DTV is fine; HDTV is for the ego

Once in a rare while, folks like you comes along and write big sense.

So much of our society have been 'brainwashed' by endless commercials to buy all the latest consumer technological gadgets, at great expenses, only to become junk within a year. With 95% of such electronics made by Asian companies, who have learned well from US designers of an earlier generation about designed-in obsolesces, they have profited well from a dumb and dumber generation of consumers this side of the ocean.

I look around all those expensive new-model-a-month HDTV, all showing HD movies or demos from computer hard drives because that's the only way to show their quality. That's a full 10 year after the first HDTV came out! Show regular television and they all look just awful – low-res grainy distorted pictures blown up too big. These HDTV panels are absolute waste of money to watch regular TV, which still constitutes some 995 of a 999-channel full service cable box. There are yet no rental or purchase HD movies, which requires an hi-def DVD player. Both will be expensive. I won't go as far to say HDTV is a scam (but will say the HDMI cable is the perfect scam), but it is a luxury designed to satisfy egos rather than entertainment.

Now as for those 999 channels of cable TV, check 'em out and you will find that 990 of them are nothing more than outlets for junk content saturated with junk commercials. Just to make sure consumer brainwashing stays the course

by TomK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 207 comments) on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 1:47:30 PM
 

Cable

Last time I had an opportunity to watch cable, I surfed around for quite awhile and then ended up back on the same old channels I can watch without it.

If I want to watch ESPN I'll just go up to my Pizza hangout and watch it there.  Now I'm not knockin cable for people who enjoy HBO or something like that. But like I said, given the opportunity for whatever reason, I just found myself back on the Broadcast channels most of the time anyway and now I personally do not miss having cable.

Thanks for your imput here sir.

Take Care

Hoss David P

by "Hoss" David P. (51 articles, 5 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 339 comments) on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 4:04:36 PM
 

TO David

I watched the debate of Congress regarding this conversion. I have cable on a cable ready TV but to tell you the truth, I am still confused as what I have to do. I wasn't aware that we should be applying for the conversion boxes now. I was aware of the program for low income(me).

I like information TV channels and our local channels are about as stepford wives type programming that I just couldn't let go of the cable. I like Cspan, history channel and some other cable channels(not many).

Again, I'm unsure when I need to apply for this conversion coupon but your article was helpful.

Any input for me, is appreciated. Maybe should re-run the article as the date gets closer?

by shirley reese (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 273 comments) on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 10:33:39 PM
 

To Shirley

It's my understanding that if you have cable and plan to keep cable, you don't have to do or buy anything.

If you were to drop cable and use over the air broadcast reception, antennae TV, you will need to get the converter box, or go buy a DTV.

http://www.dtvanswers.com/dtv_affected.html

The above link is rather clear for a Government info site.

by "Hoss" David P. (51 articles, 5 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 339 comments) on Monday, February 25, 2008 at 7:29:51 AM