I like to watch TV or Why are we switching to DTV?

I think it’s one of the dumbest moves ever:

Why are we switching to DTV?

An important benefit of the switch to all-digital broadcasting is that it will free up parts of the valuable broadcast spectrum for public safety communications (such as police, fire departments, and rescue squads). Also, some of the spectrum will be auctioned to companies that will be able to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services (such as wireless broadband).

Consumers also benefit because digital broadcasting allows stations to offer improved picture and sound quality, and digital is much more efficient than analog. For example, rather than being limited to providing one analog program, a broadcaster is able to offer a super sharp “high definition” (HD) digital program or multiple “standard definition” (SD) digital programs simultaneously through a process called “multicasting.” Multicasting allows broadcast stations to offer several channels of digital programming at the same time, using the same amount of spectrum required for one analog program. So, for example, while a station broadcasting in analog on channel 7 is only able to offer viewers one program, a station broadcasting in digital on channel 7 can offer viewers one digital program on channel 7-1, a second digital program on channel 7-2, a third digital program on channel 7-3, and so on. This means more programming choices for viewers.

That reads like gibberish to me. But, I’m sure it makes sense to someone out there. OK — I lied; I get it. But it still doesn’t make sense with the current economic climate.  Who makes watching television difficult just when life is REALLY difficult?

Maybe it doesn’t seem important in the grand scheme of things.  But, I’m curious about how many people are going to be taken by surprise on February 17th.  How many people are going to come home from work (if they HAVE work) and find zzzzzzz.

Nothing on TV.

(This is an Open Thread)