Digital by Law?

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:29 pm

As we all know thanks to those quirky commercials, analog cable will no longer exist as of Feb 19 2009 in the US.

So help me understand this, all you legal folks out there. I don't think I like this idea here--why should the gov't decide how high a resolution I watch? And do they have the right? Is there a justifiable reason for this?

I guess I think this might be where gov't becomes too big-brothery. So someone tell me why it's not or what not.

Danadelfos · Post by **Danadelfos** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:58 pm

There are so many things that big brother has taken control of, that this is a small matter. <_<

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:22 pm

Danadelfos wrote:There are so many things that big brother has taken control of, that this is a small matter. <_<

True, but I'm curious about this one b/c 1. Why does it matter enough for them to worry about and 2. This is something not unique to the US--many countries have either passed like-legislation or have like-legislation currently in the works.

Elf of Rivendell · Post by **Elf of Rivendell** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:37 pm

Jonathan wrote:
Danadelfos wrote:There are so many things that big brother has taken control of, that this is a small matter. <_<
True, but I'm curious about this one b/c 1. Why does it matter enough for them to worry about and 2. This is something not unique to the US--many countries have either passed like-legislation or have like-legislation currently in the works.

Andromeda is taking over the world.

(I don't know either. It does seem odd, though.)

darcie · Post by **darcie** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:07 am

I think it's a government issue because the FCC regulates the airwaves and media. Moving all TV to digital frees up airwaves, I believe. So not only is it beneficial to the consumer, but to the FCC. And forcing electronics producers to change all over to digital is definitely a benefit to the consumer in the end. But it also simplifies things for cable and satellite carriers and producers of other electronics components. And although TVs that are not digital are no longer going to be supported, digital cable/satellite boxes can still be hooked up to the older "obsolete" sets to receive the digital signal. Plus, when was the last time you saw an antenna on the roof of a house actually being used as the sole provider of the television's reception?

Me · Post by Me » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:34 am

Darcie wrote:Moving all TV to digital frees up airwaves, I believe.

Indeed it does. The DTV spec requires less bandwidth than current analog transmissions. As a result, when the transition to DTV occurs, the FCC will be auctioning off the part of the spectrum that will no longer be used for television signals. This is especially exciting for the consumer, depending on who wins the auction. Google has expressed interest, for one.

John Chrysostom · Post by **John Chrysostom** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:24 am

Darcie wrote:I think it's a government issue because the FCC regulates the airwaves and media.

Well maybe they shouldn't. Hasn't any one heard of the first amendment?

darcie · Post by **darcie** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:28 am

I believe you are thinking of freedom of speech, but I was referring to allocation of frequencies, radio and TV call letters, and the like.

Mandy Straussberg · Post by **Mandy Straussberg** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:03 pm

Darcie wrote:Plus, when was the last time you saw an antenna on the roof of a house actually being used as the sole provider of the television's reception?

Well, today....

Because it's on mine....

Mandy

The Top Crusader · Post by **The Top Crusader** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:12 pm

We just use an antenna on top of our TV...

Dr. Watson · Post by **Dr. Watson** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 5:07 pm

This is like the government saying I can only buy a certain brand of milk, or drive a certain car. I'm sure that digital is better quality; but I want to make that choice, not have the government say so.

So there.

STRYPER · Post by **STRYPER** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 5:11 pm

Until this becomes a heated "debate" I'm moving this to Harlequin

It will come back here if things get juicy.

(...and I don't care if you want to make the choice or not, THIS big brother has made his decision

)

Laurie · Post by **Laurie** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:05 pm

Dr. Watson wrote:This is like the government saying I can only buy a certain brand of milk, or drive a certain car. I'm sure that digital is better quality; but I want to make that choice, not have the government say so.

So there.

I agree.

Trent DeWhite · Post by **Trent DeWhite** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:26 pm

Bring back the Pony Express!

EK · Post by EK » Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:33 pm

I consider this just a move to a different medium- as long as there are still free options out there then i'm fine with it.

(This also goes out to FM radio I believe.)

But with the FCC auctioning it off Google will probably get the whole frequency and turn it into a free ad supported cell phone carrier.

darcie · Post by **darcie** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:15 pm

Mandy Straussberg wrote:Well, today....

Because it's on mine....

The Top Crusader wrote:We just use an antenna on top of our TV...

My apologies to the two of you then. Actually our upstairs TV does, and it will become obsolete because it can't hook up to cable or a dvd/vcr player.

But when I was little, everyone had antennas on their roof tops. I still remember when they dug up the streets to put in the cable lines...

John Chrysostom · Post by **John Chrysostom** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:08 am

Darcie wrote:I believe you are thinking of freedom of speech,

Which is part of the first amendment.

Darcie wrote:but I was referring to allocation of frequencies, radio and TV call letters, and the like.

It doesn't matter, the government shouldn't control those things. Would we let the government allocate printing presses? Of course not. Speech and the median by which it is transmitted must be with out government controls for free speech to be real. Otherwise the government can shut down radio and TV at will or refuse to give frequencies to stations the government doesn't like.

Post by **bookworm** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:52 pm

Mandy Straussberg wrote:
Darcie wrote:Plus, when was the last time you saw an antenna on the roof of a house actually being used as the sole provider of the television's reception?
Well, today....

Because it's on mine....

Mandy

Me too.

Dr. Watson wrote:This is like the government saying I can only buy a certain brand of milk, or drive a certain car. I'm sure that digital is better quality; but I want to make that choice, not have the government say so.

So there.

Exactly how I feel!

Plus, don't you need to buy a special receiver or something for this if you don't have cable? I thought I heard something like that. I don't really know much about this transition yet.

Thursday Next · Post by **Thursday Next** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:00 pm

I've known about this for a while and the US isn't the only country that's switching to digital TV. Every country at some point will be switched to digital TV.

Movieman · Post by **Movieman** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:08 am

Darcie wrote:When I was little, everyone had antennas on their roof tops. I still remember when they dug up the streets to put in the cable lines...

I don't remember that far back, but I definitely remember those old floor model televisions with the little UHF clips in the back (as opposed to the now common red/white/yellow cables). Come to think of it, I'm suddenly recalling a lot of technological milestones (like when DVDs first came out and almost all of them were $50 a piece and it cost almost $300 to buy the most basic DVD player).