Digital Cutover To Be Delayed ? ? ?

[kc0ltv]

Why is everyone so enthusiastic about the 02/17/09 date?

If the DTV transition is delayed, that means another possible summer of full-power analog tropo / skip.

 

[tripinva]

DXers like me, who do like analog for DX purposes, are fed up with all these short-range signals blocking out the long-range stuff. I've received analog signals from far away and had the digitals from that area stomped on my analogs closer by. Since the digitals lit up, leading to double the number of stations on the band there were before, I haven't seen nearly as many distant stations as I used to, even though I now have a rotor I didn't have at that time!

I'll miss analog e-skip, but...

- Trip

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Im with you guys... DTV is great for cable only,,, but I hate that we arent going to be able to DX the way we used to.. Although sometime in the mid 90s here near indianapolis seems to not happen much as before.... But I have pulled in Analog CH 2 and 7 from Denver at over a thousand miles,,, do that with DTV...Yeah RIGHT........ I know that DXers are the least of the TV companie's concerns,, they only care about local viewers they can market to... But not only the DXers,,, but the Poor and just average people honestly still have no clue.. Ive told people about it,, and they dont get it.. And the strange Phenominon were you be picking up the Snowy Picture from one chanel,,, but your getting audio from another channel will never happen again.

 

[fortmill]

Soooo---what did the "poor or just average people" do in the Wilmington NC DMA do when they lost their analog stations a few months ago? Was their widespread panic--rioting in the streets? Or did people get with the program and get their converters? Seems like that would be some kind of indication of what we might expect on Feb 18....

 

[kenrayc]

I will lose Bakersfield stations that are 100 miles away on 02/17/09 ,I tried recieving there dtv signals and only one KGET NBC 17 comes in occasionally.KBAK CBS 29 dtv is on the same frequeny as a low power station in Fresno which will stay on the air after the cutover. KERO is to weak ,They (the FCC) should increase the allowable power for DTV expecially VHF stations.KERO is on DTV10 at 7000 ft elevation at Mt Breakenridge and KGET DTV 25 is only about 4000 ft ,yet KERO don't come in at all.

 

[imhomerjay]

While a delay of a few months probably has a marginal benefit, that marginal benefit is still greater than the zero benefit of sticking to February 17th thanks to our always-inept Federal idiocy machine creating a coupon system that runs out of money.

This entire forced transition reeks from top to bottom, but what else is new when it comes to Washington. But here we are. The broadcasters got their free spectrum space, so they have little to complain about. The consumer electronic industry sold many a new TV and those converter boxes, so they have little to complain about. And the cable & satellite companys have been signing up some new customers, so they have little to complain about.

So what's the issue? Some folks don't like the commercials? Seriously? Suck it up. They'll just be replaced by a Billy Mayes (or whatever his name is) ad in the end.

If you already have cable or sattelite, or hooked up your handy box, why begrudge some folks a bit more opportunity to get ready themselves?

 

[fybush]

If you already have cable or sattelite, or hooked up your handy box, why begrudge some folks a bit more opportunity to get ready themselves?

Because whatever marginal benefit might be derived by keeping analog service available on a limited basis (and it will be limited, since many analog stations are already running on reduced power and some are already gone completely) is outweighed, and then some, by the problems a delay in the analog shutoff will cause.

Unhappy with the quality of digital signals where you are? You're not alone - and the reason for that, in many cases, is that stations are still operating on interim channels at low power while waiting to cut over on their existing analog channel, or using side-mounted DTV antennas because they can't yet remove the analog antenna that's mounted on the top of the tower where coverage is the best. Or they're on their final channel, but suffering from interference from analog signals on the same overcrowded spectrum.

All those tower crews whose schedules have been booked in a careful ballet to get all those antennas moved and final, full-power DTV signals on the air over the next few months? That schedule will be shot to you-know-where.

(And there are radio implications, too - a lot of noncommercial FMs are waiting to file applications to increase power and drop vertical-only restrictions - and they can't do that until all those analog stations on channel 6 go away.

 

[kenglish]

Maybe some of the DXing problems are due to the fact that we have been in the "decline" portion of the latest sunspot cycle for most all of the "Digital Transition"?

Anybody here know what it costs to keep an analog TV transmitter on the air each month? Low Band VHF? High Band VHF? How about a full-power UHF? :

 

[KyDXIn]

The early adopters don't have much to brag or complain about. For all of the 'screw them, I got my stuff set up on time'-attitudes, how's about lending some of that expertise to help those who could use it? Somehow I doubt your indignation goes that far.

I set up everyone in my family and countless other friends and neighbors and have responded to news articles providing complete conversion information. I know other techie folks who have done likewise. The help is out there for the asking.

Every station in my market has either run a phone bank or lent staff to our phone bank at the PBS station. We're about to do our second live call-in special with on-air demos (hosted by yours truly, among others) showing how to hook up the boxes, run a channel scan, connect a VCR, etc. Last time we did it, we had 15 phone lines going nonstop for several hours.

Our viewer services department has been collecting unneeded coupons from our members to distribute to those who need them, and we just got a small federal grant to do house calls for those unable to hook up their boxes on their own.

Whoops! I think you missed someone...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f2Vgo5wdHY

Found this accidently earlier today. Thought it was too good to pass...

 

[robmadden1]

FCC's Kevin Martin proposes alternatives for delaying DTV transition

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090111/ap_on_hi_te/tec_gadget_show_dtv_transition

 

[willcail]

I currently live at the east side in a downtown Columbus apartment on the fourth floor. I can get the following:

004.1 WCMH DT NBC
004.2 WCMH DT Retro Television Network
006.1 WSYX DT ABC
006.2 WSYX DT My Network TV and This TV
010.1 WBNS DT CBS
010.2 WBNS DT used for extra March Madness games
034.1 WOSU DT PBS
034.2 WOSU DT The Ohio Channel
034.3 WOSU DT Create/WOSU Plus
051.1 WSFJ DT Trinity Broadcasting Network
053.1 WWHO DT The CW

The average signal strength is about 60 to 70 out of 100.

 

[KML0224]

So wait...don't you get WTTE-DT (FOX) channel 28-1?

 

[willcail]

Yes I do I get 28.1 it slip my mind.

 

[kenglish]

Just as a reminder:

The "Signal Strength" indicator, in Digital TV (8VSB), is primarily a "Signal Quality" indicator. It does not read signal power directly, but looks at how hard the equalizer is working (fixing the multipath), and uses that info, along with a look-up table, to see what level of signal-to-noise would have produced the same equalization.

So, it's a pseudo "Q" meter.

Unfortunately, many people think it's an indication that their broadcasters aren't supporting the Electric Company's stockholders enough ;D .

 

[KyDXIn]

Just as a reminder:

The "Signal Strength" indicator, in Digital TV (8VSB), is primarily a "Signal Quality" indicator. It does not read signal power directly, but looks at how hard the equalizer is working (fixing the multipath), and uses that info, along with a look-up table, to see what level of signal-to-noise would have produced the same equalization.

So, it's a pseudo "Q" meter.

Unfortunately, many people think it's an indication that their broadcasters aren't supporting the Electric Company's stockholders enough ;D .

How true, how true...

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4081/family-guy-electric-company

 

[azumanga]

051.1 WSFJ DT Trinity Broadcasting Network

Since TBN now owns WSFJ, do they offer its subchannels, such as Smile of a Child, JCTV, Enlace, etc.?

 

[tripinva]

Not yet, as far as I can tell. Similar story for W51CW in Wilmington, which flash-cut in the Sept 8 test. Both just have the single SD feed.

- Trip

 

[thathoustonradiogeek]

If you already have cable or sattelite, or hooked up your handy box, why begrudge some folks a bit more opportunity to get ready themselves?

Because whatever marginal benefit might be derived by keeping analog service available on a limited basis (and it will be limited, since many analog stations are already running on reduced power and some are already gone completely) is outweighed, and then some, by the problems a delay in the analog shutoff will cause.

Unhappy with the quality of digital signals where you are? You're not alone - and the reason for that, in many cases, is that stations are still operating on interim channels at low power while waiting to cut over on their existing analog channel, or using side-mounted DTV antennas because they can't yet remove the analog antenna that's mounted on the top of the tower where coverage is the best. Or they're on their final channel, but suffering from interference from analog signals on the same overcrowded spectrum.

All those tower crews whose schedules have been booked in a careful ballet to get all those antennas moved and final, full-power DTV signals on the air over the next few months? That schedule will be shot to you-know-where.

(And there are radio implications, too - a lot of noncommercial FMs are waiting to file applications to increase power and drop vertical-only restrictions - and they can't do that until all those analog stations on channel 6 go away.

Scott:

How soon after the cutover will the stations start dismounting the old analog antennae and replacing them with digital ones? How long will it take? I hope it's in a weekend so I can drive to Missouri City and snap some photos. BTW, doesn't MO. City look like a Tower Site Calendar candidate?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Stations that have the same analog and digital channel numbers might well go to their "top antenna" on the night of Feb 17. All they'd have to do is swap a feedline. Stations that need to move channels will be at the mercy of tower crews and their availability. I imagine tower crews are booked solid through February and March.

 

[willcail]

I don't know what TBN will do with WSFJ DT There is a chance that will muticast after the switch over. There is the following LPTV stations might flash cut after the switch over:

GTN TV23 and WCPX LPTV 48.