Graycap23 said:

Yes it will, but by then nearly everybody should have been well informed of the switch, and the broadcast stations should have been done the appropriate number of tests by then to let everyone know that they need a digital converter box, cable or satellite subscription, and/or a new TV set. And if they reappropriate funds to the DTV converter box coupon program, everyone should have had a chance to get a free coupon by then. The fact that people are rushing to comply with digital TV right now means that they are aware of the deadline, and that this will bide them some time to be economically ready to make the switch to DTV.

728huey said:

I hear u but they have been talking about this 4 quite a while now. 6 months will not make a significant difference.

Vendetta1 said:

F R E Q U E N C Y

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency

think twice - illustrates these abilities nicely

'The Digital TV delay bill: It's baaaaack!'

Like a zombie that just won't die, the DTV delay bill—which was voted down by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday—has sprung back to life, with a little help from the Senate.

Reuters reports that a second bill—"essentially" a twin of the defeated House bill, which sought to push the Feb. 17 shutoff of analog TV signals back to June 12—won unanimous support from the Senate on Thursday, and may end up shambling its way back to the House next week.

As with the original DTV delay bill, the new proposal—devised by Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller and Republican counterpart Kay Bailey Hutchison—would give viewers four more months to prepare for the DTV transition, while allowing those TV stations that have already started dismantling their analog TV equipment to go all-digital before the new, June 12 deadline.

And if the bill goes before the Democrat-controlled House under standard, simple-majority adoption rules—as opposed to the fast-tracking procedure used on Wednesday, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage (the original vote was 258-168, just shy of the two-thirds needed)—there's an excellent chance that the Feb. 17 DTV transition date will, in fact, be delayed.

In case you were wondering, well … yes, the whole "DTV delay" thing has gotten pretty nuts, and if viewers weren't already confused about when the transition was going to occur, they are now.

Yes, it's true that an estimated 6.5 million U.S. households still aren't ready for the DTV transition, which would render analog TVs with over-the-air antennas useless without a $40-$60 DTV converter box (more details here).

And yes, there's no question that the government's $1.5 billion DTV converter-box coupon program—which allows for two $40 coupons per household—is a mess, with at least two million people on a waiting list after spending limits were reached a few weeks ago. (Money flows back into the program every week as unused coupons—which are good for 90 days—expire, and legislators have been proposing various ways to boost funding.)

But we've been working on this DTV transition thing for more than 10 years, people. This oft-cited Nielsen poll, looked at from another perspective, shows that more than 94 percent of America is ready for the change. And the DTV coupon program wouldn't be in such dire straits had not so many applicants—who've had almost a year to apply for their coupons—waited until the last minute, or received their coupons but never bothered to use them.

Moreover, once the wireless spectrum that's being used for analog TV is vacated, we'll be able to use it for new technologies like 4G wireless services (think ubiquitous wireless broadband, for everyone) as well as improved channels of emergency communication for local police and fire departments (which are all chomping at the bit to deploy their new systems).

No, the DTV transition won't be easy, but surely we can find a better way to help the last 5.7 percent of U.S. households cross the digital TV gap without pushing back the deadline for everyone.
[Edited 1/30/09 13:39pm]

i think i read somewhere that the gov has sold the now freed up airwaves for 18 Billion
but they only set aside 2 billion for the conversion. FAIL!


meanwhile we in canada are just going to sit back till August 2011 *twiddling thumbs*

The Digital TV delay bill just passed in the House today.

http://latimesblogs.latim...-dela.html

"House votes to delay digital TV transition to June 12
3:03 PM, February 4, 2009

Congress this afternoon granted a four-month reprieve to the millions of consumers who are at risk of losing access to TV signals during the switch from over-the-air television to digital broadcasting.

In a 264-158 vote, the House of Representatives approved a bill to push the transition to June 12 from Feb. 17. President Obama has promised to sign the legislation, which passed the Senate last week. The law will require TV stations to keep broadcasting their analog signals until June 12. Consumer advocates say that as many as 10 million viewers currently get their programming solely from over-the-air broadcasts and are unprepared for the digital transition.

"Consumers are confused about where to buy their converter box, about which box to buy, how to hook up their box, what to do if they lose a channel they once got and whether they need a new antenna," said Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst with Consumers Union. "Changing the date allows them more time to grapple with those questions."

But the delay also could make the confusing transition even more perplexing for some viewers.

TV stations are allowed to seek federal approval to turn off their analog signals before the new deadline. So instead of nearly all broadcasters making the switch on Feb. 17, stations now may ...

... make the switch at different times over the next four months.

That could create another hiccup: Some converter boxes don't have the ability to "pass through" analog signals. As a result, in areas where both digital and analog signals are transmitted, viewers with the wrong converter box may have to unplug the device to watch one channel broadcast in analog, then plug it back in to watch another in digital.

While the vast majority of converter boxes manufactured in recent months have the analog pass-through feature, consumers should check before buying. The Commerce Department has a list of such boxes available online (models with a red asterisk beside them allow analog pass-through).

Although the National Assn. of Broadcasters advocated the postponement, some stations have argued that a delay would impose "moderate to significant costs" because they'd have to maintain an analog signal for four extra months, said Stan Statham, president of the California Broadcasters Assn.

"We’ve had a hard date on the books since September of 2005. Every broadcaster in America is ready to go," said Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas), who led the opposition to an extension.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) complained that the delay would cost broadcasters in Oregon $500,000 to $1 million in electricity costs to continue running analog transmitters along with the existing digital transmitters, and would increase confusion among viewers. He noted that advertisements are still airing touting the Feb. 17 date. "They’re still being told this is what they should do," he said. "This is why people don’t trust the government."

Although they did not need to notify the FCC if they planned to switch on Feb. 17, 276 stations have, indicating that they may want to make the switch on that date regardless of the congressional delay. But acting FCC Chairman Michael J. Copps said this week that some of those stations may decide to continue broadcasting in analog after the delay is enacted.

The original law that set the Feb. 17 deadline also allowed stations to make the switch early. Some already have -- 143 of the nation’s approximately 1,800 stations have made the transition, and 60 more plan to do it before Feb. 17, according to the FCC.

But supporters said the delay was necessary, particularly to provide more money for the government's subsidy program for consumers who purchase converter boxes. The Commerce Department, which administers a $1.5-billion program to send coupons worth $40 toward the purchase of a converter, ran out of money Jan. 4 and started a waiting list. There are requests for about 3.2 million coupons currently on the list, according to Consumers Union.

"Even if money were provided today for the converter box program, there still would be massive dislocation on Feb. 17," said Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.).

While most TV stations already are broadcasting in digital as well as analog and could make the switch before June 12, competitive pressures in each market could make that difficult. Stations are unlikely to switch unless all their competitors in the market do as well or they'd risk losing viewers to those still broadcasting in analog. In 18 markets, including Los Angeles and Chicago, News Corp. would add to those competitive pressures. The company said the 27 Fox stations it owns and operates in those markets would not switch before June 12.

"The legislation passed by Congress provides more time for Americans to prepare for the DTV transition and will allow more time for the government to fix the coupon program," said NAB President and CEO David Rehr. “America’s broadcasters, which have spent the past decade preparing for this historic transition, are ready to make a successful switch."

-- Jim Puzzanghera and Alex Pham"

It's about time. This will give people until summer to get those converter boxes and/or upgrade their TV sets.