Under legislation passed by Congress – the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 –millions of televisions will be deemed useless without an additional cost to the owner of $50 to $70 per set. The change will also deem all VCR's useless, except for playing old tapes.
This forced obsolescence of millions of dollars worth of equipment for which the owners paid good money is bad enough. But the waste, and the effect on the environment when all of these old TV's hit the land fill is even worse!!!!!
Again, Congress makes another hand-out to big business (read: the appliance, cable and satellite TV businesses), and leaves the owners of over-the-air signals and the general public to foot the bill...for both new equipment, and the resultant environmental impact.
2007-10-21 13:48:29 · 8 answers · asked by der_bingle 2 in Consumer Electronics ➔ TVs
No one questions that digital provides a higher quality signal. But to force it on people, AND to ignore the effect on the environment is totally irresponsible.
2007-10-21 13:57:00 · update #1
I think that the biggest problem is that most folks do not realize what is going to happen. What is going to happen is that people are going to find out to late to do anything about it. You are very correct about what you said. I just do not believe that it is common knowledge.
2007-10-21 13:56:45 · answer #1 · answered by MAD MEL 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
>Why isn't there outrage over the forced switch to digital TV to take place in 2009?
Most people don't know about it. Of those that do know about it, most realize that the transition isn't anything to get hysterical about.
>millions of televisions ... useless without .. $50 to $70 per
I'll start with correcting the errors in your statement. The government is going to subsidizing the first 2 converters per household. It's about $20 each for the first two. Based on the experience in other countries that are going through this same sort of transition, the actual market cost should drop to $30-$40 in a fairly short time.
The $40 coupons are being paid for by selling the rights to the extra channels that won't be needed under an all digital system. The government expects to "make"* money from the transition.
These converters are only needed for over the air TV. Cable and satellite customers will still get analog signals.
>all VCR's useless, except for playing old tapes.
No. The converters work with VCRs, although using one does limit the programability of the VCR.
>But the waste, and the effect on the environment
Why are you advocating throwing away perfectly good TVs & VCRs before they die of natural causes?
>Congress makes another hand-out to big business
The facts* seem to be that the government is giving a handout to itself.
2007-10-21 17:30:25 · answer #2 · answered by Stephen P 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The change to digital become needed by way of fact we've been working out of usable radio frequencies. Analog television become an out of date technologies that wasted a extensive area of the radio spectrum. and that i knew regarding the change to digital television for over 5 years. the government become working advert campaigns for 2 years past advising human beings regarding the substitute. quicker or later we would desire to make those human beings take accountability for his or her very own inactivity. And 'maximum individuals' had no concern in besides with the switchover.
2016-11-09 03:43:31 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've worked in the cable industry for many years; I would have to say that many are unaware of the change. I make customers aware of the upcoming events daily just so they are aware of what is coming. Most have no idea that any of this is going on.
2007-10-21 15:20:21 · answer #4 · answered by littleone 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
People need to get rid of their old crap. I mean, that stuff was made in the 1900's, this is the 21st century. It's time to upgrade.
People will be making nothing but HDTV channels, so it wont make any sense to have a regular TV. HDTVs are better that those other old TVs any way.
2007-10-21 13:54:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Excuse me....but the OLD TVs haven't been built in 9 years !!
And with the age of the OLD TVs, you would have bought an HDTV set by now....
So, who is it HURTING?
You can't get parts for the older ones either....
So the FEDS gave us Puh-Lenty of TIME to get HDTV.....
Those TVs will have had the SAME level of impact whether or not we were switching to HDTV....THEY DIE ANYWAYS...
All they did was speed up the switchover to Green LCDs, and in a few years the Solid state lamps will be available too...
What did you do? Buy somebody else's OLD TV set??
2007-10-21 16:09:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
My plan when that time comes, is to trash my TVs - mainly because all it offers is inane trash or depressing news. Plus, I won't be paying cable anymore. Does anyone else remember when cable arrived? It was marketed as 'No More Commercials" - they just never stop yankin' our chains so, I'm done.
2007-10-21 14:00:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Progress must go on! Hell, if you can't get people excited about the gov't over spending by BILLIONS of dollars a year and a never ending, probably illegal war in Iraq, why would they get excited over a change in their TVs?
2007-10-21 16:00:25 · answer #8 · answered by AWolf 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋