When all the TV changes by law to HD-TV in 2009? What happens to the people who can't afford HD-TVs??

Question

Will only the rich be able to watch TV?

Answer 1

You can already buy set-top converter boxes to view digital over air HD signals! Of course the quality won't be true HD but you'll get as good a picture as your tv can display. I had an HD set in my main room and a converter box on my bedroom set at my old house (before I moved into the boonies). Here's a google link to converter boxes.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=HD+converter&btnG=Google+Search

BTW; Where I used to live the box gave me 3 PBS channels instead of 1 and the 'big 3' networks all ran weather radars, traffic cams and stuff like that on digital sub-channels!

Edit: One other thing...

I bought my first DIgital ready set in either late '99 or early '00 and the converter box about a month after the set. Back then the deadline set in stone was 2006. The tv stations are enjoying the extra money they're making from running analog and digital. Don't get too panicked over this deadline.

Answer 2

Your old TV will work just fine after 2009.

From the FCC Web site:
Will I Need a New TV if I Have an Analog TV?

When full-power broadcast stations stop analog service, you still will be able to use your analog TV with a set-top converter box. Converter boxes for analog TVs receiving over-the-air broadcasts will be available in retail stores at that time. These boxes receive digital signals and convert them into analog format for display on your analog TV.

Beginning in 2008, your household may be able to obtain up to two coupons worth $40 each toward the purchase of converter boxes. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has responsibility for administering the coupon program, and will issue rules regarding the coupons in the future. Additional information can be found at www.ntia.doc.gov.

If you are a cable or satellite subscriber, contact your provider about whether you will need a converter box for your analog TV.

Answer 3

You're wrong! Congress mandated that all TV stations be broadcasted in digital, not HD. Those are two different things. A station can be digital, but not HD.

In this case, people will just need to purchase inexpensive digital converters with their old televisions. You will not need to buy new TVs. Also, you won't need to be rich either. Right now, you can buy HDTVs starting $700. By 2009, they will be well under $500. Probably in the range of $200 for 32" HDTVs. I think most people would be able to afford a $200 TV.

Answer 4

You shouldn't pay for digital-TV Transition

Congress may soon pass legislation that could soon make your TV screen go blank. Digital broadcasts offer higher picture and sound quality than their conventional analog counterparts. Broadcasters currently use both a digital and an analog signal, because millions of Americans don't have the digital televisions needed to recieve digital signals.

Soon only the digital signal will remain; Congress is considering Dec 31, 2008, as the date to finalize the digital transition. Broadcasters would no longer be allowed to use analog signals, and you would need a digital TV, cable or satellite service, or digital-to-analog converter box to view YV/

The change will be beneficial for consumers provided they don't have to bear the cost of the transition. We need to keep our eyes on the following issues as this change approaches:


Who pays for the transition?
Many consumers don't know about the change and continue buying conventional analog TVs that by themselves won't work in an all-digital world. Congress should ensure that cable and satellite companies continue to provide all their customers -- users of analog as well as digital sets -- the picture quality they now have without any price increase. However, consumers who have conventional sets that aren't hooked up to cable or satellite will see their sets go blank. They will have to buy a digital TV or a converter box. Those boxes will cost between $50 and $100, according to the Government Accountability Office,.

Congress is exploring whether or not to compensate consumers for the costs of keeping their conventional sets working. Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, is fighting to make sure that consumers aren't unfairly burdened with the cost of the transition.


Education the Consumer
To make sure that consumers know the potential consequences of buying an analog set, Congress is considering labeling requirements for manufacturers and retailers. The government should also create a public-education program on digital transition, including TV public-service announcements.


Opening up the Airwaves
Communities could use the airwaves not used for broadcasting to set up their own high-speed Internet networks, substantially lowering the cost of access. Philadelphia, for instance, is preparing to build such a network, and access will cost an estimated $15 to $20 a month. The service could be connected to unlimited local and long-distance phone service over the internet for $25 to $40 a month. Today those combined services cost users as much as $90.


Creating more Competition
consumers would be especially well served if the government grants licenses for the freed-up analog airwaves to new companies or small existing ones that could compete with the wireless giants. Bringing in new competitors would result in more choices, lower prices, and more innovation for consumers.


Electronic Waste
The digital transition means that American's will be discarding millions of TVs. Their components can be hazardous and must be disposed of carefully. Policy-makers must consider the enviornmental impact before moving on.