The Government Made Me Do It!

(Or- How I won the battle and got myself a beautiful new DTV)

February 17th is the D-Day of the television industry! That's the day that the digital television transition is complete, analog TV turns black and is replaced by a big, beautiful, technically advanced digital signal. And who came up with this brilliant scheme to "force my hand"(LOL) and just about MAKE me buy a new TV? The U.S. Government, that's who!(Thank you!!) The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requires that all full-power television stations turn off their analog channels and begin broadcasting in an all digital format by February 17th 2009!

The easiest way to insure that I didn't miss a minute of my favorite shows was to make sure ALL my TV's accepted this new signal, right? Bye bye rabbit ears, hello 32" HDTV….! Oh sure I could have gotten a converter box, but why do that? Besides four TVs, four boxes? Where do I get them? I had convinced myself that at least one new TV was in order, (twist my arm why don't ya!).

I created a fool-proof argument convincing my significant other that we absolutely, positively needed to buy a new TV….I posed it as a civic duty, a way to do my part in fully supporting the digital television transition forced into motion by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.

Taking the leap from purchasing a simple 17" digital TV to a flatscreen, plasma, 32" HDTV with all the bells and whistles was practically like taking candy from a baby! The fact that we wouldn't have been left black in the first place (cable TV isn't affected by the digital television transition) didn't even factor into the equation. The truth is, I'd been gunning for a bigger, better TV for over a year already. So, here I sit with my big beautiful new TV, thanks to the help and great deal I received from TheHighDefinitionStore.com.

Eventually I will replace my other three sets, probably once the Government sets in place another law that doesn't really affect me, but "forces" me once again to comply. I can hardly wait!