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| Yes | 33% | 208 votes | Total: 640 votes | |
| No | 67% | 432 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesThere are many more articles against DTV than there are for it. I'm writing for the yes side, because while I do hate corporate America, I love technology and the concept of national free broadband more.
You see, DTV isn't much better than analog TV signals, due to the need to re-acquire stations and that static is much less bearable on DTV than analog. On DTV, the feed will pixelate heavily, sound may drop, and it can freeze completely until the signal is reacquired, much like a badly scratched DVD. Analog TV, as many know, simply goes from perfect to white noise, sometimes with garbled video, sound, color, or a combination of the three.
Also, analog is much more useful to rural areas such as mine. Sacramento is a soft glow on the horizon, with tons of granite, hills, and trees to block signals. In our area, DTV is almost impossible to reach without a extremely good external antenna. Ironically, the kind used for analog TV from say, the 80's-90's, the kind that look like a few rakes taped together, are very useful for acquiring a DTV signal.
However, the bands freed up by the absence of DTV could be extremely useful. About 13 months ago, I learned that the FCC was auctioning off the freed bands under the terms that the owner must have a technology capable of giving a free, wireless broadband connection to %30 of the nation. The terms appear to have been canceled, although Verizon Wireless and AT&T bought most of the band, and they were planning to use it for LTE, a competitor in the long-range wireless network with Wi-Max. There has been talks of reallocating the signals to WiMax, however.
On the downside to this, WiMax, the technology that may be used for the connection, is know to interrupt some Wi-Fi bands, pissing off many who operate a wireless network. WiMax can run at any frequency under 66Ghz, but primarily it uses 2.3Ghz, 2.5Ghz, and 3.5Ghz. An unlisenced band also operates at 5.X Ghz. It also affects those who use TV-band radios, although they are unpopular, and amateur radio user numbers are dropping.
Despite this, DTV is a good thing, if only the signals are strengthened to support rural areas that still rely heavily on TV and radio due to the rarity of Internet connections. The FCC thinks that WiMax will be extremely useful in rural areas where hardlines are far between, and where analog TV signals are much rarer.
Learn more about this author, Daniel Sanchez.
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No
While America faces a plethora of serious issues/problems including, but not limited to, relations with the Middle East; the presence of U.S. Troops in both Pakistan and Iraq, and the very worrisome economic matters in the nation such that a recession has placed a black cloud over the entire nation. Unemployment, the bankruptcy filing of GM, and the amount of foreclosures in America impact citizens on a daily basis. The issues cited above are far more troubling than a government mandated conversion of televisins toward ONLY digital TV, yet we face the government's imposition of what type of television each citizen watches.
Though the Founding Fathers would likely be amazed at the technological advances in 21st century America, I believe they would also be aghast at the federal government mandating the televisions watched by citizens. Essentially it comes down to government control which the Founding Fathers clearly sought to escape and designed a form of government in which the states would have the most power, while the Federal Government was not described as controlling the states; indeed it was the other way around in 18th century America.
In violating the right to privacy established by the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v, Wade, are we experiencing the start of an Orwellian State in which every action taken by the citizenry is mandated and watched. One almost wonders if the government control of the type of television we watch, combined with the government reaching out to assume control over GM's bankruptcy filing and the possibility of a controlled system of government healthcare is the sign of times to come under the Obama Administration.
Soon it may be time to hide our books, such that they are not burned as in "1984." Perhaps this commentary sounds extremely outrageous but we, the citizens, must police and question the actions of the government lest it become too late to stop goverment control and a view of history mandated by those serving in the White House and Congress,
President Obama spoke of "Change we can believe in" during the presidential campaign. Respectfully, this government action relative to every home with a television moving to a digital tv revolution is not a change I believe in; it's also a change I do not understand and can only hope the majority of the citizenry rises up in a clear voice against further government control of the private life of each citizen.
Learn more about this author, Melody Bish.
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