[LINK] digital TV conversion - psychology of the consumer

[David Goldstein]

Totally agree Paul. Craig's point, maybe somewhat in jest, of course is censorship!

There was an interesting comment article in The Guardian recently that was about the digital conversion there. There, as here, people are slower in the uptake of digital set top boxes and TVs than desired. The author says, in short, when it comes to the crunch, people will just go and get their STB boxes. Until they need to, many just won't bother.
"Chaos theory
The papers are full of doom-laden predictions about the switchover to digital TV, just as they once were over decimalisation, and chip and pin technology. But will it really be a disaster? If the history of big British changes teaches us anything, says Oliver Burkeman it's that we're remarkably adaptable when push comes to shove"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2148805,00.html

Maybe the same thing will happen here.

There's an another Guardian article saying half of all households are ready for the switchover - see http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,2148610,00.html

There was also as part of this debate talk of the el cheapo set top boxes. Surely these are mostly environmental disasters. Cheaply put together, probably much in the same was cheap clothes are put together ie in almost slave-like conditions, that will break down in less time than a more expensive version, on average. Thus adding to the crap in rubbish dumps.

David

----- Original Message ----
From: Paul Brooks <pbrooks-link at layer10.com.au>
To: Craig Sanders <cas at taz.net.au>
Cc: Link Mailing List <link at anu.edu.au>
Sent: Wednesday, 15 August, 2007 12:12:53 PM
Subject: Re: [LINK] digital TV conversion - psychology of the consumer

Picking up on an older thread..

Craig Sanders wrote:
> wouldn't it be wonderful if there was no sport at all on FTA, not even
> the 10-15 minutes that it wastes on the news each night? no football of
> any kind, no tennis, no cricket, no interviews with not-quite-retarded
> thugs whose claim to fame is that they can kick a ball or ride a bike or
> swim etc, no commonwealth games, and bliss! no olympics.
>   
No.
I enjoy watching some sport, especially if I can't travel to the place 
the match is being played.
I enjoy getting out with my family, and watching my children get 
exercise and coordination through sport - and role-models seen on 
television as well as in live events help get children away from their 
gameboys and out in the fresh air.
I expect that enthusiasm for sport, fostered by seeing it on TV, 
encourages people of all ages out to participate and become a bit 
healthier and engage in soical interaction, in a way that no amount of 
gym memberships and pounding the pavements in solitary jogging can achieve.
I find it a bit rich to, on the one hand, advocate expanding the amount 
of differentiated programming on an expanded number of channels to cater 
for niche interests, and then turn around and advocate removing an 
entire genre that the majority of the population (possibly not 
represented proportionately on this list) enjoys watching.

fast-forward, change channels, skip it with your PVR and exercise your 
personal right to choose not to watch if you wish, at the point of 
consumption and reception - but don't try to impose your personal 
preferences on the source - the transmission - and seek to restrict the 
ability of the rest of us to choose to watch if we wish.


Go the Swans.

Paul.
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