President elect Barack Obama has floated the idea of delaying the U.S. transition to digital TV broadcast, since the voucher program has run out of money.
For well over a year, broadcasters, media outlets, electronics manufacturers, consumer advocates, and the government have been pounding the U.S. public over the year with the announcement that February 17, 2009, would be the day analog television broadcasts switch off in the United States. After that date, consumers who rely on over-the-air broadcast television had better have a TV with a digital tuner or obtain a digital TV converter box, or their television will show nothing but snow, 24 hours a day.
In order to ease the transition, the U.S. government has been offering $40 vouchers toward the purchase of digital television converter boxes, so consumers who rely on over-the-air broadcasts won’t be cut off from important news and information sources. But now that the voucher program is on the verge of running out of money, president elect Barack Obama’s transition team has been in touch with senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA) and Amy Klobucher (D-MN) about delaying the digital TV transition in order to ensure consumers are able to make the transition smoothly—and Rockefeller and Klobucher have come out in favor of the move. The senators have not proposed a new date for an analog broadcast shutoff.
“I’ve long believed that there is too much at stake for consumers and for public safety to simply cross our fingers and hope for the best when it comes to the digital television transition,” Rockefeller said in a statement Thursday. “Millions of Americans could be left in the dark if this doesn’t go smoothly.”
Representative Edward Markey, the outgoing chair of the House’s telecommunications subcommittee, sounded the alarm about the voucher program running dry before the transition…but he’s not very keen on delaying the DTV switchover due to the massive amount of momentum and publicity that has already been put into the current transition date. Changing the date would create confusion not only in the industry, but amongst impacted consumers. Markey has proposed legislation (PDF) that would make additional DTV converter coupons available, without changing the date of the DTV switch.
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RSSProblem two- TV broadcasters are currently broadcasting on two frequencies, one for the analog signal which will end 'sometime', and one for the digital signal which is our 'future'. Some of these are both VHF signals, some are both UHF signals, And some are VHF now but will be UHF after the transition (or vice versa). The problem lies with the fact that many who have tried to follow the lead of the transition purveyors are not aware that the transmissions they are currently receiving through converter boxes or digital tuners of their newer Televisions frequencies will change after the magical transition date. So those who believe they are ready (ahead of the curve) will wake to find their reception has gone black as well. IT takes a very different antenna to receive VHF vs. UHF signals.
Problem three- Local broadcasters have only followed the required notification process without any additional technical information being made available to enable better preparedness.
Problem four- This transition has been repeatedly miscategorized as a HDTV transition, further confusing the public (often hastening the purchase of, still overpriced, HDTV televisions. HDTV is a digital transmission, but most digital television transmissions will NOT be HDTV after the transition.
Problem five- The signal from a digital transmission is often much more susceptible to environmental influences (disruptions). This is in part due to physics laws, transmission antenna limitations, broadcast power limitations (especially pre-transition), Limitations of the DTV tuners in Televisions and converter boxes and of course the fact that this is relatively new technology on the consumer side and market forces have not favored innovation! (Why improve something if I can sell the minimum now , then improve it and sell the new model tomorrow?
Suggestions-
Find additional funding for the converter box program.
Postpone till July, the end of analog broadcasting.
Require broadcasters to meet the February deadline for broadcasting from their final transmitter antenna location and final transmission frequency (That is switch from the temporary digital frequency to the final digital frequency and, likewise, switch the analog signal into the frequency currently being used by the digital signal) This will enable end users to actually get ready for the transition and know what equipment (antenna type, preamps, rotators...)are needed to receive a signal. This will maintain an analog signal while folks finalize their readiness for the transition to digital only signals.
Require local broadcasters to specify their final frequencies, transmitter antenna locations, transmitter power.
Be honest and inform the public that due to current technological limitations some of us will no longer be able to receive over the air television signals. This will likely be a relatively rare instance, but that remains to be seen.
It is true that some of the info I have suggested be made more readily available is already available if you know where to look, most folks aren't even aware that they need do anymore than buy a converter box and have some kid hook it up for them!