[BC] cheap tv

[Alan Kline]

OK, Tom, I get the humor, but my point was serious--too many companies 
are claiming that the 2/17/09 date *requires* them to replace everything 
from camera and mic to the stick, therefore requiring that they cut 
staff to pay for it. That's bull. The only requirement is the encoder, 
transmitter, and stick. Everything else can be replaced as normal 
business practices allow. And for that matter, there never has been a 
requirement to replace production equipment or on-air playout equipment 
with anything digital. As I said before, competitive issues make it 
prudent, (and for that matter, where can you buy analog anything 
anymore?) but that's not the same as a government mandate. It's a lame 
excuse from bad management.

When we put our DTV on air in 2002, the encoder was fed an analog signal 
from analog studio and master controls, analog network, etc., etc. Since 
then, we've upgraded most of that infrastructure to digital, and 
continue to do so--because the old equipment was worn out, fully 
depreciated, (and then some) and it was time to do so. *Not* because 
there was a government mandate.

So I appreciate the humor, but I stand by my point...

ak

(However, I did get a kick out of putting tone from our 1939-vintage 
General Radio oscillator on-air on the DTV. I won't admit how or why it 
got there, but still... ;-) )

Tom wrote:
> Well, I'd probably want to at least upgrade Film 1 (and maybe Film 2) to 
> something like the Rank Cinetel - a flying spot scanner seems so much 
> easier to maintain, somehow... probably trade in the quads for some 
> VPR-2s...  and the U-Matic decks HAVE to go....  maybe M-format for the 
> ENG stuff.....
> 
> and get at least TK-44s... probably leave Film 3 as the pair of TP-66s 
> and the FSP-2, with the TK-66 (IIRC) looking at the mirrors....
> 
> the GVG master and production switchers, though - stay.
> 
> Not sure about the video cart machines.....  (can I take the output from 
> my laptop and play wmv files to air?)
> 
> And since I JUST upgraded the entire audio chain to  a Wheatstone 
> console in Production and went stereo with the Optimod 8282....
> 
> <VBG>  (did I date myself enough?)