Opting Out of the Digital TV Mandate

When my monthly cable bill reached $60 without even providing premium channels such as HBO, I dropped it in favor of a $17 plan that eliminated the irritatingly complex set-top box and provided decent reception on the networks, which is pretty much what I watch when I watch TV at all.

Now, the Federal Communications Commission has mandated that by 2007 I must either shell out $2,000 for a digital TV set or buy a set equipped with a complicated and expensive piece of technology on board that will pick up digital signals [“FCC Says New TVs Must Be Digital by ‘07,” Aug. 9].

I’ve seen digital TV in the stores. The difference in quality is there, but it’s marginal. I suspect that in 2007 mine will not be the only household that just goes TV free.

Georgiana Coughlan

Gardena