It's like Y2K all over again! Some household TV's could go dark in just less than a year, when anolog TV signals will no longer be broadcast. Are you all prepared for the digital age? And out of curiousity, what TV's do you own.

I have a Philips in the living room that is ready for the conversion, but I'm not yet ready to shell out for converters for the sets in the bedrooms.

Story here

We've sent off for the government coupon, but I don't think we've received it yet. We have to wait for retailers in our area to announce they're going to carry the converter boxes, at which point the government sends us a retailer-specific coupon. I think.

I was just doing the math... The story reports that Congress has allocated $33.5 million dollars worth of $40 coupons to help pay for converters (This could be a topic on its own). That's 837,500 coupons available. And yet, there are already 2.5 million requests for these coupons. There are going to be a lot of angry people out there.

Oh, I agree. Not so much about the coupons -- the government can print more -- but the sudden loss of their TV signals. Sure, they've undertaken a pricey campaign to alert everyone to the impending change, but we're dealing with millions of people here, many of whom, no doubt, are elderly and/or don't speak English.

It's going to be a big wake-up call. As one who doesn't have cable, I can testify that we're laughed at when we're not being ignored. People -- at least people in metro areas, like the one I live in -- can't fathom life without paid TV, even if they grew up with one TV set with rabbit ears. The constant surprise from folks who hear that I don't have cable leads me to believe that Congress and others who signed off on digital TV at the behest of certain lobbyists and industry groups are in for a rude awakening.

They'll deserve it.

I don't say that in anger. I look forward to the transition myself. But of those who have to buy a converter box, I figure I'm part of a pretty small minority.

U.S. switch to digital TV could surprise some local viewers
For most Canadian TV viewers, Feb. 17, 2009, will pass like any other day.
But for those living near the U.S. border who like to snag their television signals over the air from nearby American stations, it could be the day their TVs go dark at midnight.
It's the day U.S. broadcasters officially convert to digital transmission and shut down their old-fashioned analogue transmitters for good.
Canadians with satellite TV or cable services won't notice the changeover. Nor will anyone owning one of the newer televisions being sold with digital tuners. . . .
A notice on Industry Canada's consumer affairs website warns Canadians not on satellite or cable that they'll need a converter box when Canada makes the final switch to digital transmission on Aug. 31, 2011. It mentions that the U.S. changeover happens next February.
Canadians watching U.S. channels will see public service announcements about the change.
Meanwhile, the CRTC is focusing on Canada's own digital switchover, watching how the U.S. transition happens next year.
"The goal is always to be about two years behind the Americans, to let them kind of work things out," says Peter Foster, the broadcast regulator's acting senior director of TV policy and application. . . .
Canadian Press, February 20