Monday, July 21, 2008

Only 210 days to DTV - Mo' Money, Mo' Money, Mo' Money

I don't know about you, but I'm real tired of hearing about the debut of "DTV." When they first started talking about it, I turned to my husband and asked, "So, if all you have is an old television set with rabbit ears (laugh if you want to, but that's all plenty of people have!), you won't be able to watch anything?" He said, "We will, but some people won't, not unless they buy the converter box, hook up to cable or get a dish."

I went to the FCC's official website to find out why this mandatory change. Here is their rather obscure statement:

"DTV is a new type of broadcasting technology that will transform television as we now know it. DTV technology will allow broadcasters to offer television with movie-quality picture and CD-quality sound, along with a variety of other enhancements. DTV technology can also be used to transmit large amounts of other data into the home, which may be accessible by using your computer or television set."

Am I the only one that missed the hue and cry of the masses demanding the federal government pass a law so we could all have "movie-quality picture and CD-quality sound?" And exactly what are those "other enhancements?"

Call me cheap, I don't care, because that's not it - at all. This is just more of the greedy using the needy with the assistance of the federal government. People with rabbit ears will have to fork over somewhere between $50 and $70 to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box in order to continue watching free, non-cable TV!"

And just so you think they really care, every household can request up to two discount coupons worth $40 each through The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration - the President's principal adviser on telecommunications and information policy (according their website). What a deal!

These crooks have found yet another way to dig, elbow-deep, into people's pockets and I'll lay odds the initial outlay won't be the last. The only other alternative for some, is to stop watching TV altogether (not necessarily a bad thing. But realistically, we all know there will be no stampede to pitch the boob tube).

Clicking through my links a month or so ago, I came across Bruce Dixon's, Grand Theft Digital: How Corporate Broadcasters Will Hijack Digital TV. I saved it to my "Blog Thoughts" file to write about it later. Well, with this all-out, stepped-up, absolutely annoying ad campaign getting on my last nerve (just like the non-stop Obama ads) - this is later. It's a little long but definitely worth the read.

While we're getting "movie-quality picture and CD-quality sound" along with those "other enhancements," broadcasters will be reaping the real benefit$ of this boondoggle. I guess enough will never be enough for this consumptive society in which we live, where the real American dream is how much money you can make, take or act like you have.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post! Isn't this crazy??? So obviously a set-up with the electronics industry. Hell, maybe Jill Scott was right about the t.v. "Am I watching it or is it watching me?" :(

Sonya said...

Hi Deb,

This is my first visit to this great blog! I hear you about DTV. This is a final effort to squeeze the last few pennies from consumers of traditional media while they figure out how to make big bucks off the internet, which is where more eyeballs are going for entertainment.

DebC said...

sugar...I know right??!! The bad part is that they did all of this back-room dealing and passing laws and the public, the MSM - nobody asked question one about why! Then they just started assaulting us with these damn commercials (seems like 4 an hour) telling us how great this is going to be FOR US! I tell you.

Jill was right - it's watching us.

DebC said...

sonya...Hey! Thanks for dropping in! The feeling is mutual. I've been lurking on make it plain ever since I found you through Sugar's site!

And yep, as soon as I heard on NPR awhile back about Hollywood starting to create and release exclusively, shows for the internet because of how much more inexpensive and less-regulated it is - I knew where we were headed.

You know, I have no problem with free enterprise per se. It just seems our consumptive (read greedy), society never seems to see that there's plenty for all of us if they'd just share the wealth. Anywa-a-a-y...

Drop in any time Sonya!

Anonymous said...

Nobody asked a single solitary question. Seems as though I remember the first mumblings about this back in 2000 or 2001, maybe even 2002 and I think we all thought it was just a joke. What do they mean, people will have to buy new t.v.'s or buy some type of adapter? That's how it was taken. Now, it's coming! Thank God I finally decided to get cable again last year or I'd be searching for a converter or whatever that madness is, myself!

LISA VAZQUEZ said...

Deb,

This is off topic...

I don't have your email address!

So sorry for the problem on the 7/23/08 live call...I had given all incoming callers access to talk but did not realize THOSE TYPES were looking up calls and jumping into them! That was disturbing!

I am sorry for that problem. The call in the future will be unlisted and invite-only! {sigh}

Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa

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