US Still Dithering Over Analog-Digital TV Conversion

Robin Ingenthron writes "As 2007 gets closer, the legislation to postpone mandatory transition from Analog TV broadcast to Digital is taking shape. Here's an idea - make the broadcasters pay to use the airwaves (they get both analog and digital spectrum for free). For that matter, why permanently auction the bandwidth to cell phone companies, why not rent it to them too? Each postponement keeps the Fed budget in the red, so consumers have a choice -- between analog (black borders on the sides of their digital TVs) and digital (black borders on the top and bottom of their analog TV)."

Re:No thanks, spend the money elsewhere please.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd rather spend my time dithering over printers.

<boos, thrown objects>

Isn't he trying to make it come sooner?

[underpar]

Current law only requires broadcasters to give up their current airwaves by 2007, or when 85 percent of the nation can receive the new digital signals, whichever comes later. Most predict that could take a decade or more.

2009 is better, right?

Obvious compromise

[Bobo_The_Boinger]

The obvious solution is for analog and digital to meet in the middle, have black bars around all sides of both TVs! And then we also have room for the next big advance after digital. :)

Nice Pun

[McComas]

Oh Slashdot. That is terrible. Using the word 'dithering' [webopedia.com] in a headline about television standards technology. Shame on you. Punnery is the lowest humor.

Re:Nice Pun

[I confirm I'm not a]

Punnery is the lowest humor.

Yeah, right. I think you'll find it's sarcasm.

;)

Re:Nice Pun

[McComas]

Well met. I think you will find that, without the slightest shred of doubt, in every conceivable universe and in every way you can possibly consider, over-blown exaggeration is the lowest form of humor.

Make borders educational

[FerretFrottage]

Since the US educational system [k-12] is all about memorizing and less about how to think and apply knowledge these days, and with kids watching so much tv, us the border(s) for education. You can put the multiplication tables on one side, state information on the top border, lunch ads on the other side, and critical thinking at the bottom [border].

Better yet, put Canada on the top border, Mexico on the bottom border, and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans on the left and right respectively.

Now we got 'em where we want 'em

[Anonymous Coward]

so they get to pump you the Vikings losing AND the Redskins losing

What happens when the Redskins and Vikings play each other? One of them has to win (the probability of a tie, while not zero, is small enough in the NFL). Then their scheme will come crashing down around them.

Down with The Man!

Re:If it ain't broke...

[Skye16]

Easily simplified to one word:

Jackasses.

Re:baffling, can anyone explain?

[cpeterso]

The FCC is taking back VHF and UHF, after all.

Now if we could only get Weird Al to take back UHF...