Berkeley CSUA MOTD:Entry 40439
Berkeley CSUA MOTD
 
WIKI | FAQ | Tech FAQ
http://csua.com/feed/
2025/07/08 [General] UID:1000 Activity:popular
7/8     

2005/11/4-6 [Politics/Domestic/911, Consumer/TV] UID:40439 Activity:low
11/4    "Senate Sets 2009 Digital TV Deadline"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051104/ap_on_go_co/congress_digital_tv
        "The move to all-digital will free valuable radio spectrum, some of
        which will be allocated to improve radio communications among fire and
        police departments and other first responders."
        What I don't understand is: why don't they make the first responders
        go digital instead?  It'll impact fewer people, and the first
        responders will surely appreciate clearer reception.
        \_ because first responders, when the shit hits the fan, probably
           prefer equipment with known behaviour where all the bugs are
           either worked out or well understood.  all-digital may sound
           better, but I wouldn't want to be stuck with 1st gen gear in
           an emergency wondering if it was goign to wig out on me.
           Let the debugging cycles happen in the consumer market.
           Also consider this, the big thing is not the digital but
           the freeing up of radio spectrum that may be more useful
           to first responders (police, fire, ems, sar).  For instance
           certain frequency bands perform better for low-power usage
           (such as a handheld radio or even a car mounted unit) than
           say for high bandwidth high power usage (d-tv), and vice
           versa.  Also, you still run a digital signal over that
           versa.  Also, you can still run a digital signal over that
           "older" frequency band should you want (and someone makes
           the gear, etc).  We can get into a discussion of trunking
           as well if you want.
2025/07/08 [General] UID:1000 Activity:popular
7/8     

You may also be interested in these entries...
2010/7/12-8/11 [Politics/Domestic/911, Politics/Domestic/SocialSecurity] UID:53882 Activity:low
7/12    "Debt commission leaders paint gloomy picture"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_governors_debt_commission
        "... everything needs to be considered . including curtailing popular
        tax breaks, such as the home mortgage deduction, ..."
        Housing market is going to crash again?
        \_ Doubt it, not with NSFW marketing tactics like this:
	...

	...
2008/10/27-29 [Politics/Domestic/Election] UID:51699 Activity:kinda low
10/27   Is anyone here undecided on Obama vs. McCain?  If not, can we
        dispense with all the motd entries on the topic?
        Dot here if you're undecided:
        \_ Ron Paul: ....
        \_ BIGGS: Wait!
           \_ No, you're not funny.  No, you're not clever.  Yes,
	...
2008/4/9-12 [Politics/Domestic/911] UID:49708 Activity:nil
4/9     Hypothesis: for any given topic, roughly 20% of Americans will have
        an incredibly ill-informed or ridiculous opinion.
        \_ Agreed.
        \_ Yes.
        \_ Exactly.
        \_ Me, too.
	...
2008/1/28-2/2 [Politics/Domestic/Abortion] UID:49025 Activity:nil
1/28    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22885424
        State printed license plate to contain pro-life messages.
        \_ Gov't not abridging the freedom of speech
           "The Arizona License Plate Commission allows nonprofit groups to
           highlight their cause on license plates, but the commission in 2002
           and 2003 denied the Arizona Life Coalition permission for a
	...
2012/6/9-7/20 [Consumer/TV] UID:54416 Activity:nil
6/9     I'm interested in Tivo, is it required to buy subscription?
        Also it is possible to record and export the AVI/MPG file?
        \_ No subscription is required. Not sure about exporting the
           file, though they do let you add a hard drive, so there
           has got to be a way to move files around that way. Let
           me know what you discover.
	...
2012/3/7-26 [Consumer/Camera] UID:54328 Activity:nil
3/7     Does anyone else think the iPad3 isn't really that much better
        than the iPad2?  I don't really understand the hype.
        \_ 5MP camera?  My 1-yr-old Android phone has a 8MP auto-focus camera
           (plus a 1MP focus-free one on the front.)
              \_ The iPad camera seems like a joke to me.  The iPad is just
                 to big to be useful for taking pictures.  Maybe it makes
	...
Cache (2757 bytes)
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051104/ap_on_go_co/congress_digital_tv
AP Senate Sets 2009 Digital TV Deadline By JENNIFER C KERR, Associated Press Writer Thu Nov 3, 7:57 PM ET WASHINGTON - The Senate moved the digital TV transition one step closer t o reality on Thursday, setting a firm date for television broadcasters t o switch to all-digital transmissions. Lawmakers gave broadcasters until April 7, 2009, to end their traditional analog transmissions. The so-called "hard date" was included in a sweep ing budget bill. The bill also would provide $3 billion to help millions of Americans buy digital-to-analog converter boxes for their older television sets so t hose consumers will continue to receive a signal once the switch is made permanent. Legislation approved last month by the House Energy and Commerce Committe e calls for a Dec. Differences between the measures would need to be worked out in a House-S enate conference. In the Senate, an amendment by Republican John Ensign of Nevada that woul d have reduced the converter box subsidy to $1 billion was withdrawn. Sp okesman Jack Finn said Ensign was concerned that the $2 billion in savin gs would be spent on other projects instead of deficit reduction. Digital television promises sharper pictures and better sound than analog TV. National Association of Broadcasters president Eddie Fritts said the 2009 deadline "represents a victory for millions of Americans who could have been left stranded by a premature end to analog television service." The move to all-digital will free valuable radio spectrum, some of which will be allocated to improve radio communications among fire and police departments and other first responders. Public safety officials had pressed for the earliest possible transition. "We would have preferred an earlier date, but the most important thing is that we have a firm date so that people can start the planning and fund ing process," said Robert Gurss, director of legal and government affair s at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials. In addition to the hard date, the Senate measure also set aside an additi onal $1 billion for public safety to buy new radio communications equipm ent. The original digital television bill was sponsored by Sens. Federal Communications Commission moved up by four months the date by which small TV sets sold in the US, those 13 inches to 24 inches, must have tuners to receive digital signa ls. Sets under 13 inches will al so have to have digital tuners by that date. The commission had previously ruled that mid-sized sets, screens from 25 inches to 36 inches, be digital-ready by March 1, 2006. The informati on contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewr itten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associ ated Press.