Today, I stopped into two different local retailers (Wally World & Radio Shack) browsing to see if they have any of the ATSC OTA Digital to Analog converter boxes on the shelf or to find out if they planned to stock them. Neither had any, but their responses to my inquiries were quite revealing. Both store department managers asked "may help you"? I said sure. I'm looking for the D to A TV set top converter box and wanted to know if they had any.
First, Wally World's response:
No, said the Dept Mgr. Why would you want that? Because I want one, I said. No need for that yet, said the MGR. You won't need that until 2009. I asked him why they hadn't started stocking the DtoA TV converter boxes for redemption of the Gov't coupons. Didn't get a straight answer, but "we don't have them and don't plan to stock them to my knowledge anytime soon. You might want to try one of the local high-end retailers like Radio Shack."
This guy thinks that RS is a high-end retailer? So on to RS I went. Nothing surprising here, was there?
And now RS:
Went in and asked the same question - got any DtoA TV converter settop boxes? The guy (who turned out to be the store manager) got quite testy in his tone of voice. "You don't need that now" was his response and he didn't have any, nor did he plan to have any until about January 2009, just prior to the cutoff of analog TV. This guy got rather PO'd in his tone of voice about the Gov't holding a gun to the head of the broadcasters, TV manufacturers and retail stores about having to do the conversion of Analog TV to Digital. I wasn't testy in my responses or questions, but his sometimes angry responses shocked me. He asked me "why do you want it now, you don't need it for another year?" I said because although I already own a HDTV with integrated tuner and receive free OTA HDTV, I have several analog TV's that can't pickup the other digital channels that you can't receive on analog. (Duhhhhhh!) I literally could see the lightbulb go on over his head as he realized there is value NOW in stocking the DtoA TV STB. I asked him if he could get the DtoA converter boxes now, and he said no, their distributors don't yet have them. He did tell me that once I get my Gov't coupon to redeem to come in and he'll see if he can order the boxes.
This is just a small sampling of the episode of the DtoA TV STBs. The retailers apparently don't want to stock them and don't think they need to for another year. They're WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
Are you listening retailers?????????????????????
Are you listening manufacturers?????????????????????
Are you listening FCC?????????????????????
Frustration is building. This has been a very poorly managed transition. Don't know to whom we can complain, but if pressure is placed upon the retailers by the CONSUMERS (that's US folks), it likely won't get any better. So I suggest that anyone wanting one of the STB's start hounding your retailers. When demand is realized in a free economy such as ours, it is usually met.
Start hounding, folks!
First, Wally World's response:
No, said the Dept Mgr. Why would you want that? Because I want one, I said. No need for that yet, said the MGR. You won't need that until 2009. I asked him why they hadn't started stocking the DtoA TV converter boxes for redemption of the Gov't coupons. Didn't get a straight answer, but "we don't have them and don't plan to stock them to my knowledge anytime soon. You might want to try one of the local high-end retailers like Radio Shack."
This guy thinks that RS is a high-end retailer? So on to RS I went. Nothing surprising here, was there?And now RS:
Went in and asked the same question - got any DtoA TV converter settop boxes? The guy (who turned out to be the store manager) got quite testy in his tone of voice. "You don't need that now" was his response and he didn't have any, nor did he plan to have any until about January 2009, just prior to the cutoff of analog TV. This guy got rather PO'd in his tone of voice about the Gov't holding a gun to the head of the broadcasters, TV manufacturers and retail stores about having to do the conversion of Analog TV to Digital. I wasn't testy in my responses or questions, but his sometimes angry responses shocked me. He asked me "why do you want it now, you don't need it for another year?" I said because although I already own a HDTV with integrated tuner and receive free OTA HDTV, I have several analog TV's that can't pickup the other digital channels that you can't receive on analog. (Duhhhhhh!) I literally could see the lightbulb go on over his head as he realized there is value NOW in stocking the DtoA TV STB. I asked him if he could get the DtoA converter boxes now, and he said no, their distributors don't yet have them. He did tell me that once I get my Gov't coupon to redeem to come in and he'll see if he can order the boxes.
This is just a small sampling of the episode of the DtoA TV STBs. The retailers apparently don't want to stock them and don't think they need to for another year. They're WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
Are you listening retailers?????????????????????
Are you listening manufacturers?????????????????????
Are you listening FCC?????????????????????
Frustration is building. This has been a very poorly managed transition. Don't know to whom we can complain, but if pressure is placed upon the retailers by the CONSUMERS (that's US folks), it likely won't get any better. So I suggest that anyone wanting one of the STB's start hounding your retailers. When demand is realized in a free economy such as ours, it is usually met.
Start hounding, folks!
