HDTV Welfare - USA

[ae86_16v]

U.S. Sets Rules for Digital TV Payments

Published: March 13, 2007

The government will offer households as much as $80 each to help convert televisions to receive digital broadcasts under a $1.5 billion program.

Households with one or more TV sets can ask for as many as two $40 coupons as long as the first allotment, of $990 million, is not depleted, according to Commerce Department rules published yesterday. If the initial amount is inadequate, an extra $510 million in coupons may be offered to households without pay-TV service.

The subsidies are intended to help consumers prepare for the end of analog TV broadcasts in February 2009. After that, TVs without digital receivers will not be able to show over-the-air broadcasts.

Sets connected to cable TV and satellite systems will not need converters, the Commerce Department said.

Converters are expected to cost about $50 each, according to Congressional testimony. Households can apply for the coupons starting Jan. 1, 2008, the Commerce Department said. Retailers who want to participate in the program must apply for certification by March 31, 2008.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/business/13digital.html

[ae86_16v]

Fucking Liberals.

Umm, this bill was passed back in Dec of 2005, when your Conservative Congress was in power.

So why don't you do your homework before making ignorant remarks.

Under a deal negotiated by Republicans in the Senate and House, a $1.5 billion fund would be created to help some consumers buy converter boxes so existing analog television signals do not go dark when the transition is finished.

In fact, Democrats voted overwhelming NO. Oh the irony. . . :lol:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll670.xml

GOP: 212 Yeas - 9 Nays
Dem: 0 Yeas - 196 Nays

[dutchmasterflex]

What the fuck? They should pay for people's internet before TV.

[666fast]

What the fuck? They should pay for people's internet before TV.

The number of households with TV's is far greater than those with PC's.

I think this comes from the fact that the airwaves are public property. Thats why we have free TV. You can't suddenly disconnect millions of people from what they technically own.

[graywolf624]

Umm, this bill was passed back in Dec of 2005, when your Conservative Congress was in power.

So why don't you do your homework before making ignorant remarks.

Your memories a little hazy.

Bill Blow Job Clinton passed a law while he was in office requiring all tvs to be digital by end of this decade. Its his fault.

I don't approve of either though. Its none of the govts business.

[ae86_16v]

Umm, this bill was passed back in Dec of 2005, when your Conservative Congress was in power.

So why don't you do your homework before making ignorant remarks.

Your memories a little hazy.

Bill Blow Job Clinton passed a law while he was in office requiring all tvs to be digital by end of this decade. Its his fault.



The Law was passed by the 104th Congress on January 3rd, 1996, which was a Republican Congress. President Clinton did sign the Act though.

But it was the 109th Congress, again Republican that voted for the appropriation of $1.5 billion and the amount of money given to each family.

Again get the facts straight before shouting "Fucking Liberals".

[StanAE86]

Fukking TV...that's why I read books...hahaha! Not really...

[RC45]

This is a good idea... this way TV as a public broadcast system is preserved as the upgrade is no tlimited to only those with cash.

And any one of us could be on the other side of the poverty line at a moments notice - life is always a crap shoot ;)

[Max Power]

lol, they're offering 4% rebate, on a 2k tv...this the break most welfare families have been wating for... :roll:

[RC45]

lol, they're offering 4% rebate, on a 2k tv...this the break most welfare families have been wating for... :roll:

The number of people with analog $200 TVs is in the millions... all these people will be shutoff from over the air broadcasts when the switch is made to digital.

How would YOU propose this gap be filled?

I mean even on JW we have seen people say they need to wait till next month to get cable because of the extra $60 etc.

Not everyone is on the gravy train - millions barely get by with little luxuries as it is.

[Max Power]

its only over the air broadcast, as i understand, so cable will still have sdtv...right?

offered to households without pay-TV service

so they can buy basic cable, and still have sdtv work for them....rather than buy hdtvs...so then y not offer incentives on basic cable, keep their sdtv, and upgrade to hdtv when they go down in price...

[graywolf624]

The Law was passed by the 104th Congress on January 3rd, 1996, which was a Republican Congress. President Clinton did sign the Act though.

A great example of pork. The act itself wasnt about the digital tv conversion. someone put it in there for the lobby groups. If you recall Bob Dole panned the hell out of the law.

Though most of the republicans are liberals too, as is Bush.. So your not helping your arguement there.

[666fast]

its only over the air broadcast, as i understand, so cable will still have sdtv...right?

offered to households without pay-TV service

so they can buy basic cable, and still have sdtv work for them....rather than buy hdtvs...

The topic title is misleading, this has nothing to do with HDTV. It has to do with it being switched to a digital signal rather than an analog signal.

Without a converter box, an analog television cannot display a picture from a digital source unless they are a cable television subscriber. Not everyone has cable television.

Like I said in my earlier post, the airwaves belong to the citizens of this country. That along with the advertisements we see on TV, is why basic television is free. You can't take what is basically someones property and turn it off because they can't afford a new television or cable/Satellite service.

The government is only doing what is right.

[Max Power]

oh i get it...its 40 off the converter...

[ae86_16v]

oh i get it...its 40 off the converter...

Yeah, and up to $80 per family. So basically two TVs.

666fast - sorry about the misleading title.

[ae86_16v]

Though most of the republicans are liberals too, as is Bush..

Oh I see. . . I didn't know that. :roll:

[graywolf624]

^Anyone who spends like Bush sure as hell isnt a conservative. The last time we had real conservatives was the 80s.

[ae86_16v]

^Anyone who spends like Bush sure as hell isnt a conservative. The last time we had real conservatives was the 80s.

Thank you for being one of the few people that recognize this. The expansion of the federal government. He is socially conservative though.