analog news stories on Newser

As Analog Dies, Earth Falls Silent

Emily Rauhala — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:51:22 CST

Mankind's odds of being discovered by aliens are plummeting as digital chatter makes Earth all but invisible from space. Whereas old-fashioned analog signals spread millions of miles into space, digital signals stay put. As we move toward the latter, says space expert Frank Drake, Earth becomes harder to find.

Some Stations Go Digital Next Week

Peter Fearon — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:59:27 CST

Nearly 700 local TV stations across America plan to switch from analog to digital signals next week despite a new law delaying the transition deadline until June, CNET reports. Congress is worried that 20 million consumers, mostly poor, elderly, or living in rural areas, still don't have the conversion equipment...

House Rejects Digital TV Delay

Nick McMaster — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:07:00 CST

The House defeated a bill today to delay the switch to all-digital television, the Washington Post reports. The vote comes two days after the Senate approved extending the deadline to June 12 from Feb. 17, and is a defeat for congressional Democrats and the Obama administration, who want to give...

Digital Switch Hits Glitches

Rob Quinn — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:26:27 CST

The big switch to digital TV may be less than a month away but many viewers are finding the transition anything but smooth, the Washington Post reports. Consumers are discovering that getting a converter box for older analog sets or buying a new digital TV doesn't always guarantee good reception....

Obama Wants to Delay Digital TV Switch

John Johnson — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:32:32 CST

The push to delay pulling the plug on analog television gained an important convert today: Barack Obama. The president-elect's transition team sent a letter to Congress urging it to push back the Feb. 17 conversion date to all-digital TV, the Los Angeles Times reports. It cited in particular the Commerce...

Feds Warn of Scam on 'Free' Digital Converter Box

Laila Weir — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:00:03 CDT

Consumers beware: “Free” digital converter boxes for analog TVs, advertised in newspapers across the country, could run you $100—some $80 more than just buying a box using a government coupon. The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about the ad from Universal TechTronics, designed to look like a...