a college, so their chances of going to college will be small.

If we look at the other end of the spectrum, people who have rich parents can afford to go to the best schools, and do not generally need to drop out of school in order to eat. They also can afford to hire tutors if they are a bit slow, so they are likely to be able to pass, even if they are not the best students. This means that they can get high paying jobs, if they want them. Of course, if one has money, one invests the money, and then one can work much less, or not at all.

Simply put, people do not start at the same position, so it is hardly surprising if they do not end up with the same results.

It is as if we were to have people run a race of a mile, with some people starting half-way to the finish line, some at 3/4 of the way there, and some who have to run the whole way. The ones who start 3/4 of the way have the best running shoes. Who do you think will win the race? Unless the one at the beginning is exceptional, while the others are very bad runners, there will simply be no contest.

Also, you seem to think that someone who is poor should work 24/7, and have no leisure at all. People do not work efficiently that way; everyone needs breaks, and consequently, even poor people may want to watch a little TV upon occasion, without it being a sign of laziness.

 

[highfigh]

Yes, that is the point of the coupon, but for the poorest people, any extra expense can be a problem. The ways to get a coupon are easiest for those who are not desperately poor, as really poor people don't have internet connections, and may not even have a phone to call the toll-free number to get a coupon. Additionally, some people find that their reception with DTV isn't as good as it was with analog, so they need a new antenna, which can be a problem for the desperately poor.

In my case, this isn't a problem, but it is for some. Many people with some money don't seem to have a clue of what it is like to be very poor. For some who are living in poverty, this transition is a bad thing. For most of us, it is a good thing.

I realize the poorest will have a problem with anyexpense for this but every public library has computers for the public to use and if they don't want to stay poor, they can go there to learn how to use them, which may make them more marketable, breaking their cycle of poverty. Let's think about priorities here- does someone who doesn't have two nickels to rub together need TV or more education and skills? Maybe for some on Welfare, not buying steaks, cigarettes and booze for a couple of weeks will make it possible to afford the box and an antenna.

Besides, now that the FCC is out of money for these and Obama said that he wants to delay the Feb 19 date, it may not be a problem for them.

 

[highfigh]

Very often, poverty stays in families. This might have something to do with the fact that poor people often need to quit school in order to get a job so they can eat and have a roof over their heads, so they can't get a good paying job because they lack a good education. Also, poor people tend to live in districts with poor schools (as much of a school's income is typically tied to local property taxes, and not surprisingly, this means that there is much less funding for poor areas), even if they don't have to quit school to get a job. Additionally, even if they make it through high school, mommy and daddy are not going to be able to pay for college (obviously, because they are poor), and, because they went to a bad high school, they are less likely to be able to get a scholarship to a college, so their chances of going to college will be small.

If we look at the other end of the spectrum, people who have rich parents can afford to go to the best schools, and do not generally need to drop out of school in order to eat. They also can afford to hire tutors if they are a bit slow, so they are likely to be able to pass, even if they are not the best students. This means that they can get high paying jobs, if they want them. Of course, if one has money, one invests the money, and then one can work much less, or not at all.

Simply put, people do not start at the same position, so it is hardly surprising if they do not end up with the same results.

It is as if we were to have people run a race of a mile, with some people starting half-way to the finish line, some at 3/4 of the way there, and some who have to run the whole way. The ones who start 3/4 of the way have the best running shoes. Who do you think will win the race? Unless the one at the beginning is exceptional, while the others are very bad runners, there will simply be no contest.

Also, you seem to think that someone who is poor should work 24/7, and have no leisure at all. People do not work efficiently that way; everyone needs breaks, and consequently, even poor people may want to watch a little TV upon occasion, without it being a sign of laziness.

Anyone who starts at the top can be a total loser, cut off from the family money, living in squalor. Conversely, anyone who starts with nothing has every opportunity to rise to the top. The ones who stay at the very bottom make the necessary decisions to stay there, in many cases. Some have those decisions made for them.