Analog Digital
Posted in Watches on 07/25/2010 01:16 am by adminWhen the switch from analog to digital is made in Feb 2009, how will it affect people ?
I'm wondering about people who may have counter top tv's in their kitchens or a set in their garage not to mention those people who financially may not be able to afford the converter box !
Also if you have plain non-digital cable tv service, will a analog-to-digital converter box still let you watch your cable shows or just local broadcats ? Or will you need a set top figital box from your cable provider ?
Well for starters it's estimated that between 20-30 million American households DO NOT have cable or satellite tv. Add to that the amount of people who for financial reasons may not be able to afford a $100 set top analog-to-digital converter box and what we have is a heap of trouble brewing come February 2009 !
Just imagine if you have analog tv's in one or more kids room ! Or as the asker mentioned tv's in a kitchen or patio or garage ! That's approximately $200-$300 bucks just for converter boxes alone.
The FCC is offering up to two $40 coupons per household towards the purchase of a digital analog-to-digital set top box so assuming you can find one for under $60 bucks, it might not be too bad for most people !
Lastly, I doubt subscribers to plain ol non-digital cable service will be able to receive cable broadcasting if they purchase a analog-to-digital set top box. Most likely, the cable company will probably urge those folks to rent a digital box from them.
Either way, it's not going to be a smooth transition especially for people on fixed incomes or low wage earners.
The $40 coupon is helpful but I believe the FCC and manufacturers need to do more to help those who are less fortunate.