Thursday, June 11, 2009

Books: Neither Analog Nor Digital

Did you know that television broadcasting will be all digital on Friday?

Most people don't know or care. They're hooked up to a coaxial cable and their service provider will take care of all the details. In homes with cable access, the switch from analog to digital broadcasting will take place without a blip.

For those who can't afford cable television, or don't care enough about electronic entertainment to sign up for it, they are supposed to have a converter box installed and ready to go, to translate the new signals for their old televisions.

The Chicago Tribune estimates that 76,000 Chicago homes are going to be watching fuzz come Friday. They don't have the required converter box.

For those at the lower end of the economic spectrum, they aren't aware of the changes coming and don't know a thing about any converter box. Some of those who do know can't afford to buy the box.

Come Friday, they will be without entertainment.

Except, of course, for books. The Chicago Public Library system has branches all over the city. It's free of charge. Anyone can walk in, sit down with a book, and read.

The ink and paper haven't changed over time. There is no analog or digital to the printed page.

The entertainment of reading will still be available on Friday, and there's no need to buy a converter box or subscribe to a service.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Unless the world "Kindlizes." Then there will be the digital version where new and old books exist and the "analog" version, where only the old exist.