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November 19, 2007
Dear CNET members,
Happy Monday, folks! Isn't it suppose to "Happy Friday!" you
ask? Well yes, but because my daughter got sick again, I
wasn't able to send the newsletter out this past Friday. So,
here I am greeting you with a fresh start this week--I hope
you don't mind. Now let's get started with this week's topic
on the concerns over the upcoming U.S. Government mandate of
all TV signals going digital.
The concerns over the analog-to-digital TV signal switch on
February 17, 2009 (in the United States only) is probably one
of the most frequently submitted questions to this
newsletter. And while it seems that 2009 is pretty far away,
let's address it now rather than later. For one thing, don't
panic! I'm sure there will be a lot of buzz surrounding this
topic way before this deadline approaches, and everyone in
the U.S. will have time to prepare for it.
Before I present to you the submissions we received for
Queenie and Jim, I would just like to clarify a couple of
things about the digital signal switch in the U.S. First, to
the people who all already subscribe to cable or satellite,
this will not affect you. It's the people who rely on an
antenna to receive "over-the-air" analog broadcasts who must
acquire a digital tuner to continue receiving TV shows.
Second of all, if you recently purchased a TV, more than
likely your TV is already digital ready and will be able to
receive over-the-air digital signals. For those who don't
have digital-ready TVs, no worries, when the time comes, you
will just have to acquire a digital receiver box to get TV
signals.
While reading through this week's answers, I wasn't aware
that so many other countries have already started the switch
to digital TV broadcasting, and it's great to hear from these
folks as we can get a sense of how the transition in their
country is going. There is a lot great info provided by our members concerning this topic, so please read them all as I
hope they will help address some of the concerns we have with
this transition. To get you started, here are a few submissions to get you started on the topic. And if you folks have any other advice to add, please be my guest and post it
in this week's discussion topic.
Have a great week! And thank you all for your participation.
(Note: I will be taking a week off for the holiday festivities, so there will be no Member Q&A next week. However, I will have some classic, low carb discussion topics from the forums for you to nibble on through the Thanksgiving holiday.)
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Member Question of the Week
This week is a two-part question submitted by two members that
have concerns about the upcoming U.S. government mandate of
all TV signals going digital.
I've been hearing that all TV signals will be converting to
digital in 2009. What does that mean for my TV? I have a HD
flat screen that I bought last year and will be looking to
converting my bedroom small TV to a flat screen. Can you give
me tips on what to look for so that I don't purchase a TV
that will not be able to receive a signal in 2009? Also, what
about all the rest of the people who have analog tube TVs?
Will their TV go blank in 2009? Thanks.
Submitted by:
Queenie Y.
Your newsletter about 1080p got me to thinking about the
FCC's (Federal Communications Commission in the United
States) mandate for digital broadcasting. My question is:
With the FCC's mandate that everything be broadcast in
digital some time in 2009), what options are there OTHER than
having to obtain a "box" from the local cable company? In my
case that would be Comcast, and the less I have to pay them,
the better. Also, is there a downside to using a box that's
not from the cable company... I do not subscribe to any
premium channels so I have no "set top" equipment presently.
I'm already seeing channels disappear.
Submitted by:
Jim W.
Vote for the most helpful answer
 Below are the answers we've selected for you to vote on. Click on the title to read the answer by the member.
Here are the selected submissions grouped in one post.
Time to vote! Now that you've read our members' answers, which would you consider the most helpful? Click on the button to weigh in on the decision.
(Note: Below is the section to vote, please read the individual answers above before casting your vote below.)
 Answer by DTVEngineer
Answer by myoda
For the member whose answer was voted the
most helpful by our community, we will send
this member some cool CNET branded gear.
 Previous week's Q&AThe votes are in! Below is the answer voted most helpful by our community to last week's question.
I'm so glad I found this newsletter; it has been so helpful
in many ways for me. Lee, you have many wonderful people here
who have a lot of knowledge, and I hope they can help out
this grandpa here. I know my question is not a complicated
one, but to me it's quite frightening, so here it goes.
Before I head into the holidays, I'm ready to purchase my
first digital camera, and I know nothing about them except
that it doesn't need film. I don't want to ask my kids for
help because I really want this to be a surprise to them that
an old geezer like me still has a knack for technology these
days; besides I have a lot of time on my hands. I'm not
looking for anything fancy, just a good reliable camera to
take good pictures and put them on my computer for viewing
and printing them to share with my friends at my local senior
club. I would love if I can get some pointers to start me out
on this big venture of mine, like things to look for and
disregard, the dos and don'ts when buying a digital camera.
The one thing that I've heard is that megapixels are
overrated--megapixels that's beyond me. Simplicity is what I
have in mind, as I'm quite forgetful these days--so the less
complicated, the better. I'm grateful in advance for your
recommendations and advice. Please forgive if this question
is all too simple, but I have my glasses on, pen in hand, and
ready to take some notes. Thank you!
--Submitted by:
Walter H.
Walter, you've got great timing on deciding when to get into the digital camera arena. With prices so low, in all likelihood you will get an affordable camera that will meet your needs. Based on what you said in your question, I would recommend a more basic "point-and-shoot" camera (meaning not too expensive, just turn it on and go). So here's what you need to know...
(read more)
Congratulations to the winner!
Community Buzz
 Each week we take a look at topics discussed in the forums.
Have fun and enjoy!
More from the forums
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Check out next week's question:
I never thought in my wildest dreams, I would be considering a MP3 player for myself, but here I am asking for advice on one. Every where I go, I can't help but see ads for the iPods and I'm very curious if this is the right MP3 player for me. I don't want to buy an iPod just because it is the trend as I want to buy something that will last me in the long run. Is the iPod really that popular that it is a must buy? Forgive me, as I'm completely new to this type of gadget and I want something simple to use and has low learning curve. Can you suggest a MP3 player that will be small enough for me to carry when I go for my daily walks? I also would like something with a screen that will allow me to store pictures of my kids, and one that has enough storage space for my entire Beatles and Elvis CD collections. What are some things that are a must to look for in a MP3 player and of course what are things I should avoid or be aware of when I buy a MP3 player? Any advice and recommendation will be helpful. Thank you.
--Submitted by:
Nancy S.
We feature a new question every Friday, and if you have the answer for our member, you can submit it above. If your submission is picked by our members as the most helpful answer, you'll receive some cool CNET branded gear.
Have a question?
• Multimedia
• Internet Security
• Digital Cameras
• Home Audio & Video
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• PC Troubleshooting
• Digital Music
• Consumer electronics
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Simple question, simple answer
Help your fellow members
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