February 19, 2009 is D-Day

[serryjw]

Poll question: February 19, 2009 is D-Day

Our analogue TV will be turned of and we will live in a digital world. Obvious, the over the air broadcasters are tired of losing business to cable and satelittel. Im not quite sure how they benefit from the transition...PLease explain to all of us.

Have you purchased at least 1 digital TV yet?

[MrModerate]

1. Less for the digital content than for the screen size and . . .

Aspect ration. But at that size, the digital content is pretty cool too.

Paying for it all, however, is the pits. $150/month just for data (digital cable/Internet).

[serryjw]

4. I just choked!

$150.monthly REALLY?? That is for digital TV and internet? That will 3X my bill!

[MrModerate]

11. Insufficient competition . . .

Fast Internet, 100 channels (5 or 6 of which I actually watch), and HD format for those channels. Plus the tv box and the cable modem.

Can't get the HD content without the "tiered" services it's an add-on to. Satellite doesn't cut it. So my money goes to the sole provider.

It's not the sort of monopoly that'll last, though. Even though satellite is inadequate for me, it's just fine for lots of folks, and so is one avenue of competition. Technology will deliver others. I expect to be paying one-third as much for three times the data in under 5 years.

But of course I'm an optomist.

[tocqueville]

10. wow that was expensive compared with Yurop

here it's a big success, been around about a year, the standard package (about 18 channels) is free, but you must buy a converter if you have an "old" TV, which the majority have. It costs about €45, one time cost. If you want more channels (the ones that normally go on satellite/cable) you can buy a package and I think it costs about €15-20/month.

If you choose to take the whole though DSL (8 Mbs) you can get it for €35/month.

I forgot we pay a TV tax (€110/year) for the public service TV. Low income people (under €900/month) don't have to pay

€100 = $127 at today's rate

[readmoreoften]

2. Any predictions on the impact on media culture? /nt

[Kutjara]

3. I'm thinking of coining a new law of nature.

It will state something like "the sophistication of transmitted media varies in inverse proportion to the sophistication of the technology used to transmit it."

So, for example, when all we had were 12" black and white sets and AM radios, we had Edward Murrow and Walter Cronkite. Today, with plasma screens and satellite, we have O'Reilly and Hannitty. Tomorrow, with broadband digital holographic brain-implant TVs, our news and commentary will be presented by a fucking bowl of jello.

[serryjw]

5. RFLOL! Excellent...Is it

copyrighted..I will save to put on a T-Shirt, unless you want to!

[Kutjara]

8. Be my guest.

I gladly offer it up to whomever can use it. :)

[Chulanowa]

6. That sounds like an improvement

Jello is far more nutritious than FOX news

[AX10]

9. Sounds about right.

[serryjw]

12. Yeh,.....we will dumb down Americans faster

They will have so much more worthless shit to watch...but it will be a perfect picture!

[Blue_Tires]

7. i never have, but maybe i will in the future