The Refinishing Touch Blog

Last week, we drafted a post about the switchover to the digital signal and the impact on America's estimated 219 million television sets, of which 2.8 million households are completely unready for the transition.

As a business, we know from the number of armoire conversions we've completed for hospitality clients in the past 3 years and the thousands of units we've transformed and saved from the landfill, that this is much broader than a consumer problem – with every guest room in America's hotels, casinos and motels housing a television set, this is a real challenge for the hospitality industry.

Although the challenge to prepare for the switchover may have been different for these groups, there is one common problem now for those that have decided to invest in new digital sets – just how to disperse of old television sets easily, cost-effectively and of course in an environmentally-friendly way. It's no surprise to learn that television sets are not built with the environment in mind: even just the cathode ray tubes contain several pounds of highly toxic lead. Recycling is essential to prevent this from entering the environment.

TV manufacturers are making moves in the right direction. From Sony and LG which have recycling programs managed by recycling firm Waste Management, to group efforts supported by the likes of Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba, there is a consensus in the industry that there need to be recycling programs in place. It's estimated that at present around 20 percent of televisions are recycled – the rest heading to landfills. So with the switchover, there could be a wave of abandoned TVs.

We're going to be conducting a survey among consumers and the hospitality industry to see if they are disposing of analog television sets, and just where they think the responsibility should lie: with them as the owners - or with manufacturers, local government, federal government or retailers. Or even the commercial TV networks.

We'll be linking this survey to our website over the next few weeks, so if you'd like to participate please keep reading. We'll be sharing our results in the next month or so.

Meanwhile, if you are getting rid of your old set, make sure you are recycling it and that you do so through a socially-responsive organization.

Labels: Analogue Switch, digital TV, Hospitality, Recycle

Millions of Americans had blank television screens on Friday after US television broadcast stations switched from analogue to digital programming.

Here at the Refinishing Touch we have a strong interest in the switchover and have blogged about it in the past. So we've kept a close eye on how America has reacted to the big switchover. It's not been smooth everywhere, despite US authorities spending around two billion dollars on TV ads and other communications to get people prepared.

Consumers were given three options to ensure their TVs still worked after the transition. They could (1) Buy a digital to analogue converter box and connect it to their analogue television; (2) Buy a digital television or (3) Subscribe to a paid TV service.

It would seem the most popular solution has been the cheapest, with people buying a new converter box for a one-off fee of around $60. To help with the cost of the box, the government offered (and is still offering) two $40 coupons to each US household towards the cost.

The government has also been promoting the benefits of the digital TV transition in the hope that people will accept the change much quicker. Unfortunately, many people did not listen to the government's advice, failed to claim their free coupons, and were left without a working television: if you're one of these and are staring at a blank TV screen then we'd suggest you check out www.dtv.gov.

There's an interesting element here as although 'technically' there's no need for people to buy new televisions - analogue sets will work for years with devices such as DVD players, VCRs and video games consoles - digital TV offers a range of benefits including improved picture and sound quality, multiple programming choices and interactive video and data services.

Labels: Analogue Switch, digital TV, government

Last week, The US House of Representatives voted for an official extension to the analog switch off from the original date of February 17, 2009 to June 12, 2009.

Though almost all stations are already broadcasting in digital, the Washington Post reported that an estimated 14 million households across America still depend on analog broadcasts. The delayed date comes as a response from the government after many speculated whether the government was following all necessary steps to provide assistance for Americans through the transition.

Consumers who elect to keep their analog televisions will need a converter box to receive digital broadcasts.

A Neilsen research note from January of 2009 found that more than 6.5 million households were not ready for the switch and more that 3.7 million consumers are still on a waiting list to receive vouchers from the Department of Commerce that promises a discount on converter boxes.

At TRT, we are continuing in our initiatives to work with key players in the hospitality industry to ensure that they are ready for the digital transition. Hoteliers purchasing new digital flat screen TVs are faced with needing to house the new TVs in armoires that cannot accommodate the size and shape of the new TVs. By working with existing assets, we have been able to provide an economically sound solution to our customers with our armoire modification process.

The digital switch has its affect on consumers, business owners and industry players alike. How have you been affected by the switch?

Labels: Analogue Switch, Hospitality, hotel, Neilsen

Last week, we had the honor of announcing the completed refurbishment of 20,000 armoires in hotels across the U.S.

As a company, this announcement exemplifies the initiatives that we strive to uphold with each project we take on and every step that we take to complete our work in the most environmentally friendly and economically sound way possible.

As the deadlines quickly near, we are being brought closer to the date that will mark the switch off of all analogue signals throughout the country.

The Refinishing Touch has worked tirelessly with some of the hospitality industry's leading players to ensure that the transition from analogue goes as smoothly as possible. By converting existing assets into digital friendly pieces, we have been able to lead the forge in helping our clients save on their bottom lines while offering a solution that is smart for the environment.

We look forward to the completion of another 20,000 refurbished pieces, and invite all to look at what we have to work with as a means to facilitate this transition before rushing in to less economically sound practices.

Labels: Analogue Switch, Armoire Modification, Refinishing