Friday, October 19th 2007
Best Buy Stops Selling Analog Televisions in Response to New Broadcasting Regulations
For those of you that still subscribe to analog television services, and still use old-fashioned "analog" televisions, you finally have a legitimate excuse to go to your local electronics store and splurge: by February 19th, 2009, all analog broadcasts to consumer televisions will be prohibited in America. All broadcasts from then on will be all digital. Consumers with analog televisions can approach this two ways. They can buy a digital-to-analog converter box, which should cost about $70. Or, the consumer can buy a brand new HDTV. Best Buy is hoping that consumers will do the latter. To help sway consumers in favor of dropping large amounts of cash to a brand new television, and to make sure that their new television customers will be satisfied for years to come, they've stopped selling analog televisions altogether.
Source:
DailyTech
Customers can now be sure that any television they purchase at Best Buy will be fully compliant with the digital television transition. And for customers who aren't in the market for a new television, we can help you find the best solution to meet your needs
15 Comments on Best Buy Stops Selling Analog Televisions in Response to New Broadcasting Regulations
On a serious note though, the ruling has also played a huge damper on my job. I will not go into full details about that.
I wonder how the ruling will effect off-air radio broadcasts as well.
Just another reason i hate Digital.
In the UK is supposed to be 100% digi by 2012 were as the US by 2009?. Sheesh... And to be honest i cannot see much differance from Analog and Digital even more so how much more it costs. I guess it's a way to make sure everyones paying up huh.
unless the manufacturers start beefing up production to meet the impending demand . . . doubtful
1st off, how many of you are getting your "tech updates" regarding TV from the Best Buy salesman???? PC monitors have been digital for ages, long before 1080p, and far too many people seem to miss this.
The FCC rules is NOT that all programming must be HD by 2009, it must be digital. YOUR TV IS NOT GOING TO STOP WORKING. 90-95% of all TV's in use at this point in time are already digital. No converter box, no new TV needed. If you bought your TV within the last 15 years chances are it's digital. If your TV supports channels higher than 69 it IS digital, and if your TV has any RCA connections it IS digital. This story centers around how easily the "mob" is tossed into a panic over nothing or a misunderstanding. In 2009 the TV you bought for christmas last year WILL work.
The simple fact of the matter is that most TV stations are going to HD. If you already have to rip our you existing equipment (analog) and spend tons of money replacing it (digital) then why not drop the extra money and get the best you can (HD) now, rather than wait 10 years when that will be the standard, and you'll be stuck upgrading again? The TV industry, along with comission based selling compnies and greesy sales people everywhere have convinced people that what "most" are doing is actually what all are doing, and tried to sell you a TV by making you believe it was mandatory.
Would you ask the car salesman to give you fair, accurate, unbiased information about the car he's trying to sell you??? Then why are you believing the retail salesman?
90% of television is already digital right now. If you get you TV from a source other than an outdoor (ota) antenna then you're probably getting digital. Cable went digital in most place, satellite (DBS) has been digital for many years now, DVD players are ditigal, etc etc. Please don't panic, don't sell your TV's, and don't sink huge ammounts of money into a HDTV unless you WANT one, because you don't NEED one.
Sorry for ranting. I work in the TV bizz and i've been crushing this falsification ever since retail salesman started spewing it 2 years ago :).
www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/02/26/fcc_rule_requires_all_new_tvs_to_be_digital/
The main point i'm trying to make here is that (i'm guessing at this number, but i've heard teh real number before and i'm pretty sure this is correct) 80% of all american households DO NOT receive their television via OTA signal. They subscribe to a distributor (comshit, dish, directTV, etc, etc). I really could care less if you guys want to run out and buy HDTV's, they nice. The point is i don't want people who don't need\want HD to be duped into believeing that they do need to get a new TV. Working int he TB biz the last 3 years i've seen far too many conned into buying something they didn't want, didn't need, they don't understand, and they end up hating it.
And i'd also like to point out that yet again someone has fallen for the hype. Best Buy never had your best interest at heart. The goverment is mandating all TV's going foreword have a digital OTA tuner. Best Buy just tried to make themselves look good by boasting about switching over when they never had a choice.