  trparkyApple... YUMPremium,MVM
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH
kudos:1 | WOW! This has got to be the first smart thing that Kevin Martin has ever said in his entire career!
--
Tom | |
|
 |  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 |  Martin FINALLY gets one right
"There are options they can do without having to delay to get coupons flowing immediately," Martin said. Congress could give the program additional funding, or eliminate the 90-day expiration deadline on the coupons, he said.
"I'm concerned about a delay in the sense that if you can solve that issue other ways, a delay has actually the potential to confuse consumers," said Martin, a Republican. "All of our messaging has been about Feb. 17 — not just ours — the industry's." Martin FINALLY gets one right.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
|
| |  SteimesI make internetsPremium
join:2002-01-08
Belle Vernon, PA
kudos:1
 ·Comcast
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Martin FINALLY gets one right I agree, they need to treat this like a band aide at this point. Get it over with, by this time if they are unprepared two or three months will not make much difference.
--
Making procrastination an art form since Pluto was still a planet. | |
|
| |  53059959Temp banned from BBR more then anyone
join:2002-10-02
PwnZone | Contract since they already sold off the spectrum, don't they by contract have to shut it off at some point since companies paid for it? | |
|
| | | Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | Re: Contract said by 53059959:since they already sold off the spectrum, don't they by contract have to shut it off at some point since companies paid for it? Yes, at some point. But I don't think it was in any contract between the FCC and the spectrum bidding winners. And, of course, Congress by passing a law can change the terms. A company could go to court, but by the time they would win, the extension period, if granted by Congress, would have long since passed.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
|
| cacoPremium
join:2005-03-10
Whittier, AK | Re: WOW! No way this was Martin. His body has obviously been taken over by an alien with advance mental capacity. | |
|
| | |
| |  ropeguruPremium
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA | said by caco:No way this was Martin. His body has obviously been taken over by an alien with advance mental capacity. Fixed it for you... | |
|
| |
| | othas3
join:2002-07-15
Los Angeles, CA | Re: WOW! It'll be an SNL skit. MADTV filmed its final episode in November. | |
|
| | | |
| | | A lot of people are already confused about the digital transition. | |
|
| | I'm confused I'm confused. Is there a way to white-out the date on all those PSAs. Maybe they can magically change them all to "Coming soon". | |
|
| Reviews:
·WOW Internet and..
| Re: I'm confused I would say yes and no. Yes if its all text. No if its a person talking. They'd have to edit the video and do a voice overlay with the same voice just to correct that. Something that the industry most likely wouldn't pay for. Especially they're getting a nice chunk of new customers (cable) with their New Customer Promotions for people that has never had cable tv or cable services. | |
|
| |  HallPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-28
Dayton, OH
kudos:1 | Re: I'm confused said by hottboiinnc:I would say yes and no. Yes if its all text. No if its a person talking. They'd have to edit the video... Ummm, I'm pretty sure that was a joke. | |
|
|
| scooper
join:2000-07-11
Youngsville, NC
kudos:2 | Re: A delay to DTV will delay for subscription TV. Tried and failed already.... (USDTV anyone ?) | |
|
| | elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA Reviews:
·SONIC.NET
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: A delay to DTV will delay for subscription TV. said by scooper:Tried and failed already.... (USDTV anyone ?) USDTV failed because it wasn't any cheaper than the "DishFamily" package and actually had fewer channels available. Add to that the relatively poor signal quality that DTV transmits, and you've got a non-starter.
I think you'd need at least 25 real cable channels (on 5 OTA multicast channels) at a rock-bottom price to be viable, and that would require that you had enough legal talent on staff to counter the "content providers" game of monopoly. Plus, with everyone going wild over "HD", it would be a hard sell except to cheapskates like me.
I'm amazed to see folks shell out $2.5K to install new Sony flatscreens and only then realize they have to pay an extra $30 a month for HD feed upgrade, with limited channel selection. | |
|
| | | You must get everything for free. I have a monthly cable bill, just like the rest of the population, so how is that any different than what your saying. | |
|
|  james
join:2001-02-26
CWCville USA | said by Mr Matt:Wait until the day when viewers try to watch a program and see a text message to contact the station to set up an account. That will be the day that DTV turns into Pay TV. Show me your money. No, that would be the day TV died and the internet totally took over. | |
|
 kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY | INDICT Martin, this rotten, corrupt PoS Cheney-boy! He HAS TO STAND TRIAL if the new Administration wants to get a break from this totally rotten, totally corrupt free-for-all corporatism Bush enforced upon us and brought America to its knees - Martin is A CRIMINAL, HE HAS TO GO TO JAIL, don't let this worm slip away, Obama!
--
[BQUOTE=[user=bicker]]Waaaa waaaa waaaa. You just want what you want and don't care to factor in what is right or true. Your perspectives are un-American, and deserve far more ridicule than I'm prepared to pile on them.
[/BQUOTE] | |
|
| | | Re: INDICT Martin, this rotten, corrupt PoS Cheney-boy! I don't like Kevin Martin, and I won't even start to get into my feelings about George Bush and his administration, but I'd be very curious to know what you think Martin has done that is a criminal offense. Should he be shown the door at the FCC? Yes. Should he be kicked in the rear with a large boot to help him make his exit? Certainly. But should he go to trial? Only if he has committed a crime. If you have any evidence of that, I'd love to hear it. | |
|
| | kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY
1 edit | Re: INDICT Martin, this rotten, corrupt PoS Cheney-boy! Just a quick list: directly lying to Congress, deceiving Congress by supplying false data, faking official statistics, serving private industrial interests instead of the customers (the very people who indirectly put him there), countless cases of corruption, possible bribery cases etc.
I can probably assemble a list with a dozen different type of documented criminal misconducts.
--
said by bicker:Waaaa waaaa waaaa. You just want what you want and don't care to factor in what is right or true. Your perspectives are un-American, and deserve far more ridicule than I'm prepared to pile on them. | |
|
| | | |
| | |  dunworkinPremium
join:2006-12-18
Bellflower, CA
·Time Warner Cable
1 edit | said by kamm:Just a quick list: directly lying to Congress, deceiving Congress by supplying false data, faking official statistics, serving private industrial interests instead of the customers (the very people who indirectly put him there), countless cases of corruption, possible bribery cases etc. I can probably assemble a list with a dozen different type of documented criminal misconducts. This list probably applies to every member of the Senate and House. Careful what you wish for. | |
|
| | | | kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY | Re: INDICT Martin, this rotten, corrupt PoS Cheney-boy! said by dunworkin:said by kamm:Just a quick list: directly lying to Congress, deceiving Congress by supplying false data, faking official statistics, serving private industrial interests instead of the customers (the very people who indirectly put him there), countless cases of corruption, possible bribery cases etc. I can probably assemble a list with a dozen different type of documented criminal misconducts. This list probably applies to every member of the Senate and House. Careful what you wish for. They are voted into office, not simply sent by Cheney.
Secondly Martin is an arrogant, incompetent, totally crooked CRIMINAL, not some everyday crooked politician.
This disgusting PoS Martin deals screwed up YOUR and MY internet, broadband, TV services and fees etc DIRECTLY - and let's not forget that the only person that had the same influence over these matters in Congress was former Senator Ted "Tubes" "Bridge to Nowhere" Stevens, former chair (until his indictment) of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.... he'a gone already (having lost the elections his mandate has ended 10 days ago anyway) but has been found guilty on all counts and waiting for his sentence.
--
[BQUOTE=[user=bicker]]Waaaa waaaa waaaa. You just want what you want and don't care to factor in what is right or true. Your perspectives are un-American, and deserve far more ridicule than I'm prepared to pile on them.
[/BQUOTE] | |
|
| | | You still need to get to the source. Why not indict the whole of Congress. If anyone pays any attention to the world around them, I'm sure they will see that congress is at the very center of all this corruption. They are suppose to be the regulaters. Congress couldn't get themselves out of a wet paperbag with throwing the blame a someone. | |
|
 runnoftPremium
join:2003-10-14
Deerfield, IL
kudos:1
·Comcast
| Even a broken clock... Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Kevin Martin gets it right at long last.
And then doth the skies parteth, and the Bush Administration saileth off into the sunset with this as one of its few beneficial claims to historical fame:
Kevin Martin Actually Got One Right
Yank the cord on analog TV in February like the starter on a lawnmower. Kick it to the curb. | |
|
| | The deadline was set, so keep it. It would be one thing to mention moving of the deadline if this was several years ago. But with only a month to go, unless the world is going to end without a delay, the deadline should be kept. | |
|
Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·ViaTalk
2 edits | Reimbursement And who is going to reimburse the phone companies for the spectrum they purchased and are unable to use.
I may not like the phone companies or the way the auction was handled. Personally they larger companies should have been banned from it. We need more competition but thats another story. They paid for it they have the right to use it without further delay.
You have had a couple years to get he coupons if you haven't done it by now I am sure WalMart will still sell you a unit. Get off your lazy a$$ and buy it.
--
Any unauthorized use of your own judgment is strictly prohibited. | |
|
approval from:
jkj860 
| OOPS I believe you mean analog to digital transition, not
"the February transition from digital to analog television."
as stared in the news blurb | |
|
|  jkj860The Final Frontier
join:2002-01-10
Valparaiso, IN
·Comcast Digital ..
·Comcast
| Re: OOPS Over the weekend, outgoing (eventually) FCC boss Kevin Martin urged the incoming Obama administration and Congress not to delay the February transition from digital to analog television.
said by Mistake :
I believe you mean analog to digital transition, not
"the February transition from digital to analog television."
as stared in the news blurb
Just reading through to make sure somebody caught that. We don't need to go backwards. 
--
I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I am not sure you realize what you heard is not what I meant. Nixon | |
|
| | If people haven't figured it out by now. They aren't going to figure it out. Get it done and over with. | |
|
neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA Reviews:
·SIP Global Phone
·QuantumVoice
 ·Verizon FiOS
| Vote for no delay! Shouldn't that sentence read the other way.... it now says
"the February transition from digital to analog television"
Anyway, I say lets get it over with. Many broadcasters have Tower schedules set and many are changing channels too and re-equip their transmitters rooms with new equipment for their allocations not to mention there are coverage protection/interference schemes which depend on certain channels going dark and certain ones lighting up. I say there is no turning back now or there will be consequences. | |
|
| | Former Senate leader Dole was right to question the concept. When the legislation was passed setting up the transition to digital, Seantor Bob Dole, who was Senate majority leader at the time, questioned the need for the legislation and the general public's ultimate reaction. Well, given how poorly this transition has been led, and blame Martin for that--he bears the greatest responsibility since he could have exercised more oversight and lobbied for non-expiring coupons and more money, I think the general public will be boiling angry. And it's not just going to be your grannies, either.
Why you say. Well, first, and probably most importantly, the only trials, which were conducted far too recently, show just how poorly digital signals travel. Urbanites normally don't care about their rural counterparts, but this issue may well affect them, depending on how far out in the burbs they live. The only test conducted calls into question how well suburban areas that can now receive OTA analog signals will be able to receive a digital signal. It's not looking good. Most politicians don't like to get angry phone calls and they'll get an ear full when suburbanites who have a digital box all ready and set to go can't receive a signal because they're slightly too far away.
Secondly, the dunderheads who set up the transition program didn't bother to think about the supply chain for digital receivers when they set expiration dates for coupons for the digital receivers. They began mailing coupons out early in 2008 while retailers in many areas of the country didn't even start stocking them until the 2nd or 3rd quarter of last year. As a result, many households received an unusable coupon. If you have enough disposable income to afford cable or satellite TV, be thankful. However, their are many in this country who don't have the luxury of extra disposable income and they shouldn't be penalized for that by having no access to free OTA signals.
I think the fact Martin hasn't announced where he's heading next means he's having more problems than he thought at finding a cushy job offered up by the baby bells that he's protected throughout his tenure. I can only hope that they bite the hand that's been feeding them at the FCC. | |
|
|
See 10 replies to this post |
|
|
| beaups
join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH | Re: This whole process is flawed! What an ignorant post. Your analogy is flawed because the DTV transition frees up spectrum for more services, not to mention they are paying for your "5 wheeled car"! Now if the federal government were to ban 100 foot wide cars on highways in order to free up space for more vehicles then you'd have an accurate analogy...wait, they did. | |
|
| |  HangmnDon't Fight It...It's InevitablePremium
join:2000-04-08
Philadelphia, PA
1 edit | Re: This whole process is flawed! Think of it this way - what if the government had a news conference and said that they just passed legislation that will outlaw the operation and/or manufacture of all cars, trucks, minivans and such that had four wheels because vehicles now coming out with five wheels were a little better.
You could either have your car modified and have a fifth wheel added or you will have to dispose of your vehicle and you would not be allowed to operate it on any public street after July 1st. Oh, and you have no choice in the matter.
This digital transition is no different. They tried once to force everyone to digital and kill off analog but no one was in any hurry to replace their televisions. Right now there are seventy million or more analog televisions in use in the US. In essence those 70 million televisions are now outdated and one way or the other you have no choice but to spend money to watch TV. You can either BUY a converter box, PAY for cable or satellite or not watch TV.
This is also happening at a time when most people have very little in the way of disposable income. Maybe you bought a brand new TV in November of 2005. It's now outdated even if it works perfectly. Many TV's will go to landfills and become a massive burden on our environment because of the parts inside.
And the only result of this will be the freed up spectrum that was auctioned off by the FCC to the very people Kevin Martin and the FCC have been taking care of for the past eight years - the monopoly Bell's and cable operators who have had their turf well protected from any possible competition.
One way or the other we will all get screwed. It's the governments way. I love digital TV but forcing it on everyone with no other choice can be summed up in two words.
Bull s**t!
Are you nuts? This post is RIGHT on..they freed up bandwidth TO SELL to already subsidized WIRELESS providers..ALL TV is a pay model now..this is as he stated BS
--
»davescustompc.com | |
|
| | | Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO | Re: This whole process is flawed! Lets see. You ask for your two $40 coupons. You go down and pay about $13 (including tax) for each of the converters. It is not that big a deal. In most areas there are groups (churches and such) that will take care of the entire thing for the elderly and poor. Now if you want to look at that one time fee of $13, then ok it is pay tv.
As far as the 2005 tv buyer, it was widely announce years before then that this was coming. If they were dumb enough to buy a TV without doing at least some research, then I really do not feel for them. | |
|
| | DTV changeover HA! Yeah I guess a 2 - 3 yr heads up about the change over, apparently was not long enough. To many people tryin to get a free ride that don't need one. | |
|
Reviews:
·VOIPo
| Get your dates straight! OK, I'll concede that the "BIG PUSH" for letting people know that the DTV transition is coming is relatively only a couple of years old. Think about this aspect of it. The first OTA DTV signals have been on the air for over TEN YEARS! There were many on the air for the Space Shuttle launch that took Sen. John Glenn back into space in 1998. In fact that was the very first thing many of them broadcast on their digital signals and in HD yet! There are many places to put the blame for this but first and foremost are the broadcasters themselves. Second is the TV manufacturers who continued to flood the US market with analog sets until they were forced by law to stop. We had plenty of time, the fact that we have the current economic upheaval at the same time is pure coincidence. The marketplace was allowed to work and the marketplace failed miserably. Welcome to Capitalism. | |
|
| JPLPremium
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA
kudos:1
1 edit | Re: Get your dates straight! said by videonex:OK, I'll concede that the "BIG PUSH" for letting people know that the DTV transition is coming is relatively only a couple of years old. Think about this aspect of it. The first OTA DTV signals have been on the air for over TEN YEARS! There were many on the air for the Space Shuttle launch that took Sen. John Glenn back into space in 1998. In fact that was the very first thing many of them broadcast on their digital signals and in HD yet! There are many places to put the blame for this but first and foremost are the broadcasters themselves. Second is the TV manufacturers who continued to flood the US market with analog sets until they were forced by law to stop. We had plenty of time, the fact that we have the current economic upheaval at the same time is pure coincidence. The marketplace was allowed to work and the marketplace failed miserably. Welcome to Capitalism. The marketplace failed? What are you talking about?! Is that why HDTV prices continue to slide - because the marketplace failed? The latest version of the TV I bought in 2007 is now $300 cheaper than when I bought it. That's an example of a failed marketplace? What about the cost of these converter boxes - is that another example? A couple years ago the estimate was that even a cheap box would run you a couple hundred dollars... now they're listing (the least expensive ones, anyway) for about $50. Hell, I can get a very basic HDTV for less than $300 now - granted it'll be small, but it'll be HD. Yep - the market just failed miserably.
And the reason these manufacturers were 'flooding' the market with analog TVs is simple - they continued to sell! In fact I'll bet there are at least a handful of people on this forum who went out and snagged up one of those TVs because they were so darn cheap - to use as an extra. These companies don't operate in a vaccuum - they're not going to provide a product that noone wants. Why did they keep providing them? Because WE kept demanding them. That's not an example of 'failed markets' - that's the quintessential definition of market-based capitalism. We demand... suppliers supply. What a concept! I remember when 8-track tapes (now I'm really dating myself) went away. They were being sold for next to nothing, just to clear stock - I still had an 8-track player... I bought up an arm-load of them precisely because they were so cheap. | |
|
| | We shouldn't switch because for those who live in the bondocks or cabins will no longer get tv. | |
|
BPremium,MVM
join:2000-10-28 | Astounding Callousness... The lack of compassion exhibited here continues to astound me.
For the few ordinary people who figured out how to order the coupons (something like half of analog sets are still predicted to go dark) now there aren't even enough coupons, and yet many of you folks want to go ahead and pull the plug right on schedule.
It "serves them right" if people are "dumb enough" not to have figured out how to get converter box, or to have economically bought an analog set, or not to have ordered coupons on time, or not to know how to figure out the hookups, or have weak antenna signals, or can't scrape enough together to afford the equipment, or can't afford to equip all their TVs, or have no place for a higher gain antenna, or are victims of a cable service that chooses to discontinue analog, or don't have the ability to climb their snowy roofs in January, etc. Look up above and in other DTV threads and those are exactly the kind of comments I see, and it's disheartening.
My bias is that the digital TV transition is unnecessary, but even taking into account that it's "bought and paid for" and that it will happen, this is a rather crummy way of forcing it on analog TV users. I feel bad for the disadvantaged (financially, technically, or otherwise) people who this unnecessary transition will affect. Those who are most dependent on analog TV (those who can't afford or don't know of anything else) will be exactly those left in the dark, with little or no recourse.
-- B
--
In a realm outside causality and function | |
|
| beaups
join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH | Re: Astounding Callousness... If people STILL don't understand what's happening they won't understand UNTIL the analog spectrum goes dark. The transition will happen VERY quickly once the signal gets shut off....... | |
|
|  tschmidtPremium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
kudos:5
·Fairpoint Commun..
 ·Hollis Hosting
1 edit | said by B:The lack of compassion exhibited here continues to astound me. I think transition could have been handled better but bottom line there is no way to make it painless. There will always be folks who wait to the last minute or who don't get the word. Congress will probably fix Coupon Program by increasing funding and allowing people with expired coupons to reapply. Having transition occur in the dead of winter was not such a good idea. My son and I spend several days this fall installing a new outdoor antenna. No way that is possible during the winter here in snowy NH.
said by B:My bias is that the digital TV transition is unnecessary, but even taking into account that it's "bought and paid for" and that it will happen, this is a rather crummy way of forcing it on analog TV users. Guess that all depends on your definition of - unnecessary.
Digital is more power efficient requires much less power to cover a given area.
Digital is more bandwidth efficient allowing transmission of higher quality content and multiple channels.
Upper channels removed from TV service will be used for public service and to provide new services.
Any change of this magnitude is bound to be disruptive. Transition could have been handled better. But the boat has sailed. Another delay would just add to the confusion.
FCC is concerned with interference between station, not maximizing coverage area. Once things stabilize station owners will examine whether or not it makes sense to expand coverage area. If so they will request FCC approve changes to station license. Doing so requires transmitter and antenna changes or possible construction of remote translator stations.
There will be a lot of pushback from Station owners not to delay transition:
»www.boston.com/business/technolo···_signal/
/tom | |
|
| | Delay would be expensive Question from a Canadian, picking up a bunch of OTA Buffalo DTV stations in Toronto...
Do you realize how much would it cost US TV stations to continue running a second transmitter, in terms of additional electricity and engineering staff salary? In these tight economic times, I don't see many TV stations being able to justify that expense.
Given the promo blitz of the past year, anybody who doesn't know about the coming transition obviously doesn't watch OTA TV, and wouldn't be affected. It's time for analogue to sign off. At least we'll have memories... »upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c···CA_3.jpg | |
|
|
|
·
A delay to DTV will delay for subscription TV.
