Digital Exam

With the February "drop dead" date for the digital conversion of television moved to June 12th, I figured it was time to run one of my Hustler columns that dealt with this mess.  It was edited as always by Bruce David.

OK. Here’s the exam. What does the date February 17, 2009 mean to you? Sure you know you’ve seen it somewhere but can remember. How about the lower third of your favorite TV show. Now you’ve got it. That’s the day TV goes completely digital and your old reliable standby analog TV will disappear forever. Have I lost you yet? Well if I have here’s a little primer.

In May 1941 the FCC adopted what we now have as our television standard of 525 scan lines. An electron beam sketched the picture in small lines across the face of the television tube. The total number of those lines amounted to 525. We weren’t the first with TV , Germany and Great Britain were doing it in the ’30 and their scan lines were more at 625 and 725. Why we adopted an inferior system is beyond me, but I bet it had something to do with politics and payoffs. The more lines the better the definition of the picture. That’s why if you’ve ever watched TV in Europe, the picture always seemed so much better. To add to all this confusion every country had a different system. Ours was called “NTSC”. Europe had “PAL” while even other countries had “SECAM”. There was no worldwide standard. What a mess.

TV here began to make its commercial debut in 1946. It would have been earlier but the world war held off our launch. It was black and white and it was fuzzy, but people would sit around happily watching the old Indian head test pattern just because it was there. 

Color didn’t come along that much later. The first system to be approved by the FCC was from CBS who started broadcasting color in 1951. It involved a large whirling color wheel and was incompatible with black and white. RCA ‘s system wasn’t approved because it really wasn’t ready for primetime. In spite of it all RCA persevered by among other things, coming up with a compatible system, improving on the original set and by starting rumors that the color wheel of the CBS sets could come loose and decapitate its viewers. The fight was a prolonged affair, but CBS gave up due to production problems. The eventual winner was RCA. RCA’s TV network NBC started colorcasts in 1953.

Since that time 55 years ago nothing has really changed with the possible exception of the addition of stereo sound.

In the meantime other countries, notably Japan, had been working on new systems meant to create a picture of High Definition. Most of them were analog as opposed to digital. 

I suppose another explanation is due. Analog is a variable continuous signal. Digital is a series of 0’s and 1’s basically representing on and off. Digital is said to be more flexible and efficient than analog and uses less bandwidth. Still scratching your head? Never mind it’s not important to know how it works as much as that it exists and that everyone’s going to get rich from it.

The FCC then mandated that there should be a cut off date for analog television and after many tries finally came up with February 17, 2009. Yes it’s a Tuesday which makes no sense at all.

So is all this better for you? Well the old system was ancient, but who this is really great for are the people who make TV equipment. There’s just no way they will lose on this deal.

If you have an old fashioned tube set, you must have a converter, which can be had for around $50 and less if you get a coupon from the government. However don’t buy that converter or throw out your TV set just yet. If you have cable or satellite you are ready good to go since that’s all you will need. If you don’t it’s time to get that converter or just buy a new fangled digital picture box.

The cost of the flat screen digital TV’s are coming down to what tube prices once were. If you look around you can get into a 32” for around $500.

All that said, what happens to people who need food first and rely on over the air signals as their only source of entertainment and information? Hasn’t anybody heard that there’s a recession on? Gas costs a bundle and “Mac and Cheese” is a major staple.

There might have been a better way. Those old channels could have been kept on the air but the telecommunication boys have been drooling to get their hands on them for years. Think of the Trillions being spent by everyone to do the conversion. it’s good for business.

Here’s how this is this good for you? Remember all those crappy shows on your old TV? Now they will all be in Hi-Def.

All this still confusing? Then let me tell you about the two digital systems 1080i and 720p not to mention the 1080p they can’t broadcast but is on Blu-ray……..

Aww fuck it! It’s all a big mess.