Congress Votes to Postpone TV Changeover to Digital

[Former_Member]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/04/washington/AP-TEC-Digital-TV-Transition.html?_r=1&hp

They gave us 3 YEARS to get ready to switch our tv and now decided it isn't enough time -- yet gave entire industries 6 MONTHS to adjust to CPSIA or else?


WHAT is wrong with this picture?



"Edna! A little to the right....there's too much snow!"

[Former_Member]

lol... You know, this has been getting my blood pressure up for weeks.

I can't believe they're wasting time on it -- just make the darned switch and move on. If you either can't afford it or don't want to buy it, you'll probably be better off without the trash known as the local networks anyway.

Jen

[Former_Member]

Maybe we should hire the Neilson Company to project how many of our businesses won't be ready by next week...

Just a thought.

[Former_Member]

Somebody must have been whinning about missing their episodes of "Cheaters."

[Former_Member]

They did run out of the $40 coupons, so it's good they are waiting. $80 is a lot of money to me. And there's no estimate when the funds will again be available.

[Former_Member]

lol... and to think, I used to watch that at 2 am in college.

I can't believe it's still on.

[Former_Member]

Loose -- where did you see it for $80?

They're selling them for $50 in many stores here.

Jen

[Former_Member]

It is totally scraping the bottom of the barrell. I refuse to watch it. My DH thinks it's hilarious. I tell him he's a sick sick man.

[MooreMagnets]

You have got to be freaking kidding me!

[Former_Member]

I mean the $40 coupons. You can get two of them.
Then, instead of paying $50x2, I only have to pay $10x2.

[Former_Member]

Back to the CPSIA - this is a good precedent and arguing point for us.

[Former_Member]

Walmart has the converters for $50, minus the $40 coupon, for a cost to consumer of $10.

[happywhosits]

Obviously keeping TV available to all the small business people who will go out of business due to CPSIA, and won't be able to afford satellite or cable TV is important!

Eileen...

[Former_Member]

Personally I think they need to work on the technology a bit more first. We got a converter box here for one of our TVs and we don't even use it, many of the channels don't come in at all and the ones that do come in worse than they did in analog. A little snow or a jumpy picture is one thing, but a frozen picture and no sound whatsoever? No thanks.

[Former_Member]

Exactly EBJ....they're delaying DTV for public safety reasons (as I understand it), using that logic they should do the same for us with CPSIA.

[Former_Member]

I think I feel a new round of calls coming on for the congresscritters....

It's a simple question and deserves a simple answer:

If switching this one thing is so cumbersome and difficult, why do they think taking care of inventory and library books and textbooks and manufacturing lead times should be accomplished in 1/7th the time?

How many people are going to go out of business because of the television thing? How many people are being put out of business because of CPSIA?

[Former_Member]

About the working on the technology: We have a tiny little antenna, non-cable black-and-white TV in the kitchen. When I watched the inauguration, I had it on and the cable TV in the living room (I was working in the kitchen, but the cable TV is color - of course). When Aretha sang, the little antenna TV actually broadcast her singing BEFORE the cable TV. I thought I was going goofy, so I ran into the living room. The cable was broadcasting the picture before the sound. You could see when her mouth moved, it didn't match the words. Not true on the "old dinosaur" in the kitchen. I noticed this with the speeches, too. It was like one of those old Japanese TV shows that had the English words dubbed in, but the people's mouths couldn't possibly be saying those words. Yeah, if I'm gonna pay for digital cable, how about broadcasting sound and picture simultaneously, huh? I mentioned it to my DH, and he said he had noticed that on cable before, too. So, a little snow and jumpiness aside...we are paying big bucks for modern technology that doesn't work as well as "old" free technology? Amazing.

[Former_Member]

Those idiots need to get their priorities straight!!! Since when is entertainment more important than someone's livelihood and children's safety...???

[Former_Member]

Made by Mom's even with the $40 coupon I paid $15 for the one I bought. (big tv has cable)
I suspect $80 refers to 2 converter boxes.

Not many families with kids have only one TV.

[Former_Member]

Beenadolls I think the idea with the TV switchover being delayed is a public safety issue...IIRC there was an article about the switch saying up to 200,000 low income households would be without a TV if the switchover wasn't delayed, and TV is the way most people get information in emergencies.

[bobbinalong]

I think we are getting cynical and just plain ouchy!

I don't know about your part of the country but here in Ohio, unemployment is high, finances are extremely tight, businessess are failing. Why do you really care if we wait for digital TV for 4 or 5 months? For older people on social security (I can testify to this) money doesn't stretch like it used to. The government needs to print more coupons. It is important that lower income homes (some of those people who have lost their jobs) and older people also have a little more time to get a coupon and then purchase the box.

I think we are all in such a bad mood from the CPSIA (and I may be leading the charge) that I think it is time we took a step backwards and a big breathe and put some balance in our lives. We'll get further with the CPSIA if we ease off the grouchies. We all need an attitude adjustment!!!

[Former_Member]

Definitely Bobbin...there was a thread just now with a letter from Thomas Moore saying he wanted CPSIA left intact, I totally went ballistic just from the thread title! Time to step back, relax, and get back to work. We have a year, there are things in the works that will help us--we can stay in Congress' face about this, but do it intelligently without blowing a fuse.

[bobbinalong]

RuthsCreations, I so agree with you. I am afraid that with all of the "rushing" this week, we are going to end up in a worse situation than we are. We need to think. To relax. To gather new information. To let some of the work we have done unfold. See what it brings.

I am anxious to see how the Toy Fair '09 goes. To see if anything comes out of it. Many toy manufacturers are as confused as we are about complying and what is allowed and what isn't.

[Former_Member]

OOps!!RuthsCreations,I didn't think of that...!
bobbinalong,you are so right ,nerves are getting a bit chapped with this CPSIP fiasco,and I didn't really think long enough before I posted.I apologize ,if I offended anyone:) ( I will now extract my foot from my mouth)

[bobbinalong]

I think once all the stations go digital, then the picture will be better. We have one channel here that hasn't done the switchover yet and the picture is just that, digital - little blocks of color. But the channels that have switched are coming in good.

However, I think we need to take a backseat to some of the urgent challenges facing Congress right now. If not, I think we are quickly getting ourselves into another 1930's situation. Every day there are thousands of layoffs, not just hundreds. People are hurting. People are having major difficulty. The CPSIA can wait for awhile. Getting our country headed in a better direction is crucial. We need to find peace of mind, calmness, get busy creating and release some of the worry and anger.