On Jan 2, 2008 11:51 AM, Wade Preston Shearer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Why is there a budget for this at all? Television is not a necessity. > It angers me that my tax dollars are being used to buy home theater > components for the masses. A coupon wasn't available a few years ago > when I purchased my HD tuner.
Because if there weren't my sister would be pissed in Feb 2009 when her TV stopped working and she had to spend $50-70 on a converter box or hundreds on a new TV. It's bad enough that she'll have to spend $10-30 on the converter and may have to get a better antenna as well. Honestly it sucks and this just makes it suck a little less. The rules for the subsidy try to prevent abuses. Coupons are only valid on boxes that do nothing more than convert ATSC to NTSC and MAY include a remote. Actually the boxes will also support EPG (guide data) but must not provide component video out, DVR, or anything else that a consumer won't need in order to just keep watching their old analog TV. EPG was included for a variety of reasons, the discussion points are all in the rules doc http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/DTVFinalRule_2e.htm /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
