DTV, the new Y2K?

In 1999, some people predicted disaster when the year rolled over to 2000, as databases and software with two-digit dates would fail and produce massive disruption. This didn't happen, as the efforts of developers took care of nearly all significant problems. Now some people are offering a new prophecy of doom: the transition to digital broadcast television on February 18, 2009. The federal government is already providing millions of coupons that will pay for converter boxes, but this supposedly isn't enough. We're told that 23 million Americans will wake up on that day and discover they don't have any TV service. If terrorists strike that day, all these people will be totally unaware of it, since they also don't have any radios or computers. Thus, there must be rapid response teams, still more coupons, and above all, more federal spending. A group called the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights is behind much of the noise; apparently conversion boxes are now a civil right in their minds.

The whole thing is silly. Imagine FEMA setting up rapid response teams on February 18 to handle the calls that come in on 911 as TV addicts need to be rescued from total withdrawal.

Personally, I haven't gotten a converter box yet and don't know if I will. It's acceptance of a federal handout, and thus inherently distasteful. Besides, I use my ancient CRT-based TV almost exclusively as a video output device for DVDs and tapes, and should replace it anyway if I care.