David, if you think this is too 'out there' then please chop it. It's good
brain fodder I thought....

Many of you who have On-Star subscriptions and older analog-only On-Star
equipped GM vehicles already have received or will soon receive a letter
from OnStar telling you that your analog-only On-Star system will go
irretrievably dark sometime in early 2009. They go on to say (quite
humorlesly) that if you want to continue with On-Star, you will have to
replace you Whole Vehicle. They will not be retrofitting the older GM
vehicles with the new digital On-Star equipment.

On a different but directly related topic:

Anyone utilizing off-air signals to view television will also 'see' those
analog signals disapear as the new government regulations governing the
'digital transition' go into effect in early '09. To give everyone with an
analog-only TV an option other than having to go out and buy an HDTV
receiver, they have developed a box that will receive HDTV and spit it out
either in composit video or on channel 3 or 4 like many VCRs have done for
years. Here is one such announcement:

Don't Pitch That Analog TV, AV ToolBox Has a New HDTV Receiver

As of Feb. 19, 2009 the analog to digital transition will take effect, so
AVToolBox has a product, the
ATSC-100, that will provide a high quality way to view local, off-air HDTV
Stations on a non-HD TV Set.



ERLANGER, KY, February 21, 2007-The analog to digital transition can be
simple thanks to the new AV ToolBox ATSC-100 HDTV Off-Air Receiver. It can
also be affordable by letting consumers keep their current televisions. The
ATSC-100 will receive all US Terrestrial HDTV Signals and accommodates both
Component and Composite Video outputs as well as Stereo Audio. The unit is
extremely affordable with a suggested retail price of $199 and they are
in-stock and ready to ship.


Finally, no one is talking about FM radio. I wonder if it too will be
forced to go digital and all analog FM receivers will go dark
forever.........?