to DTV or not to DTV

Another political post in two days?   Wow! What is up with that? Just this,  for at least the few months local television stations have been pushing the switch to DTV in Feb 2009.  I purchased my digital converter before any local stations were using any sort of signal strength on the digital side.  On Feb 18 2009, the signals on all the digital channels should have been boosted to a higher level when the old analog signals were shut off.    Our congress, in the infinite wisdom (sarcasm!!!), decided it would be a good idea to delay the switch.   ARRGH!!!!!  The president will probably sign this bill.  ARRRRGH!!!!!!!!

So instead of getting better signal strength on the 18th of February, I’ll be stuck with what I currently get.  I live out in the middle of nowhere (I like that,  so I’m not moving) and I can’t get cable.  I live in the middle of the woods so satalite TV is out, unless I want to cut down some very large and living trees (I don’t).   So I’m stuck with the signal I can get over the air.

I did my part.  I got my new antenna (the old one would have never gotten a good digital signal).  I got my converter box.  I’m just waiting to get all the local channels.  1 station still hasn’t upped their signal to something I can get.  3 others are hit and miss right now.  I can only get 1 station most of the time.  I was hoping to get all of them in the middle of February.   Can I say ARRRGHH!!! again?

I’m really not sure why anyone who watches TV enough to miss it, could miss the fact that digital TV is coming.  It has been forced down our throats over and over again, comercial after comercial ( I was hoping they would stop soon).   Now those will probably continue until some time in June.  All because of a supposed 6.5 million people who aren’t ready for the switch.  My question is: “Where the heck were they for the past 6 months”.  Get your government coupon early we were told.  Get ready for the switch was said.  DTV is coming on Feb 18.    Now we will get those same messages for the next 5 months….  GRRRR…

The Federal Government forced this switch on us years ago.  Saying we had to keep up with the technology.  That started over 10 years ago.  I’m sure that the way technology goes, there could be something better for transmission by now if somebody wanted to develop it.  10 years is a long time for tech stuff.  Don’t ge me wrong, I’m all for the digital TV, but this switch really should have been done a long time ago.  I’m just worried that this will go the way of the metric system.  We’ve all seen how far that went.  So in 50 years will we still have analog TV and Digital TV side by side?   I wouldn’t bet against it.