US digital TV converters to sell for about $60 -LG

[navychop]

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - LG Electronics said on Monday it expects retailers to charge about $60 for equipment that will enable consumers to make the analog-to-digital switch on their televisions.

LG is one of three companies that have developed converter boxes to prevent analog television sets from going dark on Feb. 17, 2009, when U.S. television stations are required to switch to digital.

"We plan to have the boxes available in early 2008," John Taylor, LG's vice president of U.S. government relations, said at a public meeting on the digital transition.

If U.S. owners of analog televisions do not get a converter box, subscribe to satellite or digital cable, or replace their TV with a digital television by Feb. 17, 2009, they will not be able to watch television.

More of this story here.

 

[Bogy]

Five years ago, weren't the naysayers claiming that these boxes would run hundreds of dollars. $200, $300, even more if my memory isn't totally off. My guess is that if the boxes are supposed to retail for $60 early in 2008, by the middle to end of 2008 they will be selling for about $25.

 

[Splicer]

If U.S. owners of analog televisions do not get a converter box, subscribe to satellite or digital cable, or replace their TV with a digital television by Feb. 17, 2009, they will not be able to watch television.

Wrong...Analog cable will be around for years and years and years...The cable co's are NOT affected by the new rules...

 

[digiblur]

Wrong...Analog cable will be around for years and years and years...The cable co's are NOT affected by the new rules...

This is one of the many reasons why I think many of the cable co's will convert to 100% digital by then....riding the consumer confusion wave and blame it on the FCC for the customers having to pay a few bucks for each digital box in the bedrooms.

 

[sksatellite]

Wrong...Analog cable will be around for years and years and years...The cable co's are NOT affected by the new rules...

This maybe true, but who want analog signal once people encountered the digital signal, cable company who still transmit the analog will loss more and more customer.

Our city has recently change the cable provider, now transmitting digital signal, its much better then those oldtime analog signal.

 

[navychop]

This is one of the many reasons why I think many of the cable co's will convert to 100% digital by then....riding the consumer confusion wave and blame it on the FCC for the customers having to pay a few bucks for each digital box in the bedrooms.

Yep. I wonder- are there any rules requiring them to provide certain signals today in analog?

 

[Splicer]

There are 'must carry' channels that anybody can receive utilizing their analog TV tuner channels 2-13...basicly it is the 'local' channels...

 

[Van]

Wrong...Analog cable will be around for years and years and years...The cable co's are NOT affected by the new rules...

Maybe so but not to the degre that your implying and only for so long as the cable companies will not want to mantain three sets of equipment. Every cable company now has all three types of viewing service or are close to it, I think the only ones that are probably still on analog are probably the city goverment run services such as what Hamtramk Michigan has and some of the college/university run services though most of these are now digital/analog.

Local stations do have plans to broadcast for a little while in analog after the mandate goes into effect but not for long and most of these are in rural poor area's where moneys tight and viewership is low.

 

[digiblur]

I'm sure the stations that have two full power transmitters running can't wait for the day to shut the analog off. If you had a transmitter kicking out 2500kw of analog and a digital one at 1000kw running the bill up, would you want to shut one down? Most of your viewers are cable and satellite anyways. And lets face it...if someone wants your station they'll find a way to get it. I know if I only had OTA and ABC came up missing I'd figure out a way to get it.