TJ wrote:
> Jer wrote:
>> TJ wrote:
>>> Jer wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> See, here's the deal, the cable company didn't want to be obligated
>>>> to supply analog until 2012, they also didn't want to allocate any
>>>> budget money to customer's STB's, so they sought a rule variance.
>>>> Once granted, the rules are out the window. Going all digital with
>>>> the variance relieved their network of stuffy old analog, and it
>>>> also relieved them of any financial obligation to provide STB's to
>>>> their own customers. If I have this straight, and I think I do, it
>>>> was a good move on their part. Cable company wins, customers with a
>>>> stuffy old analog TV are buying their own STB if they want to stay
>>>> connected.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> And the customers with the "stuffy old analog TVs" are the ones who
>>> lose out, because the cheap STBs now on sale everywhere aren't
>>> supposed to work with cable systems. And there's no government coupon
>>> program (yet) to get them some money off on those boxes that WILL
>>> work. There may be one by 2011, a year before you've said the cable
>>> companies have to make the switch, but what are the "stuffy old
>>> analog" customers supposed to do in the meantime?
>>>
>>> Assuming there is no viable terrestrial OTA alternative to this guy's
>>> small cable company, I predict several of his customers will switch
>>> to satellite services, and he'll get even smaller. Any satellite
>>> service marketer worth his salt will jump all over this.
>>>
>>> BTW, I LIKE my stuffy old analog TVs. I saw the picture on a nifty
>>> new 1080i HDTV connected to an antenna in a Radio Shack last week. It
>>> was set up near the OTA STBs to show customers what they could expect
>>> from digital TV. As the salesguy cycled through the available
>>> channels, I noticed that the nifty new HDTV video looked fine, quite
>>> close to my stuffy old 25-inch Samsung when it gets a good signal.
>>> However, when he cycled to a sub-channel showing 480i SDTV content,
>>> the nifty new set's video was blocky and unattractive, unlike my
>>> stuffy old analog set. Nope, I don't plan to add to the stuffy old
>>> waste stream by dumping my stuffy old analog sets any time soon.
>>>
>>> TJ
>>
>>
>> Nothing wrong with adding old stuff to the waste stream. They've been
>> recycling old stuff by the truck loads for a few years now. I
>> sympathize with your RS experience - maybe one day those RS folks will
>> learn how to set up a TV display. When they do, their new education
>> will reveal the brainfartness of comparing apples to oranges.
>>
>
> Nothing wrong with continuing to use stuffy old stuff that still does
> the job just fine, either. To each his own.
>
> TJ
You're right, there's not, but expecting everyone to continue sup****ting
stuffy old analog TV until the last one blows up in a thunderstorm is a
stretch. There's a rumor that you could hurry that situation along a
bit by pouring a cup of coffee into it. Since all electronic devices
contain a prepackaged amount of smoke - letting all the smoke out will
set you free.
"From my cold dead hands...."
--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'
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