Well, it was somewhat predictable. The US government has decided to put off the transition to Digital Television… again.
The Switch
The US broadcast system was scheduled to switch over to solely digital transmission on February 17th, 2009. As of March 2007, every TV sold in the US has had to be compatible with the new system. Â Many TVs sold before that were compatible with the new system, but many TVs currently in use will not work with the new system. Older TVs require a box to convert the new digital signal back into the old analog signal.
The Delay
This isn’t the first time that the US has delayed the implementation of their DTV transition. It was originally planned for years ago. Once again the date for the transition has been put off. Millions of US households have older TVs, but haven’t taken advantage of coupons to help them buy the equipment they need to be able to watch the new TV signals on an older TV. That’s the reason given for the delay – there are still too many who haven’t gotten ready, about five percent. Really, though, a small percentage of people will not do anything about this problem until they absolutely have to. Procrastination is just too popular. The moment people realize they can’t watch TV anymore, there will be a run on the stores.
Is it Political?
There may be a political aspect to the delay. There will be lots of people who won’t do what it takes to get ready, and then be furious that ‘no one told them’ this change was coming. Millions of Americans unable to watch TV a month into his presidency would be a negative hit for the new President’s popularity, despite the fact that he really wasn’t central to the transition. One of the joys of being a politician is taking responsbility for the way things are the moment the term begins, despite the fact he or she likely didn’t cause the situation. Putting this transition off by a few months means that a large mess is delayed, and will not fall right at the beginning of the new President’s mandate. The opposing party is resisting the delay, because they know it’s going to be a mess and they would love to see it land on the president’s desk right away. Anything that happens at the very beginning of an administration is naturally going to linger in the public’s perception. Good news is good. Bad news is bad. Vice versa if you’re the opposition.
The US is not the first country to make the change to broadcast only digital television and will not be the last. It is probably the country in which television has been woven most deeply into the cultural fabric of the nation. The impact of the switch will be felt more deeply in the US than anywhere else, and the impact will be messy.
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Canada’s DTV transition isn’t for a few years…
Yes, if you read my earlier post on DTV transition to which this post is an update (What’s the difference between 1080i and 1080p?), you’ll find that I noted there that the Canadian transition is in 2011 and reference a wikipedia article which lists the transition dates for various countries
If I get a box to convert the signal will there be any loss of quality to reception? Will the box be a cure all or am I only putting off the inevitable and do you think this is the time to jump and buy a new T.V.?
Well, there’s no rush for those of us who are Canadians. We won’t experience the transition in Canada for another two years. There should not be a loss of quality in reception using a box. Whether you should buy a new TV depends on how old it is. If your TV is only a few years old, then buying a $50 box to keep your $500 TV working is a good investment
We have cable through Rogers, and other family members have Satellite through Bell. My understanding is that our old TV’s will still work, as Rogers and Bell would convert the digital transmission to our old systems. Is that true?
I’m not going to comment on specific provider’s policies, because they can change. The best thing to do is to phone Rogers and ask that question of a technician