Petition: Attach Warning Labels to Analogue-Only TVs

I think that the idea of attaching warning labels to analogue-only units
has a fair amount of approval in this group, unlike the prospect of
outlawing such units. So if you want to show support for this, please go
to this e-petition to the Prime Minister:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/analogue-warn/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Attach warning labels
to analogue-only (non-digital) TVs and video recorders.

Analogue TV broadcasts will cease over the next few years, so that all
analogue-only TVs and video recorders will require external digital
"set-top-boxes". Many people, especially the elderly, find set-top-boxes
difficult to use, and the complexity of video recording from a
set-top-box will often defeat the technically competent too.
Analogue-only equipment is still widely available and is commonly bought
by people without knowledge of these problems. Warning labels on such
units stating "WARNING: ANALOGUE TUNER ONLY" would alert people to the
problem and discourage their sale. This would save vulnerable people
from losing money, protect the environment by reducing the vast amount
of equipment that will be dumped, and reduce the resources required to
aid the conversion to digital reception.

--
Dave Farrance

"Dave Farrance" wrote in message
...
I think that the idea of attaching warning labels to analogue-only units
has a fair amount of approval in this group, unlike the prospect of
outlawing such units. So if you want to show support for this, please go
to this e-petition to the Prime Minister:

How about a petition for people to be taught how to use their common sense
and read the technical details? Some people do need protecting from
themselves. How much more do you want to do for stupid and completely
helpless people that don't even know what day of the week it is - or buy a
TV.
I can imagine you to be the type of Victor Meldrew person that interferes
with everything - are you a do-gooder/counsellor by any chance?
Even packets of cigarettes have warnings that smoking kills and people still
buy them and smoke way happily. You just have to learn that no matter what
you say to some people - they take no notice.

I have signed this, the prime minister will be rather busy fitting lables,
but it will keep him from buggering the economy up.

At £20 or less DTT receivers are now very cheap, with FTA DST receivers not
far behind.

Anyone who can't work out how to use a DTT receiver, probably can't work a
TV either.

"Dave Farrance" wrote in message
...
I think that the idea of attaching warning labels to analogue-only units
has a fair amount of approval in this group, unlike the prospect of
outlawing such units. So if you want to show support for this, please go
to this e-petition to the Prime Minister:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/analogue-warn/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Attach warning labels
to analogue-only (non-digital) TVs and video recorders.

Analogue TV broadcasts will cease over the next few years, so that all
analogue-only TVs and video recorders will require external digital
"set-top-boxes". Many people, especially the elderly, find set-top-boxes
difficult to use, and the complexity of video recording from a
set-top-box will often defeat the technically competent too.
Analogue-only equipment is still widely available and is commonly bought
by people without knowledge of these problems. Warning labels on such
units stating "WARNING: ANALOGUE TUNER ONLY" would alert people to the
problem and discourage their sale. This would save vulnerable people
from losing money, protect the environment by reducing the vast amount
of equipment that will be dumped, and reduce the resources required to
aid the conversion to digital reception.

--
Dave Farrance

"Dave Farrance" wrote in message
...
I think that the idea of attaching warning labels to analogue-only units
has a fair amount of approval in this group, unlike the prospect of
outlawing such units. So if you want to show support for this, please go
to this e-petition to the Prime Minister:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/analogue-warn/
Dave Farrance

That's a really good idea.

Bill

"TJY" wrote in message
...
How about a petition for people to be taught how to use their common sense
and read the technical details?

It isn't common sense. It's specialist knowledge. People can't be expected
to learn all about ASO, DTT, etc, just because they want to buy a telly. I
think the petition is entirely sensible, and if the measure implemented it
will be unusual amongst legislation in that it will have a big plus side and
absolutely no minus side. In other words, it won't do any harm and it has
the potential to do a great deal of good.

If was off out to buy some piece of kit the complexities of which were OMAOE
I would be glad of any warning labels.

Bill

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...

"TJY" wrote in message
...
How about a petition for people to be taught how to use their common
sense and read the technical details?

It isn't common sense. It's specialist knowledge. People can't be expected
to learn all about ASO, DTT, etc, just because they want to buy a telly. I
think the petition is entirely sensible, and if the measure implemented it
will be unusual amongst legislation in that it will have a big plus side
and absolutely no minus side. In other words, it won't do any harm and it
has the potential to do a great deal of good.

If was off out to buy some piece of kit the complexities of which were
OMAOE I would be glad of any warning labels.

Yes I think it is a good idea.

Another good idea is to persuade manufacturers to sell a greater range of
TVs and video recorders (whether VHS, HDD or DVD) which have the tuner
*built-in*, with the same level of integrated features that you get with
analogue kit - such as tape/disc library including programme name; subtitles
which can be recorded invisibly (as for closed-caption VHS or DVD) rather
than being permanently burnt in to the recorded programme; video recorder
that can change channels rather than requiring a separate tuner that needs
to be programmed separately.

Separate set-top boxes should be sold primarily to people with existing
analogue kit that they want to use with digital, with customers buying
afresh being steered in the direction of integrated kit.

Only in the last 6 months or so have I seen HDD/DVD recorders which have
integrated Freeview tuners - I'm amazed that it has taken the market so long
to get to this point.

The general public are not techies: they don't want seperate bits of kit
which have to be interfaced and programmed separately: they want the exact
replacement for the functionality that they have with analogue kit: maybe
better, but no worse.

"buddenbrooks" wrote in message
...
I have signed this, the prime minister will be rather busy fitting lables,
but it will keep him from buggering the economy up.

He did this when he was chancellor, he's now got the bigger task of
buggering up everything that Blair managed to miss!

I think the labels are a good idea. My parents and in-laws are all generally
intelligent people. My parents have Sky and the in-laws DTT, and yet they
have both asked what they need to do to "go digital."

In a recent school fund raising auction of promises I offered two lots. One
was to fit an extra TV or telephone point, and the other was advice on
setting up your TV/DVD/digital receiver. The winner of the second lot just
wanted good impartial advice on being ready for analogue switch off, and
getting CBeebies for his kids. After a successful site visit with our old
Panny DTT receiver, he bought a Tesco box which works perfectly. There is
certainly a market for this kind of service, where no work is required to
the aerial installation, just advice and component inter-connection.

TJY wrote:

Tagged: Tiscali Idiot

"Mortimer" wrote in message
...

such as tape/disc library including programme name; subtitles
which can be recorded invisibly (as for closed-caption VHS or DVD) rather
than being permanently burnt in to the recorded programme; video recorder
that can change channels rather than requiring a separate tuner that needs
to be programmed separately.



A good idea. One should remember that there is a duty to consider the needs
of the disabled, and these sort of features
can add a lot while costing little.