About a year ago, I purchased a high definition television and began upgrading my in-home entertainment experience. I don’t regret it at all. When I purchased the TV, I moved my old 26-inch cathode ray tube (CRT) television to the bedroom.

The old TV is a monster. It remained on the floor in the corner of my bedroom because it was just too massive to lift to place on my dresser. It made viewing television from my bedroom uncomfortable, so I did not watch much from there, which is just as well.

Yesterday I decided to get rid of it. I looked into recycling the television but my options were limited. I could wait for an electronic recycling event hosted by Best Buy, for example. Office Depot also has a recycling program. If you bring televisions and computer monitors to the store, they will box it up and ship it to an appropriate recycling site for you.

I called ahead; apparently they did not have a box large enough for my television. Determined to get rid of it as quickly as possible, I decided to post an ad on Craigslist to see if I could get rid of the old television easily and quickly. I took a few snapshots and offered the television for free as long as the buyer would pick it up.

A response came within 20 minutes, and an hour later a student from the local university and her boyfriend were here to drag the television away. Next I’ll try to get rid of my old bed frame.

The author of the Debt Sucks blog explains his recent predicament with Comcast. When I received my first bill from Comcast many years ago, I faced the same situation. My first bill was much higher—almost twice as much—as the monthly rate I originally agreed to. Here’s what Debt Sucks has to say:

The other day, I received my first bill from Comcast, and immediately became infuriated when I opened it up. You would, too, if you were expecting a bill in the 30s or 40s and find it’s $83.31! I turn it over and there, at the top, is listed a previous balance of $57.46. How the heck can I have a previous balance!?... [The customer service representative] finally explained to me that I was being charged for two months of service—the one I already used, and the one following.

This policy—billing for future service each month, except for the first bill which includes a catch-up charge—is never explained when you initially sign up.

Frank Eliason, from the “Comcast Executive Offices,” frequently responds to postings on blogs and forums across the internet criticizing or thanking Comcast. He showed up at the Debt Sucks blog to leave a comment:

We are in the process of redesigning our statement to better explained the first month cost. We could have also done a better job of explaining this during our initial interaction.

Comcast has recently purchased my cable television and internet provider, Patriot Media. Recently, I received a letter to warn me that I should expect to see the branding switch over to Comcast soon. The letter also mentioned that billing dates will be adjusted. If they are adjusted into the future, then I would expect a larger bill that my monthly charge. If my billing date changes from the 13th to the 20th, my next bill would include service for March 13 through April 20 rather than March 13 through April 12.

This was not explained in the letter, it is the assumption I am making. I can also assume, if the cycle date is pushed later, that other people will see a higher bill this month or next month and they will not be happy.

Whenever the subject turns to high definition television, I’ve always found a few people who are disappointed because they believe they need to sell their television and upgrade to high definition by February 17, 2009, they day the lights go out on analog broadcasts. This is a significant misconception, an incorrect assumption that is encouraged by electronics stores that use confusing and sometimes misleading terminology. Stores are encouraging people to upgrade to high definition televisions, inspiring fear that once February 17, 2009 rolls around, their current TVs will go dark, unable to receive signals from their cable or satellite company.

This is simply not true. The only changes will be to free over-the-air signals. For the most part, the only people who will be affected are those who use standard antennas to receive free television. Many people have cable or satellite boxes that are not affected by this change. The cable company will receive those local stations via the required digital signal and will send the signal to your house. The set-top cable or satellite box will use a digital tuner to receive signals and will send the video to your television over an analog or digital cable.

If you subscribe to cable or satellite, it is unlikely this change will affect you at all. If you use a cable box, the company has taken care or will take care of everything for you. If you receive cable service without a set-top box, you may need to contact the company.

If you are one of the many people across the country who watch only the television programs broadcast over the air, you have three options. The first option is to buy a new television set. Almost all new televisions have digital tuners now, but check the specifications before you buy. Don’t buy a “monitor,” which has no tuner at all. Cost: $150.

The second option is to buy a special DTV converter box. These cost about $50, but households can request up to two $40 coupons. Cost: potentially $10 per set.

The third option is to subscribe to a cable or satellite service. Cost: $15 per month.

The biggest misconception I’ve been exposed to, particularly at work, is the idea that to receive any television at all after February 17, 2009, you will need a high definition television. This is simply not true. Please get the word out.

Image credit: ninjapoodles
DTV Transition Coalition
Digital Television from the FCC