One man's protest: No HD, then No NBC
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]This probably still won't mean much to anybody but unless people combine action with protests, it's meaningless.
After a major expenditure in HD equipment, roof-top antenna system and HD programming this past year, I patiently awaited the coming of the Olympics in glorious HD, comfortably self assured that everything was in place for it to happen.
The first hint that I may have deluded myself came last Friday afternoon when I noticed that, although the guide on my 811 indeed listed the Olympic channels both on 9425 and 148, they both also stated that the program was "blacked out" in my area.
Must be some mistake, I live in Vermont - there is no digital OTA here (except PBS) and won't be for years. I qualify and receive the distant analog NBC & Fox and the distant CBS HD from NY. I'm as "signal white area" as one can get. Must be another Dish mistake, I'll just make a quick call.
After an hour long conversation with a Dish CSR and advanced tech Friday night, the harsh reality set in that I was not going to be allowed to watch the Olympics in HD.
The rhetoric will pile up on this and other lists for weeks about why this has happened to me and many others but the bottom line is greed triumphs over integrity.
When the smoke clears, this basically boils down to a clever attempt between NBC and Sony (with necessary compromises to the affiliates) to attract new customers into the world of HD (and Sony equipment of course). Nothing wrong with this - they are in business to make money. Clever, because it circumvented existing SHIVA / FCC regulations.
However while their left hand was luring the public's credit cards into the showrooms, they were shaking their right hand with all the affiliates that would close the door on any chance of many of these new customers ever seeing the Olympics in HD. As for the big DBS providers - they knew full well what was going down but greed prevailed and they signed on anyway.
Ask yourself, how many affiliates are likely to say:
"Gee, we're sorry but we don't do HD yet. In fact we may never do it, but you the viewer shouldn't have to suffer for that. What's the number of your satellite provider and we'll make sure they provide you with the NBC HD signal. After all your happiness is important to us - even more important even than all that local advertising money. Please watch the Olympics in glorious HD and don't worry about us, we'll limp along somehow."
Well, for what ever it's worth, I bite the bullet and so far have not watched ANY NBC - Olympics or otherwise. Piss on 'em. I'm feeding the CEO's of NBC, Sony, Dish Network and Channel Master by what I've spent this past year and they turn around and deny me the HD broadcast - a broadcast I might add that in no way threatens any of the concurrent analog broadcasts since what comparatively little coverage is available is so delayed, it's almost mote. My plan had been to watch my local for much of the up to date coverage and follow up with the HD coverage.
Now I'm watching none of it and you know what ? My face feels just fine with my nose missing. In fact I like this feeling so much, I'm seriously considering canceling 90% of my $130 a month Dish programming and just watch DVDs and PBS HD OTA.
WaltinVt[/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]This probably still won't mean much to anybody but unless people combine action with protests, it's meaningless.
After a major expenditure in HD equipment, roof-top antenna system and HD programming this past year, I patiently awaited the coming of the Olympics in glorious HD, comfortably self assured that everything was in place for it to happen.
The first hint that I may have deluded myself came last Friday afternoon when I noticed that, although the guide on my 811 indeed listed the Olympic channels both on 9425 and 148, they both also stated that the program was "blacked out" in my area.
Must be some mistake, I live in Vermont - there is no digital OTA here (except PBS) and won't be for years. I qualify and receive the distant analog NBC & Fox and the distant CBS HD from NY. I'm as "signal white area" as one can get. Must be another Dish mistake, I'll just make a quick call.
After an hour long conversation with a Dish CSR and advanced tech Friday night, the harsh reality set in that I was not going to be allowed to watch the Olympics in HD.
The rhetoric will pile up on this and other lists for weeks about why this has happened to me and many others but the bottom line is greed triumphs over integrity.
When the smoke clears, this basically boils down to a clever attempt between NBC and Sony (with necessary compromises to the affiliates) to attract new customers into the world of HD (and Sony equipment of course). Nothing wrong with this - they are in business to make money. Clever, because it circumvented existing SHIVA / FCC regulations.
However while their left hand was luring the public's credit cards into the showrooms, they were shaking their right hand with all the affiliates that would close the door on any chance of many of these new customers ever seeing the Olympics in HD. As for the big DBS providers - they knew full well what was going down but greed prevailed and they signed on anyway.
Ask yourself, how many affiliates are likely to say:
"Gee, we're sorry but we don't do HD yet. In fact we may never do it, but you the viewer shouldn't have to suffer for that. What's the number of your satellite provider and we'll make sure they provide you with the NBC HD signal. After all your happiness is important to us - even more important even than all that local advertising money. Please watch the Olympics in glorious HD and don't worry about us, we'll limp along somehow."
Well, for what ever it's worth, I bite the bullet and so far have not watched ANY NBC - Olympics or otherwise. Piss on 'em. I'm feeding the CEO's of NBC, Sony, Dish Network and Channel Master by what I've spent this past year and they turn around and deny me the HD broadcast - a broadcast I might add that in no way threatens any of the concurrent analog broadcasts since what comparatively little coverage is available is so delayed, it's almost mote. My plan had been to watch my local for much of the up to date coverage and follow up with the HD coverage.
Now I'm watching none of it and you know what ? My face feels just fine with my nose missing. In fact I like this feeling so much, I'm seriously considering canceling 90% of my $130 a month Dish programming and just watch DVDs and PBS HD OTA.
WaltinVt[/font]
