Year 2011, July 24th

[mbarker]

Warning! Something will happen in three years . . .

There is a very amusing advertisement that has started running on TV here in Japan. High in the picture, it has what appears to be a large digital readout with 2011, July 24 showing. Below that is one widescreen TV and one regular TV, both showing heads. The widescreen TV head is talking, explaining that while both digital and analog TV is okay now, when the date changes . . .

And here the digital readout changes to July 25. And the regular TV goes to static.

There will be no more analog TV.

What I find almost as funny as the ad itself is the timing. That is almost 3 years from now, and they are already advertising to make sure that we understand? If they keep running this ad for the next three years -- at least no one can complain that they were not warned? Although I suspect if the ad keeps popping up, people may start to ignore it. Three years seems like an awful long time for preparation.

How much preparation do you provide for people? Hum, America is going all digital, too, isn't it? Have they started the advertising countdown yet?

Comments

[sraun]

As an occasional watcher of American TV - yes, they have.

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

"On February 17, 2009, federal law requires that all full-power television broadcast stations stop broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital format." They have been shoving coupons at those of us who insist on using antennas so that we can buy converter boxes. I'm in a quandary because my television is not that old so I don't know if I need a converter box or not. To me this is just another excuse to sell us more stuff. Electronics is becoming a shell game of insisting on upgrades that make your current equipment obsolete so that you have to buy more stuff. I'm tired of buying stuff. I can't afford to keep buying replacements. If the television doesn't work on February 17, I'm going to stack it alongside the digital camera that decided it doesn't like being plugged into my computer. I'm tired of compulsively buying to support these delicate little gadgets, nor can I if I expect to keep on eating. I don't know how people afford all this expensive stuff. All I know is that I've reached my limit of being able to replace something that is obsolete as soon as I buy it.

[saruby.livejournal.com]

Yes, we are converting to all HD/digital. They've been pushing it for years. Supposedly, it is because the picture is so much better, but the reality is that the FCC wants the airwaves back so they can sell them again. My understanding is that everyone who does not have an HDTV (which already has a converter) or cable (which makes it moot) will have to get a converter box. Of course, you could also just get cable (or satellite? not sure about that one). I suspect the converter box is a lot cheaper than signing up for cable.

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

Cable/satellite is much more expensive than the converter box. I was just being grumpy this morning...I did finally get the camera to work (though the software for downloading the photographs is beyond my ability to fix). I will probably get the converter box because I can barely afford the monthly Internet fees and long ago gave up on the luxury of many channels. You find money for what is really important to you...television is less and less under that category for me.