Post by Patrick on Jul 7, 2008 22:23:22 GMT
I've long held a suspicion that Digital TV will turn out to be just another way for us to be held to ransom by the electrical retailers - and I've expanded on this before. There was proof of this today in a report by You and Yours on R4. Apparently, Freeview services in some parts of Scotland have completely disappeared because the company that runs the service has fiddled with the signal settings. They reassured the presenter that this was only 1% of the population who may have a digital box aged five years or older! They would have to upgrade to be able to receive the signal again! - According to the Freeview chappie this is no hardship at all because you can pick up a box for next to nothing.
The good news for the rest of us (Ha ha!) is that this alteration (to allow for "new services") will be rolled out across the UK - and here 1% will = 100,000 people, who will need to go and buy another set top box!
I can see this now happening every ten years or so - worse if it turns out to be every five! Simply for the big companies to up their profits for the year.
It's all very well saying that the equipment is cheap? The one that's being replaced might not have been! To make life simple, for instance, we bought a box in 2004 that was the same make as our telly (having heard of compatibility issues elsewhere.) It cost £90 Nevertheless - it broke down after two years (Thank you Argos 3 year warranty) We thought we'd give the maker a second chance - and this time the box cost £60 (or nothing for us with the warranty) Now the same box is £30 from them. It is just a licence to make money - and what happens when people start buying intergrated TV's? will they stop making set top boxes then? Will we be forced to buy a new Telly every five years? (We've currently had ours for four.)
I know I've said it before; but he whole digital age is a scam. Today we had the proof. Regardless of people tending to change or upgrade their equipment fairly frequently anyway - many can't afford to, or don't as a matter of course. Now they maybe force to.
The good news for the rest of us (Ha ha!) is that this alteration (to allow for "new services") will be rolled out across the UK - and here 1% will = 100,000 people, who will need to go and buy another set top box!
I can see this now happening every ten years or so - worse if it turns out to be every five! Simply for the big companies to up their profits for the year.
It's all very well saying that the equipment is cheap? The one that's being replaced might not have been! To make life simple, for instance, we bought a box in 2004 that was the same make as our telly (having heard of compatibility issues elsewhere.) It cost £90 Nevertheless - it broke down after two years (Thank you Argos 3 year warranty) We thought we'd give the maker a second chance - and this time the box cost £60 (or nothing for us with the warranty) Now the same box is £30 from them. It is just a licence to make money - and what happens when people start buying intergrated TV's? will they stop making set top boxes then? Will we be forced to buy a new Telly every five years? (We've currently had ours for four.)
I know I've said it before; but he whole digital age is a scam. Today we had the proof. Regardless of people tending to change or upgrade their equipment fairly frequently anyway - many can't afford to, or don't as a matter of course. Now they maybe force to.
)
