We’re back again with a new podcast. In this exciting episode we discuss some user-suggested topics, including:
- Windows 7 impressions.
- The future of guitar games.
- The DTV switchover delay (which leads to talking about the stimulus package, sorry)
- Movies of 2009 we’re looking forward too + most often destroyed landmarks in movies.
We hope you enjoy the ride!
You guys are still looking at the DTV switch over from the wrong perspective.
The federal government is INSISTING (by law) that every local network broadcast be switched format. They’re allowing NO choice. They aren’t bothering to allow more rural broadcast stations to continue to broadcast in the perfectly fine analog. They’re systematically FORCING every television station to broadcast in the signal they’ve been paid to support.
It’s grossly unconstitutional, and REMARKABLY immoral.
It might be funny to say “who cares about old people who still use rabbit ears”… but that misses the ENTIRE point.
This is government control gone insane. Imagine this exact scenario for other forms of business.
What would people think if the federal government insisted that newspapers were inferior to the internet, thus it would forever be illegal to produce a newspaper?
If the government decided that CD’s were inferior, and insisted that everyone switch to digital copies?
If the government could tell you that it was inferior to be an omnivore, and that everyone should be a vegetarian?
Funny? No? Unrealistic? Why?
When the government has public support for controlling business, we’re in trouble. It’s bizarre that for the majority of this podcast you seemed to echo that sentiment, yet you’re still in favor of the DTV crossover.
It isn’t about the old people who want to watch Wheel of Fortune. It’s about the networks in rural Wyoming (etc) who’re going to lose viewership (and thus advertising revenue) because of this FORCED switchover.
As is evidenced by the broadcast stations that are switching over this month, while other stations are waiting to switch over until the very last second, it *DOESN’T MATTER* if the entire country is using the same broadcast format.
Understand that?
*IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS USING THE SAME BROADCAST FORMAT*
That was the point of giving the states control of the day to day operation of the country, because better understand the needs of their constituents. The Federal government coming in and insisting upon this is GROSSLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Here’s the kicker that DESTROYS the entire point of the DTV crossover.
*ANYONE* who is still getting television through the air (i.e. not through cable, or satellite), clearly doesn’t place signal quality amongst their highest priorities. They just want to watch Wheel of Fortune, and Wheel of Fortune wants to advertise to them. They DON’T CARE about having a better quality picture, or else they would have cable.
The DTV crossover is just more government control, if for nothing else than the sake of government control.
I’m ASTOUNDED that Ben Heckendorn, and Jason Jones both support it.
Try to think of things outside your own fishbowls next time, and realize this serves ZERO purpose, except to control poor people.
You must understand, we weren’t lambasting the DTV switchover, we were lambasting the DELAY. This has been on the horizon for nearly 10 years now, and if they think 6 more months will get people ready they’re wrong.
And it isn’t about keeping poor/old people in the dark, it’s about reselling the valuable bandwidth. We’re talking about a format that is nearly 60 years old eating up a large portion of the available radio waves that is only used by about 10% of the population anymore.
There is only so much bandwidth, so they’ve either got to stop making cel phones or start dumping old technology.
My main beef with analog TV going away is because it looked GOOD. Even with rabbit ears it had a clean picture without the butt-loads of compression garbage digital cable/satellite had. But its time has come, and if it must happen, it should. This is like the 3rd delay so far.
Did you know the federal government is also banning incandescent light bulbs by 2012? A CFL is 10 times more expensive than a normal light bulb, times however many in your house, every 4 years… a lot worse than a $50 converter box. And everyone has light bulbs, a lot more than 10%.
But to summarize, it’s all about bandwidth. Also if you want something to REALLY get steamed about, look up Net Neutrality if you’re not familiar with it already. Again, would affect a lot more than 10%.
The current TV band is about the same size as the AM Radio band (which may or may not hit the chopping block next, I doubt it though) and eats up a HUGE portion of the available radio wave frequencies. You can find a downloadable map of the Radio Frequencies here and see: http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/sigint/allochrt.pdf
I heard that they’re going to auction off the freed up space so that cellphone companies can expand their business. Also, there’s a rumor (probably not true though) that google has plans to buy a portion and use it as a type of long-range Wi-fi internet.
So, you can take off your tinfoil hat now.
So what kind of bread Ben? White or Wheat? 😉
I like to get Kaiser buns actually.
That reminds me, I have 2 packs of Turkey bacon to use up sometime.
I plan on using the bandwith for my own purposes…I already have various VHF frequency transmitters readied and rearing to go…I’ll have my own analogue broadcast station ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Y’all better watch out for the Len-Rod Network! (equipped with knock-off original Cartoon Network logo and everything 😉 ) Oh yeah, i’m gonna be getting my door kicked in for copyright infringements and stuff ha h aha 😀
MetallicaManX: “I already have various VHF frequency transmitters readied and rearing to go…I’ll have my own analogue broadcast station ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Y’all better watch out for the Len-Rod Network!”
Serious question. Is that illegal? I couldn’t care less if you did… I’m honestly not pointing fingers… but if you did that, would you be worried about the FCC knocking on your door?
Yeah just a little bit…I recall reading somewere that the lower VHF frequencies are going to be used by big city police, ambulances and firefighters….But I think as long as the broadcast is short ranged, I don’t think there’ll be too much trouble. It’s not like I have a Megawatt class antenna, it’s not even in the kilowatt range…..You’d be lucky to pick up the signal even a mile or two away.
Hey, I recommend that the next podcast be an audio commentary for a good movie like Eraser.
In regards to your commentary about desThe Most Destroyed landmark (with no significant military value): Yes, Big Ben is one of the most destroyed, but the Statue of Liberty has to definitely be the number one most destroyed.
– Planet of the Apes
– Ghostbusters (walks away from pedestal)
– Deep Impact (decapitated)
– X-men
– Day After Tomorrow (buried in snow)
– Cloverfield (dedcapitated)
I’m sure these are not the only times it has been destroyed, but that’s all I can think of right now.
I am so happy that DTV is taking over. Hopefully wifi internet will be taken up by some of this switch. BTW I watched stations die last night on analog.
You can’t forget the chrysler building! I Swear in any giant monster movie in the NY area, that building is the first to go, and it’s always mentioned, lol.
Aw man. I was just gonna say the Chrysler Building. But it’s cool that Lady Liberty keeps getting decapitated.
Chrysler building
– Deep Impact
– Armageddon
– Godzilla
I can’t recall any others right now
please get this off noone cares it is sick
u r sick