Early Wednesday morning after the original February 17th deadline to transition to digital TV, more than 420 TV stations across the nation, including one in Austin, turned off their analogue signal and continued broadcasting their digital signal. All is well for the most part in Central Texas.
Elsewhere, things did not go as well.
TV Shot
A MISSOURI MAN, FRUSTRATED OVER LOSING HIS CABLE TV SERVICE, PEPPERED HIS TV SET WITH GUNFIRE.
POLICE RESPONDED TO THIS HOUSE IN JOPLIN WEDNESDAY AFTER REPORTS OF SHOTS BEING FIRED INSIDE.
TURNS OUT, THE 70-YEAR OLD WAS LIVID OVER LOSING CABLE AND COULDN'T GET HIS DIGITAL TV CONVERTER TO WORK.
AFTER A BRIEF STANDOFF, POLICE TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY AND CHARGED HIM WITH UNLAWFUL USE OF A FIREARM.
IT WAS WALTER HOOVER'S WIFE WHO REPORTED HIM TO POLICE AND SHE ALSO TOLD THEM HE HAD BEEN DRINKING.
(From NBC Universal)
Folks, DTV isn't that important.
Running around on the Internet I did find this marginally useful piece of information on "How Stuff Works". The question was, "What would happen if I shot my TV?" What would happen other than a knock on the door from the police? Find your scientific answer here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/what-if-shoot-tv.htm(Editor's note: An earlier post of the above story included another story, but a reader pointed out quite rightly that the story was not DTV related because it happened a year ago. I deleted it. Thank you to "Anonymous" for keeping me straight.)
© Jim McNabb, 2009
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5 comments:
The "Man shoots wife" story is from last year... March 25... and likely, not digital switch related.
This reminds me of wanting to give my Windows
Vista machine a good hard slap. I don't know why the old fellows TV wouldn't work (transit?) with cable.
The transition to DTV is a marvelous thing, along with the ongoing miniturazation and digitization of
television equipment. If this had happened 30 years ago, there would be a lot less seasoned broadcasters with bad vision, arthritis in the hands, and grey hair.
I once had an X-ray, and the techs were joking "do you walk in circles?" They said the bones from my shoulder to my feet on my right hand side were 20% denser than on my left. Probably early "cameramans syndrome".
DTV uses 2% of the spectrum space, or bandwidth,
of analog signals. I've read several places that the transition will "free up space" for Public Safety frequencies. That's going to be a LOT of Public Safety, even if it is used by wireless cameras and digital radios. If they can already run license plates to see if you have insurance, how much more do they need? That seems to be the official line. However, on January 18, 2008, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said, "This (transition) is an opportunity for more companies to build wireless data networks that will compete with cable and broadband DSL internet providers." Hmmm.
According to www.benton.org/initiatives/obligations/charting_the_digial_broadcasting_future/sec2 "After the 1927 Radio Act, "There began an extended debate over how to allocate a limited number of broadcast frequencies in a responsible manner. A prime consideration was how to ensure the free speech rights of diverse constituencies vying for licensure. Some groups, especially politicians, educators, labor activist and religious groups feared that, under a system of broadcast licensing, their free speech interest might be crowded out by inhospitable licensees, particularly commercial interests." (Can we add here Government interest?)
I'm still trying to determine if any "new" licenses
beyond commercial or Public Safety are being addressed.
Actually - the story IS from this year. It is from earlier this week. However, authorities told local media the man shot his TV because he was drunk and his CABLE was SHUT OFF.
http://www.koamtv.com/global/Story.asp?s=9867855
http://www.joplinglobe.com/joplin_metro/local_story_049234843.html?keyword=topstory
Editor's Note: The story still posted on News McNabb did happen this week. I removed a different story because it was from last year. News McNabb
The bigger problem is people don't listen or they're just plain stupid. It's just like when KXAN started broadcasting audio on the SAP channel.
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