Gearfuse

Apparently, some people are still getting scammed into buying converter boxes, even as they are buying brand new digitally-correct LCD TVs. Sure, it’s fun to take advantage of old people every once in a while, but usually only when they are your Grandma and there’s a $20 bill on the line. Here’s testimonial from one such customer’s son-in-law:

They were buying a TV for a new RV and bought a DTV converter box. I told them after they got it that they shouldn’t need a converter because the TV (an LCD) was new. I unhooked the converter box and the TV found the new digital stations fine. They are in a poor reception area where they only get a couple of channels, but the digital ones were very clear.

They still don’t quite believe they don’t need the converter. I wonder how many people were over-sold the converter boxes. I did a fair amount of searching and couldn’t really find much (although there was a glut of general information) about what happens when a converter box is hooked to a new TV. I’m guessing it won’t work too great, but I’d like to see a more in depth analysis.

Either these salesmen are really uninformed or they are simply scamming old people into buying shit they don’t need, in hopes of a higher commission. Either way, get with the fucking program.

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If you’ll recall, the FCC has commanded that today be the final day for Americans to prepare for the great digital switchover. At midnight tonight, millions of unprepared Americans will be watching television only to find their shows abruptly cut off. I can only imagine the look of horror that’ll grip the faces of the elderly. Poor people. Get a digital converter or a DTV antenna already.

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We’re fed up.

The cable companies have subjected us to non-stop bullshit over the past 5 to 10 years, depending on your provider. Comcast, RCN, COX, Time Warner and all the others are constantly raising our fees, not offering enough channels in HD and this time around, trying to cap our Internet bandwidth. Time Warner Cable (TWC) has been experimenting with bandwidth metering for over a year now and the results have not been pretty. Though rumors have been swirling around that TWC will offer unlimited bandwidth for $150 a month, nothing has been confirmed.

So you would think that with all this heat on them, TWC would be open to discussing Net Neutrality with the FCC in an effort to appease its users. No dice. Look at this crap:

“Now is not the time, nor is this the appropriate proceeding, to engage in a debate about the need for net neutrality obligations,” two TWC lawyers warned the FCC on Monday. The discussion should stay strictly focused on broadband deployment, the company insists. “Debates in this proceeding about new net neutrality regulations would only divert attention from these important goals, delaying the distribution of funds while generating considerable contention when the Commission should instead be fostering a spirit of collaboration.”

You know what, Time Warner? Spare me your antics. I canceled with you awhile ago for a reason. I’m not coming back and hopefully others will cancel as well before you end up totally fucking them over.

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So you’ve got the debt-riddled satellite radio monopoly known as Sirius-XM and you’ve got veteran satellite pioneer EchoStar. EchoStar is trying to buy Sirius-XM but the company keeps rebuffing its offer. As a shareholder, I believe this is not in our best interests. Sirius-XM has yet to turn a profit and while its subscriber base is increasing, short-term money solutions are becoming a key issue. Some people, like the blog Orbitcast, seem to think that the solution is a Democrat-run FCC. I think we just need more lax anti-trust laws.

Do you use Sirius-XM? Worried about losing your Howard Stern? Chip in and let us know what you think is the right thing for Sirius-XM to do.

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Most people think the FCC is all bad and all that it wants to do is prevent us from enjoying quality television with harsh language and nudity. Well, they would be right except that once in a blue moon the FCC blows the lid on some covert hardware that will soon hit store shelves. This time the FCC has leaked word of Sony’s latest VAIO netbooks.

Yes, you read right. It turns out that Sony does not feel too high and mighty enough to not compete with the slew of netbooks its competitors have been selling like hot cakes. Not much but enough is known about the two new models known as the PCG-1P1L and PCG-1P2L. The PCG prefix is known to represent Sony’s VAIO portable line and the dimensions of these latest models match typical netbook sizes, approximately 9.5 inches long by 4.5 inches wide. We’re excited to see Sony showing interest in the netbook market and can’t wait to get our hands on it!

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Do you have any idea how long it takes for me to download pictures of my favorite Enterprise captain, Kathryn Janeway, in the nude? A long time. This is because I’m running on a WiFi network that’s older than time itself. I’d be lucky if this thing wasn’t putting out harmful rays that will have me growing extra limbs.

It’s a good thing the FCC approved this new WiFi which comes from wireless airwaves between TV channels. It’s said to have a much longer range than conventional WiFi and is significantly faster. That’s going to make downloading porn a heck of a lot more enjoyable.
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Everyone hates Comcast. Don’t give me that shit that it’s a decent company. Comcast is thisclose to getting shit on by half its customers and as Verizon offers (somewhat) better options and TV, customers will start to defect away from Comcast. Now the FCC is ready to make everyone’s day, by announcing that Comcast knowingly and wrongly fucked with your Internet.

Crack open a Bud. You deserve one. The FCC is expected to levy fines against Comcast on Friday and rule that Comcast cannot interfere with consumer ‘net traffic. This is a win for all of us.

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This is just coming off the wires but it appears the FCC is going to punish Comcast for the way it has been handling its ‘net traffic. As you may recall, Comcast has been at the center of an argument over whether or not it has the right to throttle Bit Torrent traffic. The FCC claims that by doing this, it’s violating the FCC’s principles of protecting consumers access to the Internet.

Remember, this is the same Comcast that sabotaged a public hearing and offers shit Internet service. And look what they’re still spewing:

Company spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice on Thursday denied that Comcast blocks Internet content or services and that the “carefully limited measures that Comcast takes to manage traffic on its broadband network are a reasonable part” of the company’s strategy to ensure all customers receive quality service.

It’ll be awhile before Comcast is fined and forced to give us back what is rightfully ours (The Internet), so don’t go holding your breath in excitement. This is just one step in the right direction towards freedom on the Internet.

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So, Mr. Gates. It seems you want to make another go at this whole portable media thing. The FCC has approved the Zune 2 80GB model, after putting it through the usual vigorous testing for compliance with such rules as the allowed radiated emissions, and more importantly, the mandatory “doesn’t blue screen every two seconds” test.

I think it remains pretty clear where we stand on the whole Apple vs. Microsoft conflict, yet we shall wait and see what the consumers decide when the 80GB Zune is released. And just to make sure that no secrets would be revealed, Microsoft made sure that no actual photos were released for this test. Does anyone expect this thing to make a good showing? — Andrew Dobrow

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