Analog TVs gone from Best Buy
Michael Gay October 17th, 2007
This is a sure sign the DTV transition date is approaching. Best Buy has pulled all analog TVs from their store shelves, and will begin selling the new converter boxes in January. Do you hear that sound? That’s the Geek Squad licking the digital chops since so many HDTV users don’t know how to set up their TV.
(Via Broadcasting & Cable)
6 Comments Add your own
1. Charles | October 17th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Wow. Early this spring my old analog TV died and my local Best Buy had an abundance of cheap analog TV’s and very, very few DTV’s that were not HDTV. The TV I wound up getting elsewhere is a analog/digital TV with a tuner to receive HD programming. It’s still SDTV, but I didn’t have to skip a semester of school in order to pay for a TV. (For around $150, I think. Plus a built-in DVD player as well and plenty of cable connection hookups all over the back.)
The end of analog doesn’t mean you need to spend $1,000+ on HDTV’s, although I’m sure stores would love you to think that. You just need a set with a digital tuner. (Shoppers and search-engine referrals: NATS I think is the analog tuner, NTSC is digital and QAM is the HD tuner.)
Although I’m still not convinced it’s best to force us all to switch over, I will say that the HD programming I get, even in SD, looks AMAZING. Simply amazing.
2. TR | October 17th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
The coorect accronyms are..
Analog - NTSC
Digital/HD - ATSC
Digital Cable - QAM
3. discreet_chaos | October 18th, 2007 at 3:34 am
I guess the realities of business is why they’re waiting until after Christmas.
4. Hussman | October 18th, 2007 at 6:35 am
January of ‘08 is also when the government voucher program begins, thus the great influx of DTV converter boxes. Did a presentation recently as part of the NAB DTV Speaks program.
Within the presentation there is an equal push for the DTV converter boxes as well as buying a new TV. Of course, there’s confusion in that too, because some sets are simpyl “monitors” with no tuner built in… thus why stations need to be in the front of the education process.
5. Brink | October 18th, 2007 at 7:51 am
It’s tough enough just to get viewers to understand that DTV is not the same thing as HDTV. I have no idea how we’re going to overcome THAT misunderstanding.
6. Dave | October 18th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Plus, the DTV change really only affects the over-the-air crowd. Cable is going to continue analog post-09…
So, how do you alert your over-the-air audience with a “HOLY S**T!” message versus your cable / satellite audience with a not-so-urgent message?
Is web the best way to target the rural, over-the-air folks? Or do we go back to the days of hot lines, promos, and direct mail?
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