The House of Representatives of the USA has pushed back a project of law that had postponed for four months, until next June, the transition of the analogical television to the digitalis.

The defeat of the measurement, in a voting from 258 to 168, has supposed a reverse for the White House and the democrats in the Congress, who are afraid that most of the Americans are not prepared for the 'analogical blackout' that will come into force next February 17.

The extension to four months - in particular, until the next June 12 - was approved by the Senate last January 26, but the republicans achieved his defeat in the Lower House, what guarantees that, at least for the time being, the date of February is supported in foot.

The digital technology, which was introduced on the market in the last years of the 90s, is promoted both by the managerial sector and for the means of electronic diffusion, which praise it for his clearness, quality and efficiency.

According to the company Nielsen, specialized in the measurement of hearings, more than 6,5 million hearths exist at present in the USA that still see the programming with analogical TV sets and that might be victims of an analogical blackout next month.

That is due to the fact that many hearths still have not acquired the necessary team to turn the analogical signs into digitalises.

Before the voting took place, the president of the Committee of Commerce of the Lower House and promoter of the measurement, Henry Waxman, had insisted that a postponement was the "only hope to mitigate the negative impact for million consumers".

The republicans, nevertheless, argued that to postpone the conversion to the digital television only would create confusion between the public and would suppose an additional load for the channels of television that want to get rid of the analogical signs.

The Department of Commerce of the USA obtained a budget for 1.340 million dollars (1.020 million euros) to express coupons and this way to help the consumers in the decoders buy for the digital transmission.

All the TV sets with an antenna of roof or an antenna fixed to the analogical television will stop working after February 17 unless the consumers obtain a decoder, buy a TV set with digital tuner or connect his analogical TV set to the cable, to the satellite or to another service of payment.

The prices of the decoders range in the USA between the 40 and 70 dollars (between 30 and 50 euros).


(Efe, 29-01-09)