ANALOG TURN OFF DATE FOR LPTV STATIONS

[willdav713]

United States government mandates
Main article: Digital television transition in the United States

The FCC has issued the following mandates for devices entering the US:[1][2][3]

By July 1, 2005 all televisions with screen sizes over 36 inches (91 cm) must include a built-in ATSC DTV tuner

By March 1, 2006 all televisions with screen sizes over 25 inches (64 cm) must include a built-in ATSC DTV tuner

By March 1, 2007 all televisions regardless of screen size, and all interface devices that include a tuner (VCR, DVD player/recorder, DVR) must include a built-in ATSC DTV tuner.

It should be noted that devices manufactured before these dates can still be sold without a built-in ATSC DTV tuner; the lack of digital tuners legally must be disclosed to consumers and most name-brand retailers have incurred onerous FCC penalties for non-compliance with these requirements.[4]

The current regulations are specified in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).[5]

I bought stuff that was disclosed per [4] DVD Recorders, and CATV PCI Tuners $15. It seems the only thing I have manufactured after March 1 2007 is my Tivo Tuner.

I did have those LCD sets 2 of them 1 Insignia (2006 under 25", and 1 Sanyo bought in 2005 under 25" both had the NTSC tuner) die in less than 4 1/2 years.

 

[e-dawg]

Speaking of DTV standards, why there isn't a universal standards? If you go to Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, or south of Nicaragua, they use a different DTV standard such as DVB-T (most of the Europe, Africa, and Asian Countries), ISDB (Japan, Philippines, and most of Latin America) and China has it own standard (DMB-T). In the analog world, you can bring your America tv and it will work in Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, and Latin America (except for Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina which uses PAL-N/PAL-M).

BTW - US, Canada, and Mexico uses ATSC for the DTV standards.

 

[Sammi Brie]

Speaking of DTV standards, why there isn't a universal standards? If you go to Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, or south of Nicaragua, they use a different DTV standard such as DVB-T (most of the Europe, Africa, and Asian Countries), ISDB (Japan, Philippines, and most of Latin America) and China has it own standard (DMB-T). In the analog world, you can bring your America tv and it will work in Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, and Latin America (except for Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina which uses PAL-N/PAL-M).

BTW - US, Canada, and Mexico uses ATSC for the DTV standards.

Political reasons, the United States loving to be its own animal, technical efficiency (DVB-T and its successor DVB-T2), and a very different world from the analog era.

 

[Morgan Wick]

And, some would say, the FCC trying to kill OTA television...

 

[dave73]

Speaking of DTV standards, why there isn't a universal standards? If you go to Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, or south of Nicaragua, they use a different DTV standard such as DVB-T (most of the Europe, Africa, and Asian Countries), ISDB (Japan, Philippines, and most of Latin America) and China has it own standard (DMB-T). In the analog world, you can bring your America tv and it will work in Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, and Latin America (except for Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina which uses PAL-N/PAL-M).

BTW - US, Canada, and Mexico uses ATSC for the DTV standards.

Political reasons, the United States loving to be its own animal, technical efficiency (DVB-T and its successor DVB-T2), and a very different world from the analog era.

Not just that, the movie studios also don't want a universal standard. They like being able to sell movies in one format to one section of the world, & another format to different part of the world. So far, DVD's & Blu-rays are still formatted in NTSC & PAL formats, while I believe for France, their discs are still formatted in SE-CAM (a format that was used in communist Europe for a number of years).

As for the current DTV standard, I wish we were on a standard that used MPEG4 rather than MPEG2, along with one that can handle multi-path better than ATSC.

 

[Markxxx]

I guess DTV was pretty cutting edge in the mid 90s when it was being developed. I recall Japan had an analog high definition standard developed but it would have taken six channels (standard analog channels) for one high definition analog channel.

At least BluRay only has three regions instead of the six or whatever DVDs have.

 

[e-dawg]

Speaking of DTV standards, why there isn't a universal standards? If you go to Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, or south of Nicaragua, they use a different DTV standard such as DVB-T (most of the Europe, Africa, and Asian Countries), ISDB (Japan, Philippines, and most of Latin America) and China has it own standard (DMB-T). In the analog world, you can bring your America tv and it will work in Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, and Latin America (except for Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina which uses PAL-N/PAL-M).

BTW - US, Canada, and Mexico uses ATSC for the DTV standards.

Political reasons, the United States loving to be its own animal, technical efficiency (DVB-T and its successor DVB-T2), and a very different world from the analog era.

Not just that, the movie studios also don't want a universal standard. They like being able to sell movies in one format to one section of the world, & another format to different part of the world. So far, DVD's & Blu-rays are still formatted in NTSC & PAL formats, while I believe for France, their discs are still formatted in SE-CAM (a format that was used in communist Europe for a number of years).

Nope.....DVD's in France are Region 2, there's no such thing as SECAM DVD, besides in the digital era. You can use Germany, Spain, or UK DTV, and it will work in France, no more PAL vs SECAM in France.

 

[RyanHoward]

I think you are thinking of WRGB-6 in New York. They transmitted CBS audio on 87.9 for a couple of weeks after the transition before the FCC caught them and forced them to turn it off.

IMO, DTV is not good at all. Who wants to watch pixels and "no signal" in the mountains or in a multipathed area? Or on the boat? In the '90s we used to take a little 5'' analog TV on our boat out in Puget Sound and watch 4, 5, 7, etc. from Seattle just fine on analog. We went to Hood Canal a couple of months ago, which can only get one channel (13 KCPQ). Before DTV, most of the local channels came in, albeit some ghosting. There are defects with DTV, IMO.

-crainbebo

Same thing with our WPVI-6(ABC-owned). They too are on RF Channel 6, and is not seen OTA on many TV sets. Is it being on RF 6 the real reason
why I don't get WPVI often?

 

[PirateJohnny]

The current standard is not a good one for those who move around a lot. Portable TV's are only good if it stays stationary. I have found with my own portable DTV, that if it moves to much, it loses the signal, & has to find it again. If the DTV standard gets changed again, I hope the next upgrade will be a universal standard that also works with portable TV's on the go, & be mpeg4. That was one thing the FCC didn't look into when they decided on the current ATSC standard. VHF was another issue, as it wasn't fully studied in the initial phase. VHF-LO doesn't work as well due to multiple interference sources, as well as the biggest problem, it's nearly impossible for VHF-Lo to work with rabbit ears. VHF-Hi isn't as bad, as it can work with rabbit ears, but most VHF stations in general still do not operate on enough power to reach their viewers with rabbit ears (not as much of an issue for those with outdoor antennas that are optimized for VHF, whether VHF-Hi only, or VHF-Lo & Hi).

What? Don't tell the rabbit ears in my attic that pull in DTV signals from 20-30 miles away.

 

[dave73]

The current standard is not a good one for those who move around a lot. Portable TV's are only good if it stays stationary. I have found with my own portable DTV, that if it moves to much, it loses the signal, & has to find it again. If the DTV standard gets changed again, I hope the next upgrade will be a universal standard that also works with portable TV's on the go, & be mpeg4. That was one thing the FCC didn't look into when they decided on the current ATSC standard. VHF was another issue, as it wasn't fully studied in the initial phase. VHF-LO doesn't work as well due to multiple interference sources, as well as the biggest problem, it's nearly impossible for VHF-Lo to work with rabbit ears. VHF-Hi isn't as bad, as it can work with rabbit ears, but most VHF stations in general still do not operate on enough power to reach their viewers with rabbit ears (not as much of an issue for those with outdoor antennas that are optimized for VHF, whether VHF-Hi only, or VHF-Lo & Hi).

What? Don't tell the rabbit ears in my attic that pull in DTV signals from 20-30 miles away.

I didn't say that it's impossible for VHF-Hi & UHF, but it's difficult to get stations with rabbit ears. The rabbit ears (even a regular outdoor antenna) must not move constantly in order to receive a picture. VHF-Lo is impossible, due to the size that has to be pulled out, & trying to align it properly. For VHF-Lo, a traditional outdoor antenna is the only way that'll work. For the next standard, I'd like to see a universal standard, & one that works with TV's that travel in vehicles (something that can not be done with ATSC right now).

 

[vchimpanzee]

It would make sense for new TVs to still have analog tuners because of some people still using old VCRs (inclucing me) that would work on it.

That's how I get my cable.

Unrtil someone comes up with a better way I'm still using my old VCRs.

I was told my TiVo would work with digital. Only digital cable or satellite, it turned out. The only thing I could find that worked with digital channels cost something like $300. Now that would be cheaper than having cable but I couldn't get along with just one.

 

[kinphoenix2]

No they're not. Transition day is September 1, 2015 per the FCC

However, smart operators have already made the transition. How many people do you know have a NTSC set just to watch the low power and a HDTV set in their living rooms?

Spanish Speaking Households with Children. In the kids room an old NTSC set (Why throw out a perfectly good set?), and the living room an HDTV set. When I was 8 my grandparents gave me my first TV, and it was a Black and White TV set and the year was 1988, and yes I hooked up a splitter and the 300-75 ohm adapter to it! Or the Household which thinks non Biblical networks are offensive for the children, as some of the Religious Television stations also broadcast in low power. I am sure there is still that small market out there to justify the means.

No Spanish, No children- NTSC set in one room (for the OTAs) and big HDTV in the other. I have the NTSC connected with an analog/digital converter and a VCR as well.

The picture on the NTSC Sony Trinitron is amazing. Much, much better than the non-HD picture on the HDTV by far.

As the other commentor said, why toss out a perfectly fine working set??

EDIT: forgot to mention that our CATV provider can't/won't carry the LPTV stations that are OTA, hence one OTA and one CATV set. For some time our Phoenix Cox provider wasn't carrying the new Movies! network when it first came out.