“For a large fraction of the population, digital terrestrial television represents nothing of benefit whatsoever,” said some clever blokey in parliament.
Yes, but we’re still being forced by the government to switch over in 2009, when the analogue signal is switched off. This will be a bit of an annoyance for me, since the only way I can receive digital television is via satellite. It will be less than convenient to install a satellite dish for every TV in the house (of which there are three).
More importantly to me, do I want to give Rupert Murdoch (owner of Sky, of course) lots of money just so I can watch TV? Here is a hint: no.
And I’m one of those lucky people who actually understand the technical workings of this digital TV malarkey. I can do it with the minimum of head-scratching. Despite this, even I can’t be arsed with the switchover. Analogue television delivers a 625-line colour picture and stereo sound perfectly well and digital TV gives you, er, well, the same thing actually. Except with added MPEG artifacts and a cheery “no satellite signal is being received” message when it rains.
Bloody onward march of technology.
