Digital television transition delayed until June 12

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 264-158 Wednesday to delay the switch from analog to digital TV broadcasting until June 12 of this year. The Obama administration and several top Democrats asked for the postponement, citing a Nielsen study that reveals millions of people aren't ready for the transition yet. Six percent of households are "not at all ready," and another nine percent are only "partially ready."

Last year, the FCC auctioned off the (shrinking) segment of the broadcast spectrum that contains analog signals. Private companies were the major purchasers in the transaction, which netted the government a cool $20 billion. While there has been some contentious debate about the wisdom of so few hands (many of them multinational) governing a vast swath of the airwaves, parts of the spectrum will still be reserved for public access and emergency broadcast.

Those of us who put off getting one of those newfangled digital boxes can breathe a sigh of relief as our procrastination is given a few months' stay of execution. In the meantime, CNet has written up a stellar review of the whats/whys/whens of the analog-to-digital transition, as well as relevant information on getting your official DTV converter box. The future is (almost) here.

Related links:
DTV.gov
CNet Reviews: The Digital TV Transition
YouTube: Digital TV transition (for the elderly)

Got a news tip for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.