Why is the government forcing people to switch to digital tv programming by Feb 2009?

Question

It doesn't affect me personally, and I said government because Congress is offering coupons for convertor boxes.

Who is really forcing our hands, the government or the Broadcasting companies?

Answer 1

They should make us switch to the metric system.

Digital signals are better. It's progress.

Answer 2

forcing may be too strong a word..   there is a need for standards, but coming up with them means committees and bureaucracy, and manufacturers trying to get their technology in there....  leading to 'one hot mess'  

as it is infrastructure is complicated in the USA...  the ancient stuff is in the way, while they are trying to install the latest greatest stuff, and still developing better stuff, that someone else will want to get in in another couple of years.

gave a nice boost retail as well, who failed to see the need to explain to those people who didn't understand that their old tv would still work.

Answer 3

$$$$$$$$$$$

Answer 4

in addition to the benefit of degital system as in picture & sound quality, also it's easier to make any changes in your TV program in minutes like adding a channel instead of waiting for a Tech to come & remove the trap from the box outside your house..

also, digital TV service is easier to connect & disconnect as in the past lots of poeple were using TV connections illegally because cable companies couldn't get a tech to disconnect it manually.. so it saves money for cable companies