Comments on: Obama calls for delay to digital switchover http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:/2009/01/09/obama-calls-for-delay-to-digital-switchover/ Top Technology news Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:40:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: DavidB http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:/2009/01/09/obama-calls-for-delay-to-digital-switchover/comment-page-1/#comment-155308 DavidB Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:39:21 +0000 http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:/2009/01/09/obama-calls-for-delay-to-digital-switchover/#comment-155308 Ridiculous. But it will get attention because the "One" says it. How much more delay is enough delay for him? And the most sad thing about this is I'd bet money that msot of the people whining the loudest about it are not going to be affexted ONE BIT! The number of households actually getting their TV over the air is miniscule compared to what it was when this transition started. Just flip the damn switch already. People will either go get a box or sign up for cable. Stop delaying. Ridiculous. But it will get attention because the “One” says it. How much more delay is enough delay for him? And the most sad thing about this is I’d bet money that msot of the people whining the loudest about it are not going to be affexted ONE BIT! The number of households actually getting their TV over the air is miniscule compared to what it was when this transition started.

Just flip the damn switch already. People will either go get a box or sign up for cable. Stop delaying.

]]> By: ken http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:/2009/01/09/obama-calls-for-delay-to-digital-switchover/comment-page-1/#comment-155283 ken Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:03:02 +0000 http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:/2009/01/09/obama-calls-for-delay-to-digital-switchover/#comment-155283 I was one of the people who filed and received two vouchers. When I did it, they didn't have the information about the 90 day expiration deadline up front and large. I received the envelope and filed it intending to use them 4th quarter last year thinking better features for a lower price would be in play. I saw a story about the process being flawed in May, there wasn't enough supply to fill orders and people couldn't use the coupons before they expired. I pulled mine out, and sure enough they expired in March. My responsibility to check them, my fault. I had assumed they would not expire prior to the the switchover. The units were not widely available in the 1st quarter of '08 anyway. The rolling expiration was to allow the money from the coupons to be spaced out and also make spotting fraud easier. Once they send a coupon, it can't be reissued or the expiration extended. I saw in June less than half of the coupons issued got redeemed prior to expiration, primarily because of availability of the convectors. It's not because of procrastination, the procrastinators will actually get their boxes. The agency administering the program have their hands tied, Congress would need to act. They have been aware of the problem, there has been a heavy volume of pointed communications from pissed citizens and been a subject of debate on the floor last May. If you think the idea of these coupons are just another way the government pointlessly blow money, 'tain so. The bands of communication frequencies belong to the citizens of this country. The FCC is supposed to ensure each citizen gets to enjoy the benefits. When they decided to flip the digital switch it was entirely proper to earmark some of the billions they realized from auctioning the analog bands to minimize the financial impact of the action. It also impacts minorities and the poor to a much greater degree. If our Congress actually responded to solve the issue back in the 1st quarter of '07 when the issue was first pointed out, it could have been quickly and inexpensively resolved. The real pisser is they count the outstanding coupons as spent, expired or not. They have not spend that money. I was one of the people who filed and received two vouchers. When I did it, they didn’t have the information about the 90 day expiration deadline up front and large. I received the envelope and filed it intending to use them 4th quarter last year thinking better features for a lower price would be in play.

I saw a story about the process being flawed in May, there wasn’t enough supply to fill orders and people couldn’t use the coupons before they expired. I pulled mine out, and sure enough they expired in March.

My responsibility to check them, my fault. I had assumed they would not expire prior to the the switchover. The units were not widely available in the 1st quarter of ’08 anyway. The rolling expiration was to allow the money from the coupons to be spaced out and also make spotting fraud easier.

Once they send a coupon, it can’t be reissued or the expiration extended. I saw in June less than half of the coupons issued got redeemed prior to expiration, primarily because of availability of the convectors. It’s not because of procrastination, the procrastinators will actually get their boxes.

The agency administering the program have their hands tied, Congress would need to act. They have been aware of the problem, there has been a heavy volume of pointed communications from pissed citizens and been a subject of debate on the floor last May.

If you think the idea of these coupons are just another way the government pointlessly blow money, ‘tain so. The bands of communication frequencies belong to the citizens of this country.

The FCC is supposed to ensure each citizen gets to enjoy the benefits. When they decided to flip the digital switch it was entirely proper to earmark some of the billions they realized from auctioning the analog bands to minimize the financial impact of the action. It also impacts minorities and the poor to a much greater degree.

If our Congress actually responded to solve the issue back in the 1st quarter of ’07 when the issue was first pointed out, it could have been quickly and inexpensively resolved. The real pisser is they count the outstanding coupons as spent, expired or not. They have not spend that money.

]]> By: George Gardner http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:/2009/01/09/obama-calls-for-delay-to-digital-switchover/comment-page-1/#comment-155237 George Gardner Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:48:16 +0000 http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:/2009/01/09/obama-calls-for-delay-to-digital-switchover/#comment-155237 The government needs to stay out of it altogether; $1.34 Billion spent and they want to spend more? Sound to me like the procrastinators who aren't ready for something that is over a year in the making need to feel the pinch of being without a television for a day. And you thought Obama wanted change. The government needs to stay out of it altogether; $1.34 Billion spent and they want to spend more?

Sound to me like the procrastinators who aren’t ready for something that is over a year in the making need to feel the pinch of being without a television for a day.

And you thought Obama wanted change.

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