Have you seen these TV campaigns about Digital Television? The next time you see one carefully listen to the verbiage. They state If YOU dont get the box, YOU can lose your signal. The truth is they want to take your free airwaves away and then charge you to get them back. The technology is not new.in fact they have been trying to do this for over 20 years now. However, two problems exist. 1). It is unconstitutional. As a citizen, neither the government nor Broadcasters can charge you to receive commercial sponsored airwaves. This is known as DOUBLE-PAY and is illegal 2). The technology has never been fully developed. Broadcasters can send the digital signal, but they could never figure out how to make your current analog TV set receive the signal.
THEIR SOLUTION: Drop the cost and responsibility in the lap of the citizens. The government and Broadcasters have realized most Americans dont know their rights, so if they are told they will get a better picture and more channels, they wont mind paying for the converter boxes and losing their rights.
THE DOWNSIDE AND QUESTIONS THEY WILL NOT ANSWER: 1). When you purchase one of the digital converter boxes, you give the government the right to sell you new boxes whenever they want to upgrade your picture and channels. 2). For those of us who keep battery operated, portable TVs for conveniences, like going fishing or on picnics and emergencies like power outages from severe weather when warnings and, emergency broadcast alerts about area tornadoes or floods are most critical, they will no longer work. This goes for Watchmans, older conversion vans and cars with TVs as well. 3). The Broadcasters are telling people with Cable and Satellite-dishes, they neednt worry, their Cable or Satellite companies will make the Upgrade. When your Cable or Satellite service goes down, and it will, you will not be able to disconnect the cable and stick in your rabbit ears to get local reception. You will have to go out and get a box. Right now, if you decided you have had enough with your Cable or Satellite service provider, or it goes down in severe weather, you can simply disconnect the system, connect your rabbit ears and you will be able to watch your local stations for free.
HOW WILL THESE BOXES WORK? Will they broadcast a 4:3 or a 16:9 ratio format (standard or wide-screen)? How much electricity will they use? How durable are these boxes, will they have to be replaced often? (At a cost of $40-$75 per box/TV). Can the digital signal from the converter box be split? Can you add a digital antenna to the outside of your house and run multiple TV sets to it? Do the outdoor digital antennas present more of a lightening hazard?
Broadcasters want the technology so they can benefit from it, but they dont want to foot the bill. They want us the citizens to pay for it. We dont need a prettier TV picture! We need lower gas and oil prices, lower energy rates, better and safer schools and a government that wont lie to the public so they can get kick backs from selling TV boxes to its unsuspecting citizens. Call, write or e-mail the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) and exercise your rights.
NAB E-mail: [email protected] Tele: 202-429-5300
1771 N Street
Washington, D.C.6
Concerned Citizen
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