Survey finds awareness in DTV transition high, people still lallygagging around

Let's get this straight. A Best Buy survey suggesting that the public isn't acting early on the imminent digital TV transition. From the same big box retailer accused of pushing ignorant citizens into buying unnecessary wares in order to maintain a signal post-2009. Righhht. For whatever it is (or isn't) worth, a recent survey from said retailer has found that 88-percent of respondents were "aware of the digital broadcast transition, but were still confused about why [it] was happening and what really needed to be done to prepare." It also found that nearly half (45-percent) of those who hadn't already picked up a new TV or a DTV converter box were going to "wait until after the digital deadline to take action," which is really so typical of our society, isn't it? Go ahead government, spend those advertising dollars good -- the public at large still won't do anything until their hands are forced.

[Image courtesy of StarBulletin]

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2008 11:24AM]

Lallygaggnig? of Course, that is what the average consumer does, they BS around till the last minute, then they wine and complain about how this "inconveniances" them.

To bad, we are moving forward with DTV :)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 17th 2008 4:41PM]

Everyone will be affected by the DTV change. Every TV purchased from now on will cost three times as much as the old analog one. The manufacturers just got the biggest gift of all time and it came from the US Government. Cable and Satellite users will eventually need a new TV and they will face these higher costs just like the "Cheapo" Antenna users.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2008 11:33AM]

The idea of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is in full play --- There will just be a mad rush and a big uproar once the analog is switched off and people lose their signals.

It's just too bad we have to wait until February --- they should have pulled the plug a month ago.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2008 11:57AM]

Honestly, how many people that go into Best Buy really use OTA for analog reception. The DTV migration only affects those people and most of them are old people or really poor people. I don't see either of these demographics in Best Buy much. I think what is happening is Best Buy milking confused customers that have money.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2008 2:47PM]

As a former manager at Best Buy i can tell you it is all about location. In southern Indiana where i was a manager many people use OTA and that is it. Cable companies will not pay to run lines to them and many dislike Satellite. Some people just don't watch tv that much around here either. We would get all types of people coming to our store because it was either us or Walmart/Target since we closed down the Circuit by us many years ago and the next closest electronics store was 50 miles away. Best Buy may not always have the most informed people but atleast you can find someone to talk to that knows something, as opposed to if you can find someone at all at walmart.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 27th 2008 2:11PM]

No one wants to admit that this whole thing is going to be one big debacle and regardless if one is old, poor or wealthy most people are either too dumb or too lazy to understand this or even care about this transition.

[Garst Posted Jun 27th 2008 4:31PM]

I'm not lagging behind. Despite the web order form and phone number not working, I ordered one DTVPal (I want to try it myself before getting another). Hopefully DISH Network has fixed the problems, but the guy I talked to was very helpful. And he did mention that the price will be going down later this summer.