Television Shmelivision

Six and a half years ago, I dropped cable tv. The local cable provider was, and still is, a shitty, greedy, evil company that I no longer wished to give any money to. We were down to the six channels that came in via the antenna in the garage rafters. The major alphabet networks plus Fox and two PBS stations. And when the wind was right and the planets were aligned the CW came in, but not so great, so it really doesn't count. Then February 17th, 2009 rolled around. Digital! Digital, digital, digital, high definition broadcast arrived! Even though I have a newer tv that is capable of displaying the new digital transmission mode, alas, my antenna is too puny to pull in the signal. So now I'm down to two channels, the CBS and NBC affiliates who opted to continue with their analog signals until the new deadline for digital only which rolls around sometime next month. Then, I'm thinking, I'll have nothing! At that point, to get any television at all, I have two choices. I can lock myself into a monthly subscription fee with either a satellite tv service or go back to the evil cable company. Or, I can spend four to five hundred bucks to erect a large and hideous antenna in my yard that maybe will pull in out of the air what I got before the transition. But maybe not, digital tv signals are not nearly as reliable as the old analog style transmission method. Digital doesn't travel long distances as well and is more at the mercy of the wind and weather that can vastly affect the quality of the sound and picture that is received. What really gets me is that I directly support public broadcasting and I can't get that at all! This, ladies and gentlemen, is progress!! I do have high speed internet and can watch most of the programs that I like in HD and often with absolutely no (or limited) commercial interruption. I also have an extensive collection of movies on video and dvd. I can watch what I want, when I want, I just can't park myself in front of the tv and flip channels until I figure out, perhaps hours later, that there really isn't anything I want to watch. I'm thinking that's a pretty good thing. My tv watching by default has become a deliberate and discriminating sort of thing. Leaving time for hobbies, reading, and actual interaction with other humans. I can play with my cats, do things outside. Listen to music and NPR. Speaking just for me, the switch to digital tv is a blessing in disguise. And in a way that was completely unintended by the FCC.