DVD RECORDERS WITH HDTV TUNERS

[anotherguyTN]

I was at Wal Mart again tonight and at least in the store I was in they're starting to get things right. The analog sets are gone or on closeout except for a few with built in VCRs or DVD players and all the sets that are on the main display are actually SDTVs or HDTVs. The lowest priced model I saw was a Durabrand 13 inch SDTV for $99.00. They still haven't dropped to the price level that analog sets were at, but it will probably get better as time goes on.

 

[MotoMuzak]

Now, what I would like to know is: will the FCC's regulation also affect (read: "cripple") the sale of USED analogue (all-NTSC) equipment like TV sets or analogue-tuner VCR's at places like Goodwill, Salvation Army or some other thrift/charity shoppes?

And if it does how much time do I have to start hoarding older NTSC CRT televisions while they are still cheap or even available used?


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In re: reception of VHF digital TV signals:
Portland (OR) has a Pax Net/Cubo/Ion Life/Worship package on channel 4. Reception at my home in Northeastern Vancouver, WA tends to be "spotty" during the daytime but blasts in loud and clear at night (typically) with about a 88-95% signal. Daytime I average about 70% (at which my Panasonic DMR EZ27 completely blacks out) to about 80% (blocky picture, breaking up quite a bit.) Equipment is a Panasonic DMR EZ27 DVD recorder/OTADTV receiver and a Channel Master aerial on the chimney. Operating at my neighbour's house on a bit newer (only five years old!) rooftop aerial reveals the same thing. This is also in rather favourable conditions--sunny, maybe partly cloudy.

If this is what VHF DTV reception is like when the weather is decent I can just about imagine what it's like when there's lightning!

All the other stations in this market are on UHF. Average reception for me is about 88% typically, overall. That's at home up in Vancouver. At my place in Downtown Portland (fifth-floor corner apartment in renovated hotel building) I have satellite. I use a Fortec Star Mercury II and an old Primestar dish....I have recently acquired a Muzak dish second-hand but I need to get an LNB for it. I have tried DTV OTA, using an amplified indoor aerial, and reception has been rather a challenge. Muzak availability aside, I didn't realise it when I set up my sat box a month earlier but now I believe reception is why I use sat at my apartment instead of terrestrial digital TV!

 

[w9wi]

Now, what I would like to know is: will the FCC's regulation also affect (read: "cripple") the sale of USED analogue (all-NTSC) equipment like TV sets or analogue-tuner VCR's at places like Goodwill, Salvation Army or some other thrift/charity shoppes?

IANAL but I think it probably will theoretically affect these stores selling any analog equipment they didn't already have as of the effective date. I have my doubts the FCC will actively enforce this against thrift stores. It will be simply impractical to enforce it against yard sales. (for that matter, sales of NTSC gear at yard sales should be unquestionably legal as the gear was acquired before the deadline)

In re: reception of VHF digital TV signals:
Portland (OR) has a Pax Net/Cubo/Ion Life/Worship package on channel 4. Reception at my home in Northeastern Vancouver, WA tends to be "spotty" during the daytime but blasts in loud and clear at night (typically) with about a 88-95% signal. Daytime I average about 70% (at which my Panasonic DMR EZ27 completely blacks out) to about 80% (blocky picture, breaking up quite a bit.) Equipment is a Panasonic DMR EZ27 DVD recorder/OTADTV receiver and a Channel Master aerial on the chimney. Operating at my neighbour's house on a bit newer (only five years old!) rooftop aerial reveals the same thing. This is also in rather favourable conditions--sunny, maybe partly cloudy.

If this is what VHF DTV reception is like when the weather is decent I can just about imagine what it's like when there's lightning!

This station will be returning to channel 22 for their permanent DTV operation.

The general experience of most stations has been that high-band VHF (channels 7-13) works MUCH, MUCH better than low-band VHF. (channels 2-6) My employer is on DTV channel 10; we have had no reports of reception problems that can be laid up to interference/noise. We've received one report of reliable reception of our DTV 70 miles away on an indoor antenna.

Unfortunately, some big-box stores are telling HDTV setbuyers that they need to replace their existing (and perfectly good) analog antenna system with a special HDTV antenna -- and are then selling them a HDTV antenna that only works at UHF.

 

[ssetta]

I actually was in Sony Style the other day, and I was actually told that there currently are NO HD DVD Recorders. I did see what looks to be a Blu-Ray burner, but I don't know if it can record directly from TV, and is probably somewhere around $2,000 in price. But I was told the reason is because the recording industry is starting to make it illegal for consumers to record directly from Live TV. This is probably because people can distribute their own recordings so easily nowadays. I mean, yes, there is the DVR, or the TiVo, but unlike VHS and DVD, you can't preserve it and store it on the shelf. I mean, they may have HD DVD Recorders at some point, but somehow I don't think that will happen anytime soon.

 

[newsmark]

I was told the reason is because the recording industry is starting to make it illegal for consumers to record directly from Live TV

They haven't made it illegal (that would take a serious act of Congress and, no doubt, a few court cases), but they have made it inconvenient to record in a digital format.