[Vision2020] digital television

[Ted Moffett]

All:

We are not likely to see a huge dumping of analog TVs when the analog "on 
air" broadcasts are stopped for these reasons:

1) Video D/A converter boxes will come down in price over time and increase 
in demand, like most things electronic.  So if your analog TV has years 
left, it will be cheap to just get a converter box rather than a new digital 
TV.

2)  People will keep their analog tuner TVs to watch VHS, DVD, Laserdiscs, 
etc. as these will all still work of course.  The analog TV can be kept as a 
second set in the bedroom, for example, to watch VHS or DVD movies.  I know 
some people who only use their TV to watch movie rentals anyways.

3)  Many people now do not watch "on air" TV but have cable or satellite.  
These service providers can keep sending signals that will be compatible 
with analog tuners with a converter box supplied if needed.  I believe some 
cable providers are digital now and do supply converter boxes to convert 
this signal to analog.  Direct TV and Dish network send the satellite 
downlink digital now, and the satellite receivers convert it to analog.   I 
expect they will continue to use this model and not demand all their 
customers to get TVs with digital tuners.

4)  When people wake up and realize how they are wasting their life watching 
TV, most TVs will be used as end tables or potted plant holders or 
conversation pieces about the folly of their former lives as vidiots.  The 
unused CRTs will be popular objects to paint and decorate to express ones 
freedom of thought and uniqueness, rather than being used as they are now to 
control and conform individual's thoughts from afar.
Environmental awareness in this new enlightened world will preclude mass 
dumping of these toxic artifacts of a bygone age.

Ted, currently a vidiot



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