[BC] HDTV's impact on portables

[WFIFeng@aol.com]

While on the way home form work, I was chatting with a local ham. This 
gentleman (in all senses of the word) gave me something to think about... I 
mentioned to him the nature of this Forum, and how I have not seen anyone else 
address 
this very real concern. I had no answer for him, so I told him that I would 
pass along his question to this fine group:

"What about all of the poeple who rely upon battery-operated TV sets to get 
news and information in emergencies?"

That one stumped me. How *IS* anyone with a battery-portable TV going to use 
the proposed HDTV converter box? Obviously, they aren't! (Unless they're going 
to make a model with a DC power input, which I tend to doubt.) He was rather 
adamant about this, and once he expressed this to me, I knew what he was 
getting at.

All of those battery-portable radio/TV units will be nothing but radios come 
2009, when analog TV goes away. Not even the "TV sound " radios will hear 
anything useful anymore. In many emergencies, yes, Radio is still a vial link, 
but 
so is TV. Come 2009... "Now what?"

Thoughts?

Willie...







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