There is a lot to like about the digital television transition: free high definition pictures right to your home, multiple content streams which look better than “old TV” even in standard def, companies making major investments in our community and local economy, ease of use…I could go on.

But in reading Jim Martin’s front page story in yesterday’s Erie Times-News, I felt a twinge of sadness that somehow in this bigger and better conversion, we’ve lost something. Perhaps it was said before when music went digital 25 years ago, but there is a down side to that perfect picture or sound.

The nature of digital broadcasting is that it’s either on, or off. So if during a big storm you are watching on your rooftop antenna-connected 52″ HDTV flat screen the supercell coming your way, and Joey, Rob or Tom says to go to your basement, there’s no little 7″ B&W Radio Shack TV to continue watching while the storm passes. And if you are fortunate to have one of these cool DTV portables, there’s a strong probability that the rabbit ears attached won’t pull in your favorite (or any) meteorologist:

But take the crisis out of it. Don’t you know of folks, senior citizens particularly, who enjoy watching the Saturday afternoon baseball game on Fox or some NASCAR on their deck or in their garage during the summer on some old portable?

Again, I’m wondering that with WICU’s analog signoff Tuesday morning, if we just haven’t disenfranchised a good portion of people, or at minimum just made life more difficult for folks that don’t deserve it.