On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 03:18:40 -0500, wrote:

I heard that in another year or so we will all be forced to either buy
a HDTV or buy a converter. Having all standard tv sets, and I am
neither able to afford a HDTV, nor am I impressed by their picture, I
am not at all happy about this. I live in the country where the only
means to get tv channels is to either spend half my paycheck on
satellite, or use an antenna on the roof. I chose the antenna, and
most of the time I get fairly good reception on a few local channels.

You can get satellite TV installed for free in four rooms with
individual boxes IIRC. Your monthly service will vary, but I'm pretty
sure you can get a basic 200 channel deal with no premium channels for
around $30/month. If you're only earning $60/month, you will have
trouble mounting a dish to a cardboard box or shopping cart. You must
have a slick WiFi setup, hanging out at Starbucks. But seriously...
its not THAT expensive.

I suppose I will have no choice but to buy a convertor, but I surely
will make a big fuss about it with whatever governmental agency is
behind this conspiracy to promote the sales of HDTVs and the crappy
broken up and spotty pictures they produce. I sure hope that the
convertor will produce a better picture on a standard tv than that on
the actual hdtvs.

I have a HDTV and the picture is _very_ impressive, but you can still
use your existing TV with either a cable box converter or a satellite
receiver, and the unit will convert the new digital TV signal into a
less sharp analog signal.

Anyhow, my question is whether I will also have to buy a new rooftop
antenna. My present antenna broke during a windstorm and I
temporarily fixed it with some tubing and ducttape. I was planning to
buy a new antenna when a friend told me that he thinks I will need a
HDTV antenna too, but was not sure if an old antenna would also work.
Does anyone know? Will I be able to use the same rotor or does that
need to be changed too?

Assuming you buy a digital-capable TV (not a HD TV), you should be
able to buy an antenna specifically designed to pick up the new
signals. IF you buy a HDTV, only then will you be faced with the
dilemma of whether to try and capture OTA HD signals with a
HD-designed antenna, or if you spring for the monthly satellite or
cable service. Comcast basic cable currently costs about $9.00/month.
You'd have to assume when there is no analog signal to broadcast and
all they can send is digital and digital HD... pricing might go up a
skoosh, but if they try to rip everyone off... yeah, congress will get
involved because free TV is like air and votes... both are needed.

If anyone knows what government agency to file a complaint about this
HDTV conspiracy, please let me know. Tv channels have been the same
since the beginning of television, and now we got these republican
morons forcing us to change just so the HDTV companies can rob people
charging them ten or more times the price of a regular tv and giving
them a lousy picture. Just the same story as always these days, pay
more, and get less..... I wonder how much money the republicans are
getting to shove this HDTV **** on us?

I think you should write to both your congressmen and to the Director
of the FCC, but its a done deal and has been delayed for about 5 years
already.
James

James... I assume this post was a joke but I figured I'd go along with
it.