Today is the last day for TV! Are you ready?

RWP · #1 06-12-2009, 05:54 AM

All broadcast TV will go digital today. Anyone out there still need to get a converter box?

Nino Valenti · #2 06-12-2009, 06:16 AM

I'm ready. I've had DirecTv for about 10 years.

RWP · #3 06-12-2009, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nino Valenti

I'm ready. I've had DirecTv for about 10 years.

Yeah, I figured most people are cable, sat or fiber. I put this poll up to see how much business Radio Shack will get this weekend.

hover · #4 06-12-2009, 07:06 AM

I'm still holding out for the Nygma-Tech system.

qball26 · #5 06-12-2009, 07:48 AM

I'm ready. But I'm a little worried about when our wireless equipment will start to get interference.

Slightly off topic...does anyone know if our gear is really going to get interference with this switch to digital? I mean with all these UHF frenquencies being up for grabs.

Asa Samuel · #6 06-12-2009, 08:24 AM

Just one thought: has anybody thought of the extra ammount of electricity it will take to power all of these extra digi-boxes that people are going to need? Even on standby some of them still run on 100% power, and a lot of people don't turn them off at the switch.

I'm not usually an enviro-nut or anything but this has really jumped out at me for some reason.

tplyons · #7 06-12-2009, 09:05 AM

I'm just glad I never have to see those warning commercials again.

MonetBass · #8 06-12-2009, 09:09 AM

+1. Been a cable subscriber for 10+ years.

PSPookie · #9 06-12-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asa Samuel

Even on standby some of them still run on 100%

No they don't. They still consume power but not as much when they are in standby mode. Plus they don't consume that much power to begin with. Don't go thinking you are going to fix global warming by unplugging your cell phone charger.

tplyons · #10 06-12-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asa Samuel

Just one thought: has anybody thought of the extra ammount of electricity it will take to power all of these extra digi-boxes that people are going to need? Even on standby some of them still run on 100% power, and a lot of people don't turn them off at the switch.

I'm not usually an enviro-nut or anything but this has really jumped out at me for some reason.

I'd consider myself a bit of an enviro-nut, but the bigger issue isn't the additionaldraw from these boxes but rather that anyone needing one of these boxes is running a dinosaur of a television, an old inefficient CRT as opposed to an LCD TV that requires far less energy.

I wouldn't worry about the boxes adding to global warming.

jwbassman · #11 06-12-2009, 09:25 AM

I'm ok to go. I've had cable tv since I was a kid. I think we got cable in 1983 and had it ever since.

RWP · #12 06-12-2009, 11:23 AM

I suspect that people that are still watching TV via rabbit ears don't have a computer either. So I am probably not going to hear from them.

MakiSupaStar · #13 06-12-2009, 11:28 AM

Can I still bang to the side of it to unscramble my neighbor's Cinemax?

jwbassman · #14 06-12-2009, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Can I still bang to the side of it to unscramble my neighbor's Cinemax?

you mean Skinamax?

MakiSupaStar · #15 06-12-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwbassman

you mean Skinamax?

I do not know what it is you're talking about.

wabbit · #16 06-12-2009, 11:46 AM

I'm not worried because I don't watch TV. I watch DVDs sure but no commercial engorged crap. I've been unplugged for a couple years now and I have to say it's fantastic. I don't miss it at all. It's also quite humorous to see the look on their face when people come up to me and say "OMG! Did you see what happened on so-and-so program last night?!!" and I tell them I don't watch TV. Good fun indeed.

hover · #17 06-12-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wabbit

I'm not worried because I don't watch TV. I watch DVDs sure but no commercial engorged crap. I've been unplugged for a couple years now and I have to say it's fantastic. I don't miss it at all. It's also quite humorous to see the look on their face when people come up to me and say "OMG! Did you see what happened on so-and-so program last night?!!" and I tell them I don't watch TV. Good fun indeed.

I remember these days. I also remember not having to pay 45 bucks a month for a buncha crap channels. I've been lobbying for quite sme time now for a-la-carte programming choices. You lock-in and pay for only the channels you want past a basic tier price. I do NOT need 4 shopping channels, 3 spanish programming channels, an online tv guide channel, 4 music stations, and regional repeat broadcasts of the big 3 networks. Right there I am cutting down close to 25 channels out of the 99 I pay for. And of the remainder, I usually only watch 6-7 channels consistently.

Sucha a waste of money. Makes me wish I wasn't ready for the switch.

jwbassman · #18 06-12-2009, 12:08 PM

I have DVR and HD. Sure it's expensive, but it's a luxury. But it's nice to record everything and fast forward through commercials.

XtreO · #19 06-12-2009, 12:16 PM

So the US is that quick, huh? :P

No really, swapping out analogue signals I think is stupid. The picture-quality on the TVs haven't (when there is a thing in plural, is it has or have?) been improved, but the box cost 120 quid. And it is forcing everyone into getting a Riks-TV 'subscription'.

PSPookie · #20 06-12-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XtreO

So the US is that quick, huh? :P

No really, swapping out analogue signals I think is stupid. The picture-quality on the TVs haven't (when there is a thing in plural, is it has or have?) been improved, but the box cost 120 quid. And it is forcing everyone into getting a Riks-TV 'subscription'.

The point is not to improve the signal quality, but to free up bandwidth.