Moving from Analog to Digital TV

Are you ready for the move to digital TV? I hope so because you may lose your favorite TV channels on February 17 if President Barack Obama does not pass the bill to delay the transition from analog to digital television. The news coverage of this digital TV (DTV) transition has been booming lately, as thousands of TV owners purchase digital converter boxes to prepare for the change.

I believe that it is important for news channels and other news sources to inform the public about what is going on during this DTV transition as much as possible because the change will affect all TV owners. Currently, broadcast stations in all U.S. markets are broadcasting in both analog and digital signals. However, according to WPRI.com Eyewitness News, "The U.S. Congress mandated that February 17, 2009 would be the last day for full-power television stations to broadcast in analog." This means that any one who receives analog broadcasts through TV antennas will not be able to watch TV. TV owners are also required to buy digital converter boxes for each television set to prevent the loss of channels (Federal Citizen Information Center).

The media is doing an excellent job at covering DTV news in a timely manner. Just today, more than twenty news articles about the decision to postpone the DTV transition date were published by 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. According to Joelle Tessler, an AP technology writer, "The House voted today to postpone the shutdown of analog TV signals to June 12, to address growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready in time for the Feb. 17 deadline that Congress had set three years ago." The bill now heads to President Obama for his signature, since The Senate already passed the measure last week, wrote Tessler.

Most of the news stories about this matter state the same information. However, there aren't very many quotes from the public stating opinions about the DTV transition. I thought it would be more insightful if the articles included American citizens stating their feelings about the move to digital. I, personally, think it's a good thing in the long run, but I think early transition would affect thousands of TV owners, especially the elder, less wealthy, and less educated people.

According to CNN.com, Congress wants to postpone the transition date "because millions of people -- many of them poor, disabled and elderly -- have been unprepared to make the switch".

If the transition remains for Feb. 17, "an estimated 6.5 million U.S. households will be unprepared" (Chicago Sun Times).

"The change is being required because digital signals are more efficient than analog, and ending analog will free up valuable space in the nation's airwaves," wrote Tessler.

According to The National Association of Broadcasters, "the benefits of DTV are remarkable. The new type of broadcasting technology delivers movie-quality pictures and sound, more channels and even high definition television (HDTV) to consumers with HD television sets."

Jeff Bertolucci, a writer for PC World, is eager for the switchover in his article Digital TV Delay Bill: Pass It Already!

According to an article from the Associated Press on Boston.com, Hawaii residents are even more anxious for the change because the transition can harm a Hawaiian endangered bird. "Hawaii's change is happening now so analog towers can be taken down before the nesting season of the dark-rumped petrel."

There is an abundance of great news coverage on this matter. I am interested in seeing what happens next during this transition and how everyone in the U.S. nation takes it. Good luck, and don't forget to buy your converter box!


References:

(2009 January 15). Hawaii's move to digital TV scrutinized. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from Boston.com Web site: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/01/15/hawaiis_move_to_digital_tv_scrutinized/

(2009 February 4). DTV Click here for complete information regarding the Digital Television transition. The Digital Transition FAQs. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from WPRI.com Eyewitness News Web site:
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/about_us/operations/local_wpri_digital_transition_faqs_20090204

(2007 March 2). Moving from Analog to Digital TV. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from Federal Citizen Information Center Pueblo, Colorado Web site: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cfocus/cfdtv07/focus.htm

Bertolucci, Jeff (2009 February 2). Digital TV Delay Bill: Pass It Already!. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from PC World Web site: http://www.pcworld.com/article/158763/digital_tv_delay_bill_pass_it_already.html

CNN (2009 February 4). House set to vote again on digital TV delay. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from CNN.com/technology Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/digital.tv.delay.vote/index.html

Move to digital TV back on track for Feb. 17. (2009 January 28). Chicago Sun Times, p. A3.

National Association of Broadcasters, (2008 November 7). Understanding the Move To Digital TV. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from KDKA - Pittsburgh's Source for Breaking News, Weather, and Sports Web site:
http://kdka.com/seenon/Digital.TV.Digital.2.479726.html

Oxman, Jason (2007 May 1). U.S. is ready to move to digital TV. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from CNET News Web site: http://news.cnet.com/2010-1041_3-6180235.html

Tessler, Joelle (2009 February 4). Congress postpones digital TV transition to June. Retrieved February 4, 2009, from Newsvine.com Web site: http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/02/04/2395410-congress-postpones-digital-tv-transition-to-june

Phoneless Phone Booths?

Have you recently looked around and asked yourself, where did all the pay phones go? You are not alone. More and more pay phone booths have disappeared since the invention of cell phones, but do not worry... phone booths have come back! New phone booths are appearing all over the world, but without any phones in them. According to USA today, phoneless phone booths have come out in the summer of 2006 to provide cell phone users a quiet area to talk. Have you ever heard of the term "talk pollution"? Dennis Raney, the man who launched these new cell phone booths, told USA Today that he has contributed to the problem. "I get on the cellphone and I do talk louder," Raney said.

This new type of phone booth, called Cell Zone, is designed with a steel sound-proof cylinder and a clear door "to prevent what the paper referred to as 'mischief'" (CNNmoney.com). According to CNN, these booths generally cost between $2,500 and $3,500 each, and come in a variety of styles.

Numerous people, including Real Tech News Writer Michael Santo, have recognized the modern cell phone booth in the movie Superman "Returns". "I still remember when the Christopher Reeve movies came out, and the look on Clark Kent's face when he saw a new-style phone booth," wrote Santo. Like Kent, lots were surprised by the new BYOC booths... Bring Your Own Cell Phone (Santo).

I think the media has covered the phoneless phone booth issue quite well. USA Today's report was objective, yet interesting. Olivia Barker, the writer for USA Today, got interviews with Raney, who launched Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Cell Phone Booths, nightclub and bar managers, who installed Cell Zone in their venues, and cell-phone-owning patrons who either support the booths or think that they are inappropriate in restaurants. Barker also included information about Cingular's first attempt to create designated cell phone areas in theater lobbies. I also like the way she referred to Superman and used the new slang "BYOC".

Santo, from Tech news, blogged about his views of the phoneless phone booths and incorporated a lot of what USA Today used.

CNN did a simpler piece than USA Today, and included the price and designs of various phoneless booths. I liked how they opened their story with quotes like, "I love you too, mom", which we often overhear during public cell phone calls.

I think these modern cell phone booths will come in handy for me one day. I have yet to see one for myself, but I've had experiences where I've wished there were one at the time. Using the Cell Zone during a concert would be the ultimate.

B.Y.O.C. Bring Your Own Cell phone... I wonder what's next. Blogger MisterNice guesses "the next version will have a coin slot charging $0.25 for 3 minutes."


References:
(2006, June 19). And now, the phoneless phone booth. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from CNNmoney.com Web site: http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/19/news/funny/phone_booth/index.htm

Barker, Olivia (2006, June 18). The phone booth returns-- sans phone. USA Today, p. C6.

Santo, Michael (2006, June 19). Phoneless Phone Booths. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from Realtechnews.com Web site: http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3181

MisterNice, (2006, June 19). Phoneless Phone Booth. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from Flyertalk.com Web site: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni/570840-phoneless-phone-booth.html

Consumer Electronics Today

From cellular phones that have GPS Navigation systems to digital picture frames that display over 100 photographs each, consumer electronics today are nothing like we have seen before. Slim LCD monitors that can be mounted on ceilings are replacing bulky television sets. DVD players that replaced VHS tape players are now being replaced by Blu-Ray. Can you remember when 8-tracks were replaced by cassette tapes?

30 years ago, people would have thought you were crazy if you said you were going to "burn a CD". They probably would have thought you were about to handle fire! At that time, none of your classmates even knew what the internet was! Consumer electronic technology is like life itself-- it's constantly evolving.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), "the consumer electronics industry continued to grow in 2008 despite the economic downturn." Reaching a new high of $172 billion, the CEA showed a 5.4 percent increase in shipment revenues for 2008. "In 2009, overall, CEA projects that domestic shipment revenues will essentially remain flat at $171 billion, a decrease of 0.6 percent over 2008" (CEA). This is not bad at all when compared to other industries, such as the fine arts, florist’s shops, hardware stores, and clothing stores.

Anita Campbell, editor of Small Business Trends, wrote, "sales are down nearly 15%" for small florists shops. According to Sandra Guy, writer for Chicago Sun-Times, retail analysts predict that 73,000 retail locations will close in the first half of 2009 after 148,000 stores shut down in 2008.

With the continuous emergence of new electronic innovations, the consumer electronic industry should not suffer as much as these other industries. One product, according to the CEA, that continues to carry the consumer electronic industry is digital TV displays. "As the transition to digital television nears, unit shipments of DTVs will approach 35 million in 2009," says the CEA, "an increase of nearly 6 percent over 2008 shipments." About 77 percent of the DTV units bought are LCD displays, the top choice of consumers.

Other electronic innovations continue to shape today’s society. Text messaging has created new universal jargon, including LOL (Laugh Out Loud) and BRB (Be Right Back). Some of the funniest commercials out there are ones from Cingular and AT&T. Check out this one at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySR3hpieiQc.

People are becoming more concerned about the impact of text messaging on society. CBS news published an interview in Technology Wire called "Teens Addicted to Text Messaging" that revealed parents' serious concern about their kid's use of instant text. Text messaging has not only become a new way for communicating; it has become a new subculture, but teenagers are using it so much that parents are worried it could affect their kids' social development. According to CBS, some are worried that students will gain bad writing habits and lose personal "face-time" with people. However, Child Psychologist Lawrence Balter believes that text messaging could be a positive thing. Balter says sometimes it's easier for kids to convey something to somebody through text because it could be embarrassing for them to do so face-to-face. More and more phone companies have been catering to the popularity of text messaging by providing new plans that include unlimited text and new phone models that have full keyboards similar to those of computers. According to Myrateplan.com, some of the most popular cell phones today are the Samsung Eternity, AT&T Quickfire, LG Vu, Samsung Behold, LG enV2, Apple iPhone, Blackberry Storm, HTC Fuze, Samsung Omnia, and LG Incite--all of which have a working QWERTY keyboard.

The innovations of phone businesses cannot be stopped. Cell phones have become miniature cameras, TVs, GPS systems, and fully enabled computers. Let's see what comes out next!



References:

Campbell
Web site: http://smallbiztrends.com/2008/12/5-small-retail-industries-suffering-this-holiday-season.html/

CEA
Web site: http://www.ce.org/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=11666

Guy
Web site: http://www.suntimes.com/business/1353883,CST-FIN-retail30.article

MyRatePlan.com
Web site: http://www.myrateplan.com/hot_phones/

Technology Wire
Web site: http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/software-services-applications-internet/10566332-1.html