Comments on: Repost: Misconceptions About the Transition to Digital Television http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/repost-misconceptions-about-the-transition-to-digital-television/ A premier personal finance blog, established 2003. Within, Flexo discusses his own experiences with money, and he and other authors comment on a wide range of personal finance topics. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:45:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike Marcus http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/repost-misconceptions-about-the-transition-to-digital-television/comment-page-1/#comment-186089 Mike Marcus Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:23:34 +0000 http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/?p=4544#comment-186089 The cable situation you described is correct IF you have a set top box. It is also correct if all you watch are "must carry" over-the-air (usually) local TV stations. However, things are fuzzier if you don't have a set top box. the cable company must give you the 'must carry' stations for 3 more years in analog form for your analog TV set or they must give you a set top box for free. The cable establishment has been fuzzy about what they will do with basic tier cable channels such as CNN, C-SPAN, Food network, etc. They can legally move them to digital getting a 6:1 capacity improvement for themselves, but screwing the customers without set top boxes. Marketplace forces will probably dictate what they do, but this is a topic they don't want to talk about. The cable situation you described is correct IF you have a set top box. It is also correct if all you watch are “must carry” over-the-air (usually) local TV stations.

However, things are fuzzier if you don’t have a set top box. the cable company must give you the ‘must carry’ stations for 3 more years in analog form for your analog TV set or they must give you a set top box for free.

The cable establishment has been fuzzy about what they will do with basic tier cable channels such as CNN, C-SPAN, Food network, etc. They can legally move them to digital getting a 6:1 capacity improvement for themselves, but screwing the customers without set top boxes.

Marketplace forces will probably dictate what they do, but this is a topic they don’t want to talk about.

]]> By: Doobie http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/repost-misconceptions-about-the-transition-to-digital-television/comment-page-1/#comment-186088 Doobie Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:17:56 +0000 http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/?p=4544#comment-186088 Since most people already have cable or satellite (or FIOS, etc), the biggest chunk of people affected by this are going to be those with portable TVs. Since most people already have cable or satellite (or FIOS, etc), the biggest chunk of people affected by this are going to be those with portable TVs.

]]> By: DD http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/repost-misconceptions-about-the-transition-to-digital-television/comment-page-1/#comment-186074 DD Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:40 +0000 http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/?p=4544#comment-186074 I'm still in the "rabbit ears" crowd when it comes to getting my TV signal, and when I got my converter box I found out that I might not need one: http://www.thehappyrock.com/2008/09/02/the-big-switchanalog-to-digital-tv-signal-debacle/ I’m still in the “rabbit ears” crowd when it comes to getting my TV signal, and when I got my converter box I found out that I might not need one:

http://www.thehappyrock.com/2008/09/02/the-big-switchanalog-to-digital-tv-signal-debacle/

]]> By: Craig http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/repost-misconceptions-about-the-transition-to-digital-television/comment-page-1/#comment-186053 Craig Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:50:31 +0000 http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/?p=4544#comment-186053 A lot of people didn't understand what was going on. Thanks for clearing it up for them. I have had friends ask the same questions to me to only answer with what you just wrote. It is basically getting rid of the extinct technology and TV sets your grandparents may still have and moving on with the technology. The majority of people will never even realize there is a switch because they use a cable box. A lot of people didn’t understand what was going on. Thanks for clearing it up for them. I have had friends ask the same questions to me to only answer with what you just wrote. It is basically getting rid of the extinct technology and TV sets your grandparents may still have and moving on with the technology. The majority of people will never even realize there is a switch because they use a cable box.

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