The law and the new TV sets?

Question

The FCC has decided that a good, working TV will be obsolete, and we all have to buy new sets. Ok...I may be in the minority, but I don't care much for super life like images...I'd rather go into real life and see it.

For those who do want an ultra crisp picture, let them get that new set, but don't force the rest of us to.

I compare this to radio. I've had very old radios that still would work today using today's signals. There co-exists satellite radio on another bandwidth for higher quality programs, that those ppl who want it can pay for.

Again, why, are we being forced to buy a new TV set, if what we have isn't broken, and if the individual doesn't want a newer TV.

I smell a rat here, and wanna know what's REALLY going on.

Answer 1

When I recently purchased an HD flat screen I was plesantly surprised to noticed a few more channels that I don not get on the other sets in our house, (easy to determine as we only use anteane), subsequently, by their use of the word obsolete, doesn't mean older models will quit working. Its just that the stations availiable will continue to be minimal, and decreasing in numbers, as the numbers of people who own newer models grow. This is as inevitable as the sales of 8 track tapes gave way to, cassettes, gave way to disc, now giving way to many new pocket sized uploadable microchip data storage. As the technology increases, also does the market and competition, to make better and cheaper, which just eventually bleeds over to even the most frugal of consumer. Imagine how much was paid for the first digital watches that can now be found in gumball machines, (and thats with separate time zones, games, and other added features) As for the "rat" theory, I think its only logical to assume, that there are information gathering technologies involved, in these everyday items. There will always be the "weak can't compete so cheat" , "save all the best jobs for OUR separate faction favoritism gang" which rapes the "all men are created equal concept" and the "Team Human populate the Universe" ideology, we will either evolve toward, or become extinct. We won't get a better container to land in if we destroy this one. We will be looking out the eyeballs of an insect, remembering all the times we were human and did nothing to make it better...and would trade a million years of bug servitude (carrying bug sh!ts back and forth) for just one day in the life of a human you may now think you dispise. Obviously government will have higher levels of technology than an ordinary citizen, but who gets to make these determinations.... of who is allowed knowledge, and is able to be on the "GET" side of corruption, and who is labeled "slave class". It really won't matter though, because soon enough of us will evolve to see all forms of separtatists hoarding as the tatle tale signs of the weak and cowardly. In the Olympics do they saw off 2 feet of the stick of the best pole vaulter? or strap lead weights on the fastest runners? The fairness concept is one of honor to those who deserve their rightful place, by the standard of working harder, learning more, because they simply cared enough to make some contribution, and would rather turn down some easy money scam, than give up their integrity of "being". This sense of loyalty to all others equally, is the all inclusive gift within realization of existence experience, that those who are flippant and sneaky, are only of the pathetic class who the higher evolved will always feel sorry for, no matter how much luxury they flaunt. This does not imply that all those who have a decent level of comforts are necessarily negative function, some are just better with money., but all this is probably more for a society, humanity, thread...sorry if I prattled on a bit.

Answer 2

>The FCC has decided that a good, working TV will be obsolete, and we all have to buy new sets

No we do not need to buy new TVs. The only thing obsolete about the old sets is that they will need a cheap converter box after the transition to digital TV.

For people who get their TV for free with an antenna, that date is 2/17/09.

Starting in Jan 2008 the government will have a coupon programs that will let you buy a couple of digital converter boxes for about $20 each. These boxes will receive all of the new digital over the air broadcasts.

By the way, it's congress that decided on this change, the FCC just carries out the decision.

The only rat is whoever told you this nonsense about "you have to buy a new TV...". He probably told you another whopper about how you have to get an "HD antenna".

Answer 3

That was the big debate when the FCC first established the change. You can't just tell a couple million households that they all have to replace their TV sets.

For those with perfectly good working TV's, there will be available (by law) low-cost converters to make hi-def available on standard TV's. Cable & satellite subscribers will probably have those already available in their service.

Eventually, like in 2-3 years later, the subscription services will probably start charging a small montly fee for those converters, like they do for the set-top boxes now. In the course of 5-7 years, most TV's will be replaced and only a rare few diehards will insist upon holding onto their obsolete equipment.

Kind of like the old stereo amplifiers that still use tubes. Hard to buy those, and for them that want 'em, they can pay the price for 'em.

Answer 4

That's funny! I thought I heard that big brother was requiring that the public had access to analog (rabbit ears=free;free;free) Hey, I'm in for that! Go to Circuit City and ask, I dare you.