I read recently that P-E Obama is asking that the Congressionally mandated Feb 2009 deadline for all analog TV stations to cease transmission be pushed back because too many people still don't know about it. This bugs me for 2 reasons. First, it's been covered in print, on the air, and on the web, and has been advertised at stores for some years now. This is another case of the government compensating for people who aren't taking care of themselves - like buying houses with 5 year ARMS and no down payment and then losing the house. We need to move on. Spectrum changes that can help others are being held up waiting for this drop-dead date that's been planned for years now.

The other point is, well, BIG DEAL. The political cartoon in today's paper says it all - no TV? Geez, we'll have to READ!! Your radio still works. Cable and Uverse and dish net, if you have them, will still work. IF you waited to the last minute to get a converter, then get a small LCD TV w/ a digital tuner. As per the FCC web site:

March 1, 2007, all television reception devices (including TVs, VCRs, DVRs, etc.) imported into the U.S. or shipped in interstate commerce must contain a digital tuner. http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html

Examples:

Best Buy: 19" LCD TV (gets Hig Def as well as Standard Definition digital TV signals) for $200. Uses less juice than your CRT TV and should last longer and generate less heat and looks great.

Fry's: 22" LCD TV $340 and it can also double as a big PC monitor (as most of them can today)

I bought my Better 98% a Samsung LN46A650 46" 1080 line progressive-scan LCD HD TV for Xmas. Not the top of the line but at only $1400 it has the DTV tuner, HDMI input for BluRay (which looks just awesome), the 120Hz refresh option (makes fast pans or fast moving options look smooth), a much wider viewing angle than many similar LCD models, and you can even plug a cheap USB Flash drive into it, full of family pix (or photos of art from the Louvre) and it will cycle thru these JPEGs, becoming a 46" picture frame that's always changing (of course this reduces the "green value" slightly if you would otherwise have it turned off)

So, if you have an analog-only TV and 1) can't get a converter & 2) can't/won't get cable or satellite and 3) really still want to watch TV you can help the economy by buying a new set. That old analog TV will still work w/ your VCR, DVD player, video games, etc.

Because of the Global Financial Crisis, our economy is falling down and as a result some of the product companies are increasing their demand on sales. President-elect Barack Obama is devising a plan to bring you extra cash on payday so you won't need a payday loan. He is proposing a tax cut which he calls “Making Work Pay.” This will create a new tax credit of up to $500 per person or $1,000 per working family. Along with the economic stimulus and job-creation package he is formulating, he hopes this new, but different strategy will stimulate the economy and reduce the need for a payday loan. It’s impossible to tell what tomorrow will bring; hopefully this plan will restore consumer confidence as well as the economy in general. Hopefully soon, our checks on payday will flourish with that extra cash we all are anticipating so you won't need to take out a payday loan.

Anonymous has a really good point. Cable company pricing has become exceeding difficult to decipher. Moreover, their published prices can't be relied upon given the fact that most of these companies have various promotions that they offer constantly. The municipalities that used to regulate these companies have pretty much thrown in the towel as they scavenge for revenues to staunch the flow of red ink from their operating budgets. What's a consumer to do?

When it comes to Cable TV, I recommend that consumers call the companies that serve them and negotiate lower prices or, in the alternative, change their service to lower cost basic service. The companies will negotiate.....that's the good news. Alternatively, switch to AT&T's U-verse service which is slightly less expensive than most cable companies (but not all).

Other than that, there's satellite TV and just going with over-the-air broadcast TV. Of course, some report that Netflix and Internet-based TV is satisfactory. But until Congress and the FCC begin to push cable companies towards a consumer-friendly orientation, I view cable services as pretty hostile territory for most consumers. And Time-Warner is among the most unfriendly of all of the cable companies serving San Diego County.

Sometime last summer I requested the two coupons authorized for this address and have not received them as yet. Wow! Seven months! I did return to their website and was able to find they have a record of sending out coupons for me. Where are they? Some timely government service. Sometime in November or December I searched through the website and found a way to actually contact them. They didn't make it easy, and after I wrote that I wanted MINE I expected some form of response. It was then you're presented with a caution about how they won't respond for various reasons, including being "too aggressive." Wow, again! I haven't heard from them yet and I can only guess I was too aggressive. I thought they were public servants and should be more than willing to help, but I find this whole program to be a system trying to prevent participation rather than expediting it's successful conclusion.
Lately, I hear there is a problem getting enough of these requests (new ones I imagine) handled and the date for change over may be delayed. Also, the money is gone. Too many people still want to use their televisions that they've purchase in recent years. I've actually got five TV's that aren't connected to Cable or Satellite but only want the two coupons I'm entitled. With all the reports of coupons being issued to unsubstantiated names and addresses that end up below our borders makes one wonder if we're not also financing Mexico's population along the border that siphon off our TV signals.

I'm a former Adelphia customer in Carlsbad, CA. Since Time Warner took over prices have gone up. I went to the website to see if I could drop some channels and get a lower price, but they only offered two bundles. Prices of Broadcast Basic, Expanded Basic, etc. are nowhere to be found. I called them to ask where it was and they told me I was on an old package, so they would update it for me. The rep. didn't explain what the new package entailed. There was zero transparency. Why doesn't the FCC or the City of Carlsbad require them to clearly post their prices. And with all the bundles, packages, promotions, there is no pricing consistency. Would it be fair if SDG&E charged me more for the same service than they do my neighbor? Typical monopoly service. How can we fight back?