Ad Pushes Digital TV

[Marzen]

- But Doesn't Tell The Whole Story

It claims conversion to all-digital is a “win-win.” Actually, there could be 21 million losers, and taxpayers could pay billions in subsidies
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I seriously hope we (taxpayers) aren't going to have to purchase digital tv recievers for people who can't afford them. If I squint my eyes like this...and read between the lines, I can see it coming...
Ward
FactCheck.org link: http://factcheck.org/article357.html

[aud19]

As much as I hate the idea of subsidies.... Your forgetting the funds that will be made by selling off the current analog spectrum wich will more than fund the subsidy program.

So while yes I hate the idea of giving people handouts for doing nothing with taxdollars that already get wasted enough (here in Canada as well), the fact is the government stands to make many times that much money selling the spectrum and IMO the gains and possibly shorter timeframe to the coversion to digital are worth a small percentage of those profits.

[audioqueso]

Doubt it. TV is not a need for life or society so taxes can not be pushed for such a reason.

[aud19]

Doubt it. TV is not a need for life or society so taxes can not be pushed for such a reason.

Tell that to the people who are arguing just those points to slow the conversion to digital ;)

[Alaric]

Has anyone else considered the push to digital is supported by Hollywood not because of better resolution , but because the signal can be encrypted? They finally get to make your VCR obsolete. Copyright "protection" is the motivating force. They will be able to control how many times your TiVo let's you watch Caddyshack.
DVD recorders already refuse to copy protected signals , and if the signals are digital the VCR will be on the output of whatever component. I have a Panny VCR/DVD recorder that won't tape or burn protected content.
Of course , unscrupulous people will run firewire from their tv to their computer and use all manner of immoral software to defeat this technology . Not , me , mind you. I agree with the concept of protecting the income of starving artists like Steve Speilberg . Why , if I copied Revenge Of The Sith it could cost him upwards of $3.00!!!!! Yeah , I know-3 times 20 million is a lot of money. I don't really begrudge most folks wealth. If they can get rich , God bless 'em. I'd like to be rich someday , and would probably have a cow if some (20 million?) yo-yo(s) were getting my stuff for free. Sometimes I struggle with the whole "I'm poor/do the right thing" conflict. :D