http://www.care2.com/greenliving/digital-tv-was-this-really-necessary.html
Digital TV? Was This Really Necessary?
Last week something big happened. Something important. Something so heavy that it merited a national media campaign, government intervention, and quite a bit of public debate. No I’m not talking about the election in Iran or the search for the Air France flight which is being hindered by all of the garbage in the ocean. I’m talking about television. For those of you not paying attention, last week, the U.S. national signal was broadcast in analog for the last time and is now straight digital. Not really a big deal if you are one of those satellite or cable folks, but if you are still watching TV using your old rabbit ears, you’re out of luck. Do I sound miffed? Sorry if I do, but this whole digital thing has had me upset for quite some time. It’s not that I think television is something worth getting upset over (ironically it’s just the opposite), it’s that such a major deal is being made over something that we may very well be better off without in the first place. And on top of that, it’s costing us, the American people, a crazy amount of money.
Let’s start with who this is going to effect. Who are the folks still using rabbit ears? Essentially we are talking about people with limited income. Of course there are those who refuse to pay for TV (they’re the smart ones), and those who don’t want it in the first place (they’re smarter than the smart ones), but this really doesn’t effect them too much. No, the majority of the more than 16 million people in this country still getting analog signal are on limited income. So let’s force them to either cough up $40 for a converter or buy a new TV. That sounds about right doesn’t it? Thankfully, the government saw what a hardship this might be, so they appropriated close to $2 Billion to subsidize these converter boxes. $2 Billion? Is there nothing better we can do with that amount of money than assure people they’ll be able to watch digital TV? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that our elected officials saw clear to lend a hand, but let’s keep in mind, it’s a band-aid on a wound that they inflicted themselves. And that’s our money they are spending to boot!
Then there are those converter boxes. 16 Million of those little buggers are going to require an awful lot of power, which will cost those individuals more money, and create more pollution as that power needs to come from somewhere right? All in the name of what? Clear television channels? Does this make sense? Now let’s say you decided to not go the converter route. You’ve gone out and bought a brand new digital set and are loving your new signal. What happened to that old analog set that no one has any use for anymore? If you are like most people, it’s out on the side of the road, but hopefully you at least gave it to a qualified e-waste recycler. There’s not really much reason to donate it anywhere because unless you’re including a converter box with it, most people don’t have a use. It’s truly dizzying. Finally, add in the concept that theoretically We The People OWN the airwaves and if you are like me, you’re sitting around saying “well no one asked me because I would have remembered saying this was a bad idea.”
So what to do? Turn it off. Look at this as a blessing rather than a curse. Turn it off and read a book. Turn it off and go outside. Turn it off and help your kids with homework, ride a bike, or work in a soup kitchen. I know this is an odd thing for me to be saying since I make part of my living working in the film industry (and I know I’ll get flamed for that, perhaps deservingly so). There are good things on television–documentaries, how-to shows, even some of the dramatic stuff, but considering that according to the Nielsen company the average American watches 4 hours of TV a day, maybe we could all use a little break. And in doing so, send a message. I know, I’m rambling. It just seems insane for the citizens of the US to be forced to pay for something that was theirs in the first place, that essentially exists solely for the purpose of telling them what they need to buy. Alright, I’m done. End of rant.
Dave Chameides is a filmmaker and environmental educator. His website and newsletter are designed to inspire thought and dialogue on environmental solutions and revolve around the idea that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. “Give people the facts, and they’ll do the right thing”.
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63 comments
add your comment »With all sue respect Jewels,they have Government-Sponsored Discount Cupons that You can get through the Mail.So how is this Digital Transition thing a Scam?
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With all due respect Jewels S.,they have Government-Sponsored Discount Cupons for Digital Converter Boxes that You could send away for.So how is this Digital Conversion thing a Scam?
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I suspected at first that this was a scam to get us to get cable or sat dish but waited to see if they would accomodate those that didn't have cable or dish so to prove that it wasn't a scam. Well the silence from all responsible for this conversion is deafening. I have gone two months now with one channel. I refuse to buy into the scam (I am sure at this point). It was difficult at first but have come to realize that it is their loss and not mine. I consider tv an unneeded distraction at this point. It is fine for those that feel it is worth something in their lives but I have become so much more focused and plan to turn my attention that would have been spent watching to dividing and conquering this stong hold corporate greed has on America and the world. They created this inspiration in me and I thank them for that.
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When I first learned the reason that broadcast TV was switching from analog to digital, the reason given at the time was to open the analog airwaves up to emergency services, because of the fiasoc which resulted when Katrina struck. At first, I believed this reasoning. But, I've discussed this with others and now believe something entirely different. While what happened in the aftermath of Katrina is tragic. The airwaves are not responsible. The Katrina mess mostly was due to lack of organization. Even when reported in the news, it seemed as though the right hand didn't know what it was supposed to do and that it thought the left hand was supposed to do it. It was confusing, but not because of problems with communication.
Another problem with this digital conversion issue is that people who live in remote areas, or valleys, are forced into subscribing to cable TV. I live in a rental unit which is subsidized by the government. I bought a converter box and an amplified antenna, which worked fine to bring in NBC, CBS, FOX, and sometimes ABC, and PBS on my old analog TV. But when the dgital conversion was completed and I had to route my antenna through the converter box, I was no longer able to pick up any channels. Even buying a new HDTV with digital conversion built into it did not help.
So, I have to pay for cable.
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You have a lot of good points and on top of all of that the "clear picture" is great if you can even get a signal! Instead of watching static you get to watch a big blank BLUE screen.
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A friend of mine in Fresno
ca. told me that the picture is not very good with the new converter. It's just another way to screw over the people who can not afford cable. If you make the picture worse than it was, you will get a lot of people to sign up for cable.
Maybe this is another small conspiracy by the cable co. to stuff their pockets.
If they bought a lot of stock, when they switched over the stock would go up when all the new people signed up. Then they would make a lot of money, but that's nothing new.
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I agree with your comment.
I feel pushed upon. I hate this new digital junk.
We have an analog T.V. we like to watch the news and some shows. Not a big T.V. watcher. So like everybody else we had to upgrade. We got a digital converter box. We have an outside antenna. But..... Now we get good pictures when the world is a sleep. Because the signal is unstable. Birds flying, cars going by, people walking on the street, the wind blowing knocks off the signal!!!!! But on top of that we get no Sound! that is because I'm told I need a sound converter and a booster on my antenna would help. costing me hundreds more dollars I do not want to spend just to watch the evening news.
Watch everything online they tell me. O.K. I suppose I can but
not live. I have to wait till everything is old news. I hate it! I hate It, hate it!
Gone are my days to come home from work, plop up my feet and relax in a nice chair to listen to the news. I liked the analog better. Now if I want good t.v. I have to pay monthly fees,
And get a better t.v. It just isn't fair.
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You are confused. Noting that a turn of phrase has the potential to be offensive is wildly different from prohibiting someone from using that phrase, ergo it has no bearing upon free speech. Insomuch that language meets Terms of Service Agreements, it is only ever the individual comment maker's decision as to whether or not to limit his/her language. No censorship takes place in that instance.
To quote Melissa McEwan of Shakesville: "I'm more bothered by the fact that the jokes [about rape] normalize and effectively minimize the severity of rape and thusly perpetuate the rape culture." Or, alternatively, Jeffrey Rowland: "Let's talk about rape for a moment. Rape is not what George Lucas did to your childhood. Rape is not what happens when a sports team beats another sports team by a wide margin. Rape is not what happens when your electric bill is higher this month than it was last month. Rape is when a person violates another person in the most despicable, degrading way imaginable and among the myriad of terrible things humans can do to one another, rape is among the worst."
Clearly people will always make their own decisions regarding language. Call me naive, but I've always thought that people using the rape metaphor were simply not thoroughly contemplating their words. It's a rare person who has never uttered a phrase that could be found offensive by someone. It's what an individual chooses to do upon discovering the potential for offense that's significant.
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Jewels,
Asking someone to be mindful of their speech as it might be offensive to a large number of the population (even if you do not consider yourself personally offended . . . one person is not a representative sample) has no bearing on free speech matters. Consideration and prohibition are unrelated concepts.
- J
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I stopped watching television 10 months ago and I don't plan on ever getting another TV. If I want to watch something, I watch movies or TV shows on my computer or go over to a friend's house. I found that when I no longer have a TV around to tempt me then I don't think about it or miss it. I've been taking long walks, going to the gym, listening to music, or reading in place of watching TV. The only downside is I'm not in touch with current news as much, but mostly that's because I haven't been taking the time to read the news online every day. Highly recommended!
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