2 years today and counting down + poll

[navychop]

Two years from today, on 2/17/09, all analog TV transmissions will cease. ATSC will finally completely replace NTSC for OTA in the United States.

The bill passed in a very close 216-214 vote by the House of Representatives. $1.5B (max) was included to fund up to two $40 vouchers for every U.S. household to buy converter boxes that will take the ATSC digital signals and convert them to analog to feed to old analog only TV sets. 60MHz of spectrum go up for sale to the highest bidder, helping balance future budgets- which explains the real reason Congress ever voted for the conversion in the first place.

Considering that TVs connected to satellite or cable won't need the boxes, and that direct OTA viewership may be declining, and that the eligible boxes will likely be quite limited, will the money actually get spent? Will people really apply for the vouchers and then go out and spend them? The vouchers are good only for converter boxes, not new digital TVs.

- All the money will be spent. It always is.
- It won't all get spent. There won't be much interest by then, and the converter boxes will be too limited.

 

[riffjim4069]

Absolutely, I plan to have all my friends and relatives request vouchers...and give them too me...

 

[vurbano]

I wouldnt be suprised if the date is pushed back. It wouldnt be the first time.

 

[navychop]

Absolutely, I plan to have all my friends and relatives request vouchers...and give them too me...

You can only use one voucher per STB. Buying several? Or hoping to swing a deal? Maybe they'll be (mis)used like food stamps.....

I'd be very surprised if they moved the date at this point. It's finally in law, not just regs. And a lot of people have a lot riding on that date. Of course, maybe the NAB will rise out of the cess pool and ......

 

[rad]

Come on, a government run program that doesn't spend all it's budgeted money, hell they'll probably go over and won't get caught until a couple of years later by the GAO.

 

[Van]

Money is probably already gone to pay for that highly over budgeted over run new visitors center that still hasnt made it to the half way point there at the whitehouse.

 

[KE4EST]

I wouldnt be suprised if the date is pushed back. It wouldnt be the first time.

I doubt it will be pushed back again like NavyChop said. I think this is final for sure.

 

[voomvoom]

I wouldn't be surprized if it got pushed back again either. I voted for "Yes, all the money will be spent. It always is." And it doesn't matter so much when it happens, that statement will still be true and then some!

Al

 

[Foxbat]

Two years from today, on 2/17/09, all analog TV transmissions will cease. ATSC will finally completely replace NTSC for OTA in the United States.

Actually, won't the low power (LP) stations get to carry on for another year or two?

 

[Jimbo]

You can only use one voucher per STB. Buying several? Or hoping to swing a deal? Maybe they'll be (mis)used like food stamps.....

I'd be very surprised if they moved the date at this point. It's finally in law, not just regs. And a lot of people have a lot riding on that date. Of course, maybe the NAB will rise out of the cess pool and ......

IF you can only use one, what happens to the other 2-3 TV's in the house that are not digtal capable, in other bedrooms and such, that you don't use all the time and don't want to buy all new ?

Jimbo

 

[Nebugeater]

IF you can only use one, what happens to the other 2-3 TV's in the house that are not digtal capable, in other bedrooms and such, that you don't use all the time and don't want to buy all new ?

Jimbo

You go buy more converter boxes with your own cash, not a GOV handout. I am sure the logic is that the less fortunate should not get shut out so there will be a subsidy for a converter. If you can afford to have multiple TV's then you can go buy your own converters. If not, then you will have to watch on the One TV that the converter is hooked to.

By the way, this is a $40 voucher. Do we have any idea what the converters will actually cost? How much of the cost will the voucher cover?

 

[vurbano]

I doubt it will be pushed back again like NavyChop said. I think this is final for sure.

That is the story everytime. But once the date nears and the yellow hair of the politicians stands up in fear they cave and change it.

 

[icstephen]

I'm going to get mine (would get it now if availible) since the only local tv we get is from OTA, I wouldn't have local cable if it was free and don't plan on getting connected back to D* or E* anytime soon.

 

[navychop]

I believe each household gets two $40 vouchers, if you apply for them. You can use one voucher per converter box, so you get subsidized on up to two boxes. Boxes were guessed to come out in the $50-$60 range. But to my knowledge, no company has actually committed to bringing out low cost STBs for this program. There seems to be considerable doubt about how large a market there would be. So far, digital converter box sales are not burning up the road. That might pick up as the day approaches and the vouchers become available. That will likely be from January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009, per Swann. Vouchers expire 3 months after issuance. It's first come, first served, until the money runs out. There is not enough money to cover everybody.

More info here.

The low cost boxes would probably take a digital signal and convert it to an analog antenna lead output, or coax. Simple outputs, no need for multiple cables or connectors, and the TV volume control still works. It's not intended to feed a stereo or home theater. It would not support wide screen TVs or have stretch or zoom type features, just simple letterboxing. The converter box would let you tune in the channel, 2-51, including multicast channels, and output on analog channel 3 or 4. Maybe. Last I read up on this, nothing was definite. They're trying to get the boxes as simple and cheap as possible. Antennas would not be included. Not sure if the voucher could be applied to a fancier box.

Perhaps as someone posted here months ago, Echostar can sell off some old receivers cheap to fill this purpose, if used boxes qualify. By then, E* would not likely want to enable these boxes to receive satellite, as they would all be MPEG-2 only. Just a way of getting a few bucks out of obsolete receivers.


Yes, I think LP stations have yet to be set a deadline.

 

[Foxbat]

Regarding ATSC STBs: if you walk into a BB or CC, you are looking at a $179 Samsung ATSC STB that you can buy. While this is far better than the $300-$400 these boxes cost a few years ago, that is still going to be $139+tax per TV using a voucher. Obviously, the CE manufacturers want you to buy a brand new TV instead of a STB. I see Toshiba and Sharp selling ATSC-equipped 27" CRTs for under $250, so the digital tuner can't be all that expensive now.

I wonder if you can use the ATSC coupon on a new HDTV?

 

[voomvoom]

I wonder if you can use the ATSC coupon on a new HDTV?

Now that's the best question in this thread. Does anybody know the answer? Enquiring minds want to know!

Al

 

[StevenD]

Regarding ATSC STBs: if you walk into a BB or CC, you are looking at a $179 Samsung ATSC STB that you can buy. While this is far better than the $300-$400 these boxes cost a few years ago, that is still going to be $139+tax per TV using a voucher. Obviously, the CE manufacturers want you to buy a brand new TV instead of a STB. I see Toshiba and Sharp selling ATSC-equipped 27" CRTs for under $250, so the digital tuner can't be all that expensive now.

I wonder if you can use the ATSC coupon on a new HDTV?

Two years from now, I would imagine you can buy several ATSC STBs for under $100.

 

[Ramy]

I would say all the money will be spent. I plan on getting one of the boxes just so I can have it for my old TV.

 

[navychop]

Regarding ATSC STBs: if you walk into a BB or CC, you are looking at a $179 Samsung ATSC STB that you can buy. While this is far better than the $300-$400 these boxes cost a few years ago, that is still going to be $139+tax per TV using a voucher. Obviously, the CE manufacturers want you to buy a brand new TV instead of a STB. I see Toshiba and Sharp selling ATSC-equipped 27" CRTs for under $250, so the digital tuner can't be all that expensive now.

WOW! You mean they're that cheap already? I had no idea. Or you mean you foresee it happening? I'll have to look around.

I wonder if you can use the ATSC coupon on a new HDTV?

No.

I have a 27" Trinitron CRT in use, and a 36" JVC CRT. I can't see parting with the 36" but I might see my way to saying goodbye to the 27". It's a shame, because it works fine- I just foresee replacing it with a larger flat screen sometime in the next year or so. Or maybe I'll wait a bit longer and put the 61" in place of the 27" and get a large flat screen for the living room. But if ATSC CRT 27 inchers go for $250, how long before 42" LCDs go for $400? That might drive my timetable.

 

[navychop]

Here's a bit more from Money/Fortune, especially near the bottom.

Also, look at pages 7 & 25 of this document.