Best Buy Co. said it has stopped selling analog televisions and pulled all remaining stock from its shelves, signalling the end of an era as consumers increasingly move toward digital products with flat-panel and high-definition screens.
Beginning Feb. 18, 2009, broadcasters will stop transmitting analog signals. Non-digital television sets that are not attached to a cable or satellite service and not equipped with special converter boxes will no longer work.
After the first of the year, the government will be making available to each household two coupons worth $40 each that can be used to buy two converter boxes. Best Buy will sell coupon-eligible converter boxes starting in early 2008.
Sign of the times.
If Best Buy really wants to do us a favor, they could also put an end to the rebate scam. I don’t shop there because it seems like every price they list is dependent on a rebate, and I just can’t deal with that crap.
Hopefully our CRT will last a couple more years and by then we can afford a plasma or a Lcd. getting something in the 1,000 – 2,000 range is not an option for me
So the government can hand out converter box coupons for TVs… But if its health care you need, the government response is “go fuck yourself”…
The question is, how much will htese converter boxes cost. If they cost $400, the cupon isn’t very good.
Cripes, guys – The Google is your friend.
I noticed a 32″ HDTV advert, this morning, for $449. It was a refurb; but, it was a brand that Robert Heron approves of.
The converter boxes are supposed to be ~$40. That’s why the $40 coupons.
I hope his forced transition to digital works out better for TV than it did for cell phones. I remember the sales pitches: “No dropped calls!” “No static!” “Sounds like you’re right there in person!”.
And look at what a scam that turned out to be. Cell phone service is waaaayyy shittier now than it’s ever been.
Of course, with the TV, I can just throw away the old one, not replace it, and not be missing out on too much.
It’s interesting that people know when the current service is suppose to end, but they are not documenting or commenting on the transistion. Sounds like another scam to screw the consumer.
Ok, I admit I haven’t price shopped much. I thought entry level was at least $1,000
Scary thought:
How many TVs will be sent to landfills?
Just like cellphones – more industrial waste to turn into run-off into our diminishing potable water supply…
Mmmm, caustic acids, mercury, lead… good stuff!
#3 OFTLO
Excellent point. Here’s your $40 from GW. Now you can afford that lobotomy lobotomy!
#3, first of all, this is a one time cost, healthcare isn’t. Second, while I question the government giving out coupons for these devices, at least there is a somewhat legitimate argument that emergency warnings broadcast over television will no longer be available to people who cannot afford the upgrade.
#12 – What a coincidence. Black and Decker has a DIY Lobotomy Kit available through ebay!
1 Noam. That ploy irritates me too. Chevron has really “refined” this concept where I live. You see the gas price posted on a big outside sign. And then, every day, a smaller one on the premises says all customers qualify for an automatic 2.5 cent price reduction over the outside sign.
What in the world is that all about????
RBG
Now given that CRTs continue to present a better picture over plasma & LCD, I wonder if digital HD CRTs will continue to be sold?
RBG
#13,
If they cant afford a $40 upgrade box how did they get a TV?
#3,
I work in health care and OUR insurance is starting to suck. God help the rest of you com next “enrollment period”.
My experience with Over the Air Digital TV has been less than satisfying:
a ) All or nothing experience. Either the channel is there or it is not. There is no in-between. With analog, at least you could get a smoewhat snowy but watchable image… with digital it just suddenly turns into a mess of little blocks and freezes.
b) Not much HD, lots of worthless crap. In the Dallas/Fort Worth area the much discussed extra channels (for example channel 4 might actually offer channel 4-1, 4-2 and 4-3) consist of nothing but a weather radar display 24 hrs/day or preachers asking for money. The dirty secret about digital TV is that a channel can choose to transmit HD on one channel, or split the channel and send multiple non-HD signals. Guess which one makes them more money, guess which one they choose.
c) You need a good antenna, tuned to the digital frequencies. Your old antenna won’t work if you expect to get more than a few channels. And the antenna is highly directional, so you need a rotator if your signals come from different directions.
d) Signal is cleaner, but in a sense it is lower quality. You know that blockiness that you see in dark areas in digital cable? Same problem.
All in all, the transition to digital makes sense, but don’t expect better over-the-air TV just because it is digital.
Has anyone seen any advertisements on TV letting people know that the change over to digital is coming, and that their TV will soon not work? I bet you only 1 in 5 people would have a clue as to the fact that this will happen.
They need to know now.
a) Pure crap – if you had a signal strength meter, you would notice that sometimes signal can go as low as 20%, before video/audio goes out – you can get freezes for a second or two, but it’s no different than with analog snow. Quality sucks on both if your signal strength sucks.
b) Not much HD, lots of worthless crap
Agreed, same worthless crap as on analog ….
The dirty secret about digital TV is that a channel can choose to transmit HD on one channel, or split the channel and send multiple non-HD signals. Guess which one makes them more money, guess which one they choose
again pure crap, do some research
c) You don’t need any special antennas. It’s basically the same as with analog (and everything else) you get what you pay for!
d) Signal is cleaner, but in a sense it is lower quality.
think before you write! Please.
Oops, #20 is in response to #18
#16, Now given that CRTs continue to present a better picture over plasma & LCD
Only a 35 or 70mm film projector has a better pic quality than a CRT, IMHO. Analog.
LCDs lag, plasmas have their drawbacks, OLEDs fade. DLPs come darned close, maybe almost as good as a CRT. Perhaps some of these problems will be solved, including pixel size. But remember, I’m an analog guy — to me most digital formats both audio and video seem “harsh.” Somehow even 96Khz digital audio is just “not right.” Maybe a 0.5 GHz sample rate would work for audio, I don’t know. I can’t explain it but I wish I could better define the subtle differences.
You can always tell whether a broadcast program has been filmed or recorded direct to video — it’s not hard to detect the difference.
If I could just get a 21″ CRT monitor to fit on my desk and not heat the room up in the summer, I’d trade in my (overpriced) flat panel in a heartbeat.
Just my 2 cents (2 new gold dollars) worth.
I hope his forced transition to digital works out better for TV than it did for cell phones. I remember the sales pitches: “No dropped calls!” “No static!” “Sounds like you’re right there in person!”.
And look at what a scam that turned out to be. Cell phone service is waaaayyy shittier now than it’s ever been.
Are you kidding?? AMPS service was better then digital?? Yeah I really miss, no caller ID, no voice mail, a battery that lasted for 30 minutes talk time or 5 hrs standby. Not to mention the voice quality or having your brain cooked at 600 mW. Yeah, those were the days.
#5 – Who is Robert Heron and why do I care if he approves of my TV?
===
#23 – Are you kidding?? AMPS service was better then digital?? Yeah I really miss, no caller ID, no voice mail, a battery that lasted for 30 minutes talk time or 5 hrs standby. Not to mention the voice quality or having your brain cooked at 600 mW. Yeah, those were the days.
They were indeed. Fewer idiots blabbing needlessly while driving, walking, or paying for groceries. Far less peace being broken by sudden loud outbursts of ring tones styled after master musician 50-Cent. No blue tooth headphones making assholes on the phone even less aware of their surroundings.
They only time better was the time before we had cell phones at all.
#12 – Excellent point. Here’s your $40 from GW. Now you can afford that lobotomy lobotomy!
What makes you think I’m getting anything from that lying son of a bitch? I never got my tax rebate either. And while the only reason I’d need a lobotomy would be to take my IQ down to the crowd’s level, I fail to understand why you said it twice.
first of all, this is a one time cost, healthcare isn’t.
Also, one is a frivolous waste of tax dollars and healthcare is an essential service that should be treated as a fundamental right in the richest and most powerful nation on Earth.
Second, while I question the government giving out coupons for these devices,
As well you should.
at least there is a somewhat legitimate argument that emergency warnings broadcast over television will no longer be available to people who cannot afford the upgrade.
Do they still use that?
What is sad is that there are enough slobs vegging out in front of American Idol and Survivor (is that still on?) that the EBS might still be useful.
Our tax dollars go toward these coupons, I would assume. Since I don’t have or want a TV, can I just have my $40?
about damn time – now if only we could do that same thing for CD’s – oh wait, that would put several thousand stores out of buisness – oh well 😉
By the end of this year Target will have phased out all tube TVs. We are clearancing them out one by one every couple weeks.
>>Yeah I really miss, no caller ID, no voice mail, a battery that lasted
>>for 30 minutes talk time or 5 hrs standby.
Also, no PDA, no camera, no voice recorder, no Tetris, no alarm clock, no calculator, no MP3 player, no video, no Twisted Sister ring tones, no personalized wallpaper, no bluetooth, no web browser, none of that.
But at least we had cell phones that would MAKE AND RECEIVE FUCKING PHONE CALLS RELIABLY, something that seems to have fallen through the cracks in the headlong rush to turn cell phones in to Swiss Army Knives that can do everything except telephony.
As I say, I hope it works out better for digital TV than it did for digital cell phones.
28,
WOW, now I dont need to comment.
#27, Bryce, By the end of this year Target will have phased out all tube TVs
Target’s already phased out iPods in favor of the iRock:
http://cagematch.dvorak.org/index.php/topic,2609.0.html
Best Buy upgrades very quickly. They don’t sell much in the way of cheap stuff. Try finding $200 computers in their store, or even anything running XP.
#13, Sea Lawyer;
…at least there is a somewhat legitimate argument that emergency warnings broadcast over television will no longer be available to people who cannot afford the upgrade.
That’s a stupid argument to use against the “no health care, but coupons for converter boxes” complaint.
Precisely, one would assume this argument would be formed on the basis that having a TV will save lives. However, I guarantee you nationalized health care would save orders of magnitudes greater numbers of lives than TV has or ever will save.