WWSBfan 0 Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Southwest Florida will NOT be making an early transition to digital television. That means viewers with analog televisions have some more time to get their equipment in order. All television stations in the United States are required to move solely to digital transmission on February 18, 2009. But the government is looking for a few television markets to make the switch early - essentially to work out any kinks in the system before the entire country goes digital. An early transition in August of this year had been considered/floated for Southwest Florida. But concern about a hurricane threatening our area took Southwest Florida off the short list. Still, that only means a six-month reprieve... Analog is scheduled to be shut off at 11:59 p.m. on February 17, 2009. That's great. I don't think Fort Myers/Cape Coral was the right choice for this "test". Too many old people with antenna's and rabbit ears live down there. They wouldn't be ready in August, I doubt they'll be ready in Feb. 2009! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ib-td 1 Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 That's great. I don't think Fort Myers/Cape Coral was the right choice for this "test". Too many old people with antenna's and rabbit ears live down there. They wouldn't be ready in August, I doubt they'll be ready in Feb. 2009! Thanks for the great picture of FL viewers. They will either get it now, or then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWSBfan 0 Posted April 12, 2008 Author Share Posted April 12, 2008 Thanks for the great picture of FL viewers. They will either get it now' date=' or then.[/quote'] A lot of them still don't know what digital even means. Let alone that they're ready for it or will be ready for it. Comcast & Embarq might help them in SW FL, but I know for a fact that the people that these people [mainly elderly] won't be ready in Feb. 2009, unless they have cable, and some of those people don't even know they're ready mainly because some of these commercials they watch are misleading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Horn 78 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I don't get your griping. (1) What is the level of cable penetration in-market? You're tossing around the assertion that all "the old people" are still grabbing signal OTA. Well, let's hear the numbers. Most elderly people I know are equipped with cable, especially those I know that have moved south. I'm all for agreeing with you, just give me something to agree with. (2) You talk as if February 17 is doomsday. You do understand all that's happening is the shuttering of full-powered analog, right? I doubt the elderly are as helpless as you assume. In fact, I'd bet the odds are pretty high that they'll just pick up the phone and call their technologically savvy son/daughter/grandson/granddaughter and find out where the hell their TV went -- this if they don't have cable. (3) What's so misleading about the commercials? The ones I've seen all make three points: analog is getting turned off in February, if you have cable you're all set, if you have an antenna you'll need one of these boxes that the government is spotting you $40 for. So where's your issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWSBfan 0 Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 I don't get your griping. (1) What is the level of cable penetration in-market? You're tossing around the assertion that all "the old people" are still grabbing signal OTA. Well, let's hear the numbers. Most elderly people I know are equipped with cable, especially those I know that have moved south. I'm all for agreeing with you, just give me something to agree with. (2) You talk as if February 17 is doomsday. You do understand all that's happening is the shuttering of full-powered analog, right? I doubt the elderly are as helpless as you assume. In fact, I'd bet the odds are pretty high that they'll just pick up the phone and call their technologically savvy son/daughter/grandson/granddaughter and find out where the hell their TV went -- this if they don't have cable. (3) What's so misleading about the commercials? The ones I've seen all make three points: analog is getting turned off in February, if you have cable you're all set, if you have an antenna you'll need one of these boxes that the government is spotting you $40 for. So where's your issue? Listen, I'm not getting into an argument with you, I don't have the patience nor the time. You being in the Pack of Seven, you understand what this is, but an elderly couple in Cape Coral or Bradenton that don't come on these forums and study this type of stuff may not understand this. I've lived in Cape Coral and Bradenton and know this, but if you don't understand that, that's not my problem. Have a nice day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ntropolis 593 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I think it's mostly word-of-mouth, news reports, the HDTV salesperson at Best Buy, etc. that mislead people... not the commercials produced by NAB. I've seen some shitty news reports about the switch out there that use the wrong words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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