Apparently not. Despite concerns amongst government and industry leaders, the few Americans who have not bought into HDTV don't seem concerned about having their analog signals switched off.
The Bridge: A Big Panic ... Or A Big Yawn?
The Bridge: A Big Panic ... Or A Big Yawn?
Committee, said last week that the nation's eventual transition to digital TV could be a video revolution, or "we may find ourselves with a digital disaster."Could it really be that challenging for the estimated 111 million TV households (a figure that includes cable, DBS, telco video and over-the-air viewers) out there?As of Nov. 1, there will be 474 days left for the nation’s broadcasters to turn off analog television signals and convert to digital. The shift, set to take place Feb. 17, 2009, will have profound implications not only for local TV stations and national broadcast networks. It will impact cable, satellite TV, telco video platforms, programmers and electronics retailers.
Granted in the aftermath of a major event, there will always be a vocal group who will cry "Why didn't anyone tell us about this?" But looking at the retail performance of HDTV's, it's hard to believe that Feb 17* will be an End Of The World As We Know It scenario for all but the most clueless of consumers.
Then again, maybe the disenfranchised TV owners will riot and loot in the streets? Maybe in years hence the U.S. will have it's own broadcast television-version of Bastille Day to commemorate the uprising of poor, downtrodden people who had their analog broadcasts of Judge Judy taken from them.
*which is a Sunday, by the way. Too bad that SUPER SUNDAY is already taken.
Sphere: Related Content
No comments:
Post a Comment