Well, today was the big day. The long awaited, highly dreaded but mostly ignored digital transition. In some circles it may also be called the "digical switch over", "that there diginal change" and "when eve'r thing goes High Defamation". Nevermind that High Defamation bit isn't even correct on multiple levels.

For all those unfamiliar this event (which should have taken place back in February) basically takes away all over the air broadcasting so folks who are watching tv with a roof top antenna will no longer get a signal unless they either A) get a government issued set top box or antenna or B) subscribe to a cable or satellite service.

It's really all cut and dry. And maybe it's because I work in the cable industry that it all seems to plain to me but either way with change comes confusion and of course there are always those procrastinators who just make matters worse. I'm not sure if these individuals just assumed they weren't affected because their rabbit ears were special and magical and able to withstand this great and terrible change or if they were waiting for a last minute recall and a mass announcement of "Hey guys, we were just pullin' your chains!" Who knows?

What I do know is that yesterday and today every one of those procrastinators called in wanting cable and then proceeded to grumble when I told them we couldn't install them until Saturday or Monday. You've have YEARS to prepare for this and at least 9 months of annoying ads saying "DTV is coming! OMG! Are you ready?" And you wait until the day BEFORE/OF the transition to do anything about it?! PREPAREDNESS FAIL! And then they bust out the whole "well all's ya gotta do is flip a switch to cut it on!" CABLE KNOWLEDGE FAIL!



*********NOTICE: It is a common misconception that cable television can be turned on, switched on, cut on, or even turnt awn by "flipping a switch". The general idea of a large room full of nothing but wall to wall switches and a "switch flipper guy" at the ready to "cut you on" is highly skewed. It is not for certain who originally created this absurd notion but rest assured that most workers in the industry would like to find said person and kick them in the face.

The process to actually bring cable tv to a home is much more complicated and involves the untrapping of lines and the activation of individual cable outlets in the home. Not to mention the installation of all those fancy digical bokses and modiums. Yes, I said modiums. END NOTICE**********

But that misconception is nothing new and will likely continue transition or no. But what is really funny are the individuals who don't have a thing to worry about who keep calling in asking if they will be affected and if they need to get one of the government boxes. I actually had a woman who had cable, and not just cable, DIGITAL cable who went out and bought a government issue converter and called me to help set it up to her Comcast digital converter box. It took me 20 minutes to explain to her that the government issue converters are not geared toward cable or satellite customers at all. And I swear if I had a dollar for every time I've said "You have cable. You'll be FINE." I'd be able to retire quite comfortably right now.





But I think my most amusing incidents over the past few days are as follows.



-My Video On Demand doesn't work. Is it because of that DTV thing?
-This Digital change isn't going to affect my internet or phone, will it?
-My TV won't turn on when I hit the power button. Normally there's a green light but there's none there. Did that Digital thing do this?
-My cable is out! I thought you said that Digital thing wouldn't affect me!

And to answer them all: No, no, your TV's either busted or unplugged and you're past due and disconnected.

The past few days at work have just been a quagmire of confused customers and angry non customers who waited too long and now have to go without tv for a while. But when I look out the window the world hasn't ended. It's still spinning, digitally now, but still spinning nonetheless. It's hard to convince the general populous of this. Some are pretty sure it's the end of the world as we know it. But you know, if it is, I feel fine.