DTV Conversion Day

[Kelly A]

Surprised that nobody has commented about today being the switch-over day for Mexican TV stations to go DTV, as it was back in 2009 for US stations.

 

[crainbebo]

The end of an era for Mexican TV. This was another country that relied on analog TV in many areas, especially those parts that are mountainous. And, Mexican stations were really good E-skip DX targets as well post-2009. That low-VHF band is getting very quiet nowadays.
In Mexico, ZERO are on channels 2-6 DT.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I always wondered how this was going in less well-to-do countries as the investment in converter
boxes, etc. is significant.

 

[Sammi Brie]

Today was actually one of a whopping 10 shutoff days that have been held this year:

January 14: Nuevo Laredo; Rio Grande Valley
March 26: Mexicali
July 14: Ciudad Juárez; Tecate, BC
September 24: Monterrey and 7 small towns
October 29: Torreón, Coah.; Cuernavaca, Mor.; San Luis Río Colorado, Son.
December 11: Saltillo, Coah., León, Celaya, Querétaro, and some Sonora
December 16: Most of Jalisco, Michoacán, San Luis Potosí and a bunch of Coahuila
December 17: Central Mexico including Mexico City, Puebla, Toluca and Pachuca
December 22: All of Zacatecas, most of Durango, some Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora and Quintana Roo
December 31: 240 stations in all but a handful of states (big exception: Chiapas)

Some low-powered stations, particularly those in rural areas or owned by cash-strapped public broadcasters, can remain on air through the end of 2016.

 

[BMR]

The end of an era for Mexican TV. This was another country that relied on analog TV in many areas, especially those parts that are mountainous.

I wonder how people in mountainous areas are getting on? Are they switching to satellite?

 

[Sammi Brie]

I wonder how people in mountainous areas are getting on? Are they switching to satellite?

There were a lot of new cable and satellite users, yes. There are also some 500 transmitters still authorized for analog, the lion's share of which are Televisa translators in small towns.

 

[ChocoMingo]

I want to bring back analog to Mexico, especially in poor places like Joquicingo de Leon Guzman in the state (not country) of Mexico, where people over there can't watch TV anymore, just because they simply can't afford a DTV converter box.

The Municipal President of that town, Alma Pallares Castañeda should know how this is happening to the townfolk there and how she's is going to let people watch TV in that place again, after the DTV switch.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I want to bring back analog to Mexico, especially in poor places like Joquicingo de Leon Guzman in the state (not country) of Mexico, where people over there can't watch TV anymore, just because they simply can't afford a DTV converter box.

Allow me to direct you to the nearest brick wall for you to bang your head into.

 

[Sammi Brie]

There are Televisa shadows at Tenancingo, 7 miles away, with 9 kW ERP. And some at Ocuilán, 9 miles away.

 

[BMR]

Surely there must be loads of unused convertor boxes north of the border? If the US is anything like the UK, most people brought convertor boxes as a quick and cheap fix, but when their CRT telly started showing it's age, they brought a new TV with integrated digital, and the convertor box was shoved in a drawer.

Of course getting the convertor boxes to people that need them is the issue.

 

[Mrtejano]

We bought a HD Tv for my dad in Rio Verde San Luis Potosí. We live in a mountain area and it only picks up like 6 channels

 

[Prescott Joe]

There are plenty of places in each and every one of these United States
where there are no viewable over the air television stations. I would
think that in poor countries, like Mexico, basic necessities like food and
shelter would be of higher priority than television............