WVTV/WCGV Select and Approves Contracter

[Tom Snyder]

WCGV amd WVTV WILL go DTV, and Smallville will be on the air in 1080i 16:9 HDTV. But it will be according to their timetable, not ours.

Even if they thumbed their noses at the FCC to the point where they got their licenses yanked, there are a dozen broadcasters in line behind them who'd be happy to apply for/buy the licenses.

But the fact that Sinclair is commiting significant dollars to build a DTV facility demonstrates the fact that they won't be letting their frequncies go anywhere.

[techguy1975]

Unfortunatly for me, it is all about ecomonics.  My personal finances are no ones business, but... I am 27, my current job may not be there in a month due to company cutbacks.  Sure, I could cancel TW, which would save me about 60/mo, but its the initial startup cost that hurts.  There is also the fact that I rent, not own, so although the landlord is a friend of mine, there is no gaurntee I could put up an antenna on the roof if needed.

You're intitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine.  Because of my limited budget, I cant even afford the $400 for a PC card. Would I love to?  SURE..  If I win the powerball, the first thing I'm doing is paying off the sinful, evil credit card, and then buying the biggest best DTV system I can.  I am, personally, however making the decision to not spend the money now.  You, I imagine have a second income from your significant other, I, have a roomate who pays half the rent and the utilities, but its just barely enough for me to get buy month to month, but..well thats my problem.

I am merely trying to make the point that people here need to be a little more objective, and not assume so much without knowing the facts.

I can see how you would care, weather or not DTV is on the air fully in Milwaukee, because of my situation however, at this time, I do not.  You are more biased, because you've made the investment, I have not made the investment, so even if no one was on the air right now, it doesnt hurt me.

Others in this group have compaired this to the "Chicken and the Egg", I agree..  It is.  But with the economy going down the toilet, threats of war, uneasiness since 9/11/01, republicans in the whitehouse, and any of a number of any other reasons, there is a large of majority of people who cant afford the "luxury" of DTV, at least now.  I'm sorry, a $1500 tv set is a *LUXURY*.  Analog signals will be on the air untill 2007 at *LEAST*, and while the prospect sounds extremly interesting to me, at this time, its not a viable option

[mcq]

Techboy, you are equating a $1500 TV set with digital broadcasting. You don't need the "luxury" TV to watch digital TV. Of course you would need a receiver of some sort.

I read that as the deadline of 2007 approaches these receiver/adapters for our old-fashioned TV's will lower to apx. $100. For my money, digital TV, in and of itself, is worth the price of admission. For some reason, my TV6 and other channels come in with total static and interference during the Fall, Winter and Spring months. Digital TV is a treat since I get no static. Lately, a lot of stuff I wanted to watch is on Channel 41. A Badger game, and the Archbishop stuff looked pretty good on 1-2 vs. 41.  

As a conservative (who lately votes Republican), with a significant other who also works and a job (NOT Career) that is in jeopardy of disolving, I have come to conclusion that a threat of war, economic uneasiness and big scary terrorists have very little affect on my everyday life. Do you realize that those of us in debt are being murdered by the lack of inflation? Do you have any clue how many people had jobs during the Great Depression? Sorry......

This is the bottom-line objective-fact. There is NO chicken and egg analogy. Our elected officials, (Oh by the way, on the watch of the Democrats and THAT president) established deadlines for a transition into the digital broadcast age. What is so hard to comprehend that brodcasting with a digital signal in the 31st largest market is (was) to commence no later than Spring 2002 and failure to do so is against the law. I understand that it is expensive and tough, but noone gives me a pass when I need to hand over my 50% donation of salary to the government every year.

You kinda remind me of my father, who purchased our first color TV in late 1974. Maybe we couldn't afford it, maybe he chose to prioritize his spending differently. Maybe we just needed another TV and that's all they had. I don't remember. But I do know this, he would never be ashamed of what he had, and would never be intimidated by what he could not afford.

I chose to spend (overspend) my money on a HDTV Set and receiver over two years ago. At first I was very angry that we m'wokians were getting ripped off by the keeper of our public airwaves. I guess I just grew up and decided that sweating the inevitable is not worth it. It will come, and I will enjoy the digital age sooner than most. I guess that's my subjective priority.  

[This message has been edited by mcq (edited 09-30-2002).]