master legend
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 07:00:43 PM
\ni master legend have uncovered another scam to take advantage of poor people.here it is . as you know everyone is being told they will need a converter box to be able to get the regular tv channels or your out of luck.i being an observer and helper to the needy knows that many old people and young too have only a beat up tv set with rabbit ear antennae.the 40.00 dollar unit they want you to buy can really cut into people on a fixed income but fear not i have found a way to destroy there evil plan.just by chance and i being a fan of Mcguyver skills tried an experiment.
\na number of test were being done to see if i would get the blue screen so i hooked up an old vcr and used it to change channels and then to my theory i did not get a blue screen and still got a picture all three times i tried it. so there you go friends all you need is an old vcr and your set .
\nalso if you don’t have one, you can get them for about five dollars at the local thrift store. so spread the word and help out some people down on there luck. by the way radio stations have not allowed me to give out this info …hhmmmmm… whats with that? i smell an evil plan that will not stop just here.
\nmaster legend
\nThanatos
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 08:16:01 PM
\nkeep the poor and the lowest sector out of the information loop.
\nsince I first heard of this I thought it is just a money making scheme by somebody. maybe it’s bigger.
\nRunebringer
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 08:44:47 PM
\nAnalogue television doesn’t go offline until February 17, 2009.
\nMore info here: http:\/\/www.dtv.gov\/consumercorner.html
\n–Last edited by Runebringer on 2009-01-29 20:53:02 —
\n-Runebringer,
\nmaster legend
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 09:10:23 PM
\nQuote :
\nRunebringer wrote : Analogue television doesn’t go offline until February 17, 2009.
\nMore info here: http:\/\/www.dtv.gov\/consumercorner.html
\nthats not too far away. i have just given an answer to help people and show a glimmer of future things to come.it kind of reminds me of when public water fountains were removed.
\nmaster legend
\nthe_mystic_avenger
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 09:12:39 PM
\nActually, might I suggest that this is a two-fold conspiracy?
\nFirst, you get people addicted to stupid programming, and make them complacent sheep.
\nHowever, you make such programming in such a way that not only are they sheep and willing to buy whatever you tell them, they are also addicted to the programming itself.
\nHence, they then start charging for the new converter boxes. Addicts, wanting their cable TV, thus pay to keep themselves ignorant sheep and keep themselves addicted to everything else.
\nIn short, you make them your docile slave, but make it enticing and addictive enough that they are willing to do anything in order to stay your slave. Plus, it winds up being yet another way to make money off of them in the process.
\nBy the power of thought, I am the Mystic Avenger, Champion of Reason and Paratime Angel Extraordinaire!
\nRunebringer
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 09:30:02 PM
\nMy point is that once broadcast television is no longer transmitted in analogue (on Feb 17), the analogue receiver in a VCR will not work any better than an analogue receiver in a television.
\n-Runebringer,
\nmaster legend
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 09:58:09 PM
\ni already tested it and it works.
\nmaster legend
\nRunebringer
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 10:16:47 PM
\nYou have to test it on or after Feb 17th. Testing it now makes no sense at all.
\n-Runebringer,
\nSuperhero
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 10:49:54 PM
\nHe’s correct ml. It has to be tried On the 17th. We are going thru a huge build out right now trying to be ready.
\nI have heard that there is a bill to pay for those boxes
\nGo to dtvan.com I think and you can get a $40 coupon and get a free box. Also tell anybody who is concerned to do the same
\nSuperhero
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 11:00:34 PM
\ndtvanswers.com
\nSorry
\nLibrarian
\nPosted 29\/01\/2009 11:43:29 PM
\n*nods to Runebringer*
\nSorry ML – I worked telecom for several years. This is one of the best pieces of legislation to slip through CONgress in decades (no clue as to how THAT happened! ). See: http:\/\/www.dtv.gov\/consumercorner.html#faq2
\nUnless the “Galactic Slate-Wiper Of DOOOOOOOM \u00a9” erases us all in 2012 – or civilization collapses beforehand – we are becoming ever-more dependent on cell phones, dedicated emergency band radios and broadband internet access.
\nThe switch to digital frees all the analog bands for a huge number of uses, but mostly for the above three reasons:
\n* Have you ever had a cell phone drop a call when you are within sight of the tower?
\nBlame analog TV: in most areas, heavy cell traffic dumps you if it overloads the cellular network – and it doesn’t even have to be the tower closest to you, it could be one close to the person you’re calling, or even one somewhere in the middle.
\n* Same thing with the police\/fire\/medical dispatch bands – I have listened in panic as 15 units from four different departments tried to talk over each other about five separate incidents, simultaneously.
\nPeople die on a daily basis because of that.
\n* Last is broadband access. Since my mother was killed in a car wreck in 2007, my father has virtually become a hermit in the lake house – he has church and his bridge game, but that’s it. He is desperately lonely, and since he lives a three-hour drive from me, going to see him is not an everyday thing.
\nHe would do a lot better if he had internet access, but he can barely get a cell signal where he lives – I don’t think there’s a DSLAM within 10 miles of his house. Cable is worse. FiOS might as well be on Mars.
\nMunicipalities and county governments can’t provide broadband wireless internet access for free because the infrastructure is privately owned, and running your own wire is more expensive than anyone here wants to think about.
\nBut! — forcing analog to go digital means that all those signals crowding the low bands can now be accessed using the old analog infrastructure….soooo, local governments will be able to run broadband to the citizenry under preexisting rules governing public-access cable and TV channels…
\n…Getting a computer to everyone, OTOH…..But, one thing at a time.
\nThe government knew about this waaay in advance – that’s why, as Superhero said – the government is providing a voucher for a free converter box to anyone who asks for one.
\nOther than the one-time charge for a converter – for those who actually want to spend money on one – those channels are still free…..And $40 one-time is a damned-sight cheaper than $40\/month+ for cable\/satellite\/FiOS…
\n–Last edited by Librarian on 2009-01-29 23:45:11 —
\nThe Librarian
\nmaster legend
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 08:33:14 AM
\ni know its not feb 17 yet but channel 35 conducted some test for the blue screen and my screen did not go blue when i used the vcr.sorry if none of your local stations conducted the test.
\nmaster legend
\nRunebringer
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 09:29:09 AM
\nWell, there is a slim possibility that your VCR has a digital tuner, but most do not. So, if it does and your VCR trick works for you, it doesn’t mean any old VCR will work the same way. If your VCR does not have a digital tuner, then there was something else wrong with the experiment. Either on your end, or that of the station conducting it.
\nIn any case, using a VCR (without a digital tuner) will not work on Feb 17th. By telling people to go out and buy one, you are going to look rather foolish.
\n–Last edited by Runebringer on 2009-01-30 09:29:54 —
\n-Runebringer,
\ncitizensmoke
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 12:34:45 AM
\n~
\nThe FCC and their ilk have always fascinated me, so this has me curious. Master Legend sir, I am curious about something. First, though, I’ll point out my bias…
\nI don’t like television because I don’t like the adverts or bad writing. Lately, there’s been some decent writing, but I still can’t stand the ads. At most, I’ll put up with hulu.com ‘s 15 second interruptions, but I never turn on a TV anymore and don’t have a cable TV signal (though I do get cable internet at home). We even watch movies on the laptop or on the desktop in “My Geek Cave”.
\nAnyway, the reasons for the switch to digital which Librarian defined above are quite accurate and demonstrative of the legislative motive. That’s not to say there aren’t some nasty side effects, but he’s got the info proper there. Most full-power stations are broadcasting both digital and analog now, in preparation for the switch. I know a couple stations have mentioned that
\nAt the same time, I think I see what you are trying to say, ML, but I’m not certain I understand the situation you describe. Help me out, let me know if I have this right.
\nYou’re saying one of your local stations was running pre-conversion test signals which included a digital tv broadcast. You attempted to tune in the digital broadcast through a standard (non-HD) television and VCR unit, and were able to receive the HD signal fine. Is this correct?
\nLet me ask this while I’m at it. Do you have a cable signal which you ran through the VCR\/TV when you conducted this test? If so, you would easily have been able to see the signal, because it’s coming via cable, not antennae. Cable and satellite TV subscribers with analog TVs hooked up to their cable or satellite service should not be affected by the February 17, 2009 cut-off date for full-power analog broadcasting. The signal is channeled through the cable hookup — only the “rabbit ear” folks have anything to concern themselves with in this regard.
\nAlso, just FYI, those coupons are still available, but there’s a waiting list to get them (what is this, a bread line?) — limited to 2 coupons per address, worth $40 each, just pre-request them here: http:\/\/www.ntia.doc.gov\/dtvcoupon\/ [ Also, this site has some useful info and links: http:\/\/www.soundfeelings.com\/free\/converter_boxes.htm ]
\nOn that end, ML, you may want to talk to those people you know about getting them signed up for coupons (you could take them to the library to use those computers I’d think), and always request two per household if you can (so that they can pass on un-needed coupons to others in need). There are articles I found online talking about church groups helping to redistribute unneeded coupons as well.
\nFor everyone here, I’m paraphrasing an article here:
\nQuote :
\nAbout 20 million Americans rely on over-the-air broadcasts for their television service, and another 15 million have at least one antenna TV in their homes, according to the National Association of Broadcasters. Dallas and Los Angeles alone, there are 1 million over-the-air households, according to the Consumers Union.
\nBeginning on Sept. 8, the FCC conducted a DTV test in the Wilmington, N.C., market. Within five days of the moment that local broadcasters switched off their analog signals, the FCC received close to 2,000 telephone complaints, about half related to antenna issues or converter box installation.
\nThere’s two ways to look at that number. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin called the test a success, noting that less than 1 percent of Wilmington’s 400,000 customers had problems. On the other hand, only 14,000 households in Wilmington were using antennae in the first place. One in seven of them had complaints.
\nThat’s just a single example of many wherein MAJOR US cities had serious DTV Converter problems, to say nothing of the rural areas where “rabbit-ear” people are far more likely, and cable or other such services are too difficult or too costly to run.
\nThere are people out there testing the converters in various locations and finding a lot of problems, largely to do with proper device hookup, the television wiring, general electronic issues. There are also a lot of environmental issues which give converter-users the short end of the stick; simple junk, too, like their proximity to high-power transformers, where they happen to live on a hill, silly crap like that.
\nMy feeling is that while I’m not concerned about my own reception or converting at all, having no interest in television broadcasts themselves, I’m very concerned about the idea that a nation bred on the 2-second attention span and whipped into consumerist frenzies, will suddenly find themselves lacking in their simple TV pleasures (nearly everyone in the industry admits that the vast majority of “rabbit ear” households are woefully unprepared or uninformed about this conversion). I don’t know about you, but I’m taking the 18th off. I don\u2019t want to be wandering the streets in this country the day 15 million televisions become really fancy paper weights.
\nPersonally, I’m interested in how to make your own HD converter box — so far I can’t find anyone with info on this, but I’m incredibly curious. I bet there are some geeks out there right now trying to determine how to make the converter out of $5 (US) in Radio Shack bits and some empty beer cans, hee hee.
\nOf course, the cheapest, easiest solution (which just may improve you as a person) is to say “fuck television” and hit the library or book store for some good books.
\n~
\nCitizen Smoke
\nVertigo
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 12:43:38 AM
\nI wouldn’t really call it a scam to rip off the poor when the government is offering free vouchers to get the kit to fix it.
\nI’m just sayin…
\nNyx
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 01:54:27 PM
\nMeh…I’ll maybe watch T.V. once every few days just to see what’s going on with the news. I can’t remember the last time I just flipped channels; I can’t stand the sheer ‘do nothingness’ of watching television.
\nThough, I’m not looking forward to everyone being pissed because they can’t watch Lost that Wednesday.
\n(because of course, they won’t have figured out that you can just watch it on ABC.com and skip all the commercials.)
\nNyx
\ncitizensmoke
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 01:55:45 PM
\n~
\nMm, I think the scam aspect is that the industry is milking consumers pretty well in the whole conversion. I don’t think the idea was meant toward that end (I honestly think the available bandwidth it will release for emergency usage really was the major motivator in beginning the legislation), I think it’s just sheer opportunism.
\nRetailers are focusing on people who come in for the converters, “upselling” them to actual HD sets. The average cost of a new HDTV is about $800 (average, I say — don’t forget how many higher-end HDTVs are wide-screen, flat panel), even though the technology has been understood and in production for well over 5 years. There’s been very little drop in price for HDTVs for no better reason than they’re waiting for the swarm of people to come shopping in the weeks following the switch.
\nPeople seeking converters, upsell to the low-end sets at around $450 to $700. People having converter problems, refund and upsell to that or better.
\nIt’s a fairly losing situation if your below the mean poverty line (or in an institution) and want the ability to just watch the damn news again.
\n~
\nCitizen Smoke
\n“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” -RA Heinlein
\nmaster legend
\nmoderator
\nPosts : 1472
\nBy the Gods!
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 03:12:30 PM
\njust never mind it .i conducted the test and it works.it may just so happen my vcr is able to tranmute analog and digital like what i figured to be how most work but hey i’m the guy who can convert a record player into a guitar amp ,etc.just never mind i’m sorry i wasted your time. i will ask Zimmer to delete this whole post .so Zimmer if you read this just delete it all.\/
\nmaster legend
\nVertigo
\nPosts : 279
\nIf you’re not willing to
\nstand up and fight, you might as
\nwell lie down and die.
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 03:25:05 PM
\noh, no, ml. this is a rather good topic, thanks for bringing it up. I think some sort of awareness drive for the fact that the free vouchers even exist would be in our best interests. Everyone knows they need to convert, but not everyone knows that the government is willing to help with that, especially people in low income areas. They’re not exactly advertising this fact. And hell, the idea that some vcrs do convert to a digital feed? I was unaware of that, myself.
\nI think your idea is right on the money. We should figure out what all can be done to convert to digital without spending 50 bucks a tv set just for a converter, and educate the masses. It’s a noble cause.
\nBe the change you want to see in the world – Mahatma Ghandi
\nSuperhero
\nPosts : 7900
\nWho watches the watchmen?
\nPosted 30\/01\/2009 04:27:59 PM
\n@Nyx:
\nbeleive it or not for a Guy who worksd in TV I also never watch it. I don’t have cable anymore because it was a waste of money (so I’ll ned one of those Coupons just like you do ML) I watch specific shows I like on the net (ATHF, Family Guy, etc) and that’s about it.
\n“Yeah. Let’s all hate on Fox…the network that has given us the only national coverage.” -Phoenix
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