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Exactly One year from today…
- Thread starter ssetta
- Start date
Assuming there will be an good supply of boxes at places like Walmart and Target, and people have enough sense to apply for the $40 coupons, it would seem the conversion is off to a good start. The rub will come when people realize their present antennas don't work so well and they need to spend $50 or so on something like the silver sensor or even worse a new outdoor antenna. I have a neighbor who recieves her TV only over the air on two cheap analog TVs and will never get this straight without help. I've decided to help her with the transition, which she knows nothing about. I've just ordered two coupons for her. We should all find a neighbor to help out.
fortmill said:
So far the problem around here has been in the opposite direction. People who have perfectly good existing antennas have had DTV salespeople tell them they need to buy a "digital antenna". And of course, all DTV is UHF so a UHF-only Silver Sensor or Terk is what you need.
Of course, all DTV is not UHF. For example, the station I work for which is on DTV channel 10. Their old antenna would have received us (and all the other stations) just fine - the shiny new one with the UHF-only preamp gets everyone but us.
This is going to be a sleeper problem in some markets. Where all DTV is UHF today but after Transition, some will be moving to VHF. Indeed, Market #1 is a good example. If you have a UHF-only antenna in New York, in a year you're going to lose channels 7, 11, and 13. Or, for that matter, markets #2 and 3 where channels 7/9/11/13 and channels 2/7 will be lost.
Here in Hartford/New Haven, WTNH-DT (ABC) New Haven is analog 8/D 10 and WTXX-DT (CW) Waterbury is analog 20/D 12. While I don't receive it in my area, WEDY-DT (PBS) New Haven is analog 65/D 6. All I have is a set of indoor telescoping rods and an indoor Silver Sensor which is so-so with WTNH-DT and WTXX-DT.
Something to think about while I'm on duty today at hell, er, work.
Something to think about while I'm on duty today at hell, er, work.
If you live closer to the city, you probably will not need a new antenna. If you live out in the sticks, you may need to relocate your antenna, or get a new one. It depends on how old your antenna is.
The thing with digital is that once you get past a certain point, the signal just cuts off. With analog, it slowly degrades the more you get away from the transmitter. A lot of people (especially in rural areas) will lose TV service as a result. Converter boxes or digital tuners will do no damn good. And if you don't have access to cable or satellite, you will be SOL.
Of grave concern is the elderly, most of whom are techo-phobic (because they did not grow up with push button technology, they don't have the same comfort level that the younger generation does). Most of these boxes are going to have graphics and menus, and the elderly are not going to feel comfortable if they have to press "2 - # - 1" to get to a certain program.
The original deadline was March 1, 2006, if 80% of households had a TV with digital tuning. That was not the case, thanks to poor planning. Many in congress (especially those friendly with the Telcos who covet the 700 MHz spectrum being abandoned by broadcasters) set the 2009 hard date as a result.
February 17, 2009 is a Tuesday, and if everything does not work out to plan, it could be known as "Black Tuesday", when millions of television sets will go dark. Once the new president takes office, he/she could issue an executive order delaying the analog shutoff, but that is unlikely (since Congress set the date). Congress could extend the deadline, but that is also unlikely as well.
This is going to be an interesting year coming up. This could work out well, or this could backfire on everyone big time.
The thing with digital is that once you get past a certain point, the signal just cuts off. With analog, it slowly degrades the more you get away from the transmitter. A lot of people (especially in rural areas) will lose TV service as a result. Converter boxes or digital tuners will do no damn good. And if you don't have access to cable or satellite, you will be SOL.
Of grave concern is the elderly, most of whom are techo-phobic (because they did not grow up with push button technology, they don't have the same comfort level that the younger generation does). Most of these boxes are going to have graphics and menus, and the elderly are not going to feel comfortable if they have to press "2 - # - 1" to get to a certain program.
The original deadline was March 1, 2006, if 80% of households had a TV with digital tuning. That was not the case, thanks to poor planning. Many in congress (especially those friendly with the Telcos who covet the 700 MHz spectrum being abandoned by broadcasters) set the 2009 hard date as a result.
February 17, 2009 is a Tuesday, and if everything does not work out to plan, it could be known as "Black Tuesday", when millions of television sets will go dark. Once the new president takes office, he/she could issue an executive order delaying the analog shutoff, but that is unlikely (since Congress set the date). Congress could extend the deadline, but that is also unlikely as well.
This is going to be an interesting year coming up. This could work out well, or this could backfire on everyone big time.
Nah, they scheduled it 6 months after the election for a reason.
While on the subject of the transition...
The News-Press (Fort Myers, FL) printed an article about the analog-to-digital transition.
One local resident interviewed is upset over the transition:
Two points:
1) Most people (like myself) pay for the various services (cable, DBS) and products (DTV) because we chose to;
2) The government isn't telling anyone what to buy; they are informing you what you will need to buy IF you want to view television at a minimum. Nowhere does it say you must buy anything.
The News-Press (Fort Myers, FL) printed an article about the analog-to-digital transition.
One local resident interviewed is upset over the transition:
Two points:
1) Most people (like myself) pay for the various services (cable, DBS) and products (DTV) because we chose to;
2) The government isn't telling anyone what to buy; they are informing you what you will need to buy IF you want to view television at a minimum. Nowhere does it say you must buy anything.
PTBoardOp94 said:
Yeah imagine if the transition date would be November 3 2008 hahaha, sounds good for me.of course I hope people won't use their tv problems against elected officials on election day.We have more important problems to take care of,like the Iraq war.
I know this was brought up earlier, but it doesn't make sense to me why the conversion date is on what looks like a random date picked out of the air. Why isn't it at the begining or end of a month or at least on a weekend instead of Feb. 17th (Which will be my mother's 80th birthday of all things), which is on a Tuesday? Even lining it up with the start of Daylight Saving Time like was mentioned earlier would make more sense.
JayR said:
Looks like the populace still has some learning to do.
Even paying $10-20 for a converter box on top of the $40 coupon is a pretty good deal, considering that most stations should come in much clearer (minus static) and viewers will be able to view side channels (like Weather Plus and the PBS feeds). I've seen a few basic boxes that will even be free w/ the coupon. Who'd complain about that?
FightingIrish said:
There are some people out there who simply cannot cope with any kind of change in their lives, even if it costs virtually nothing, and results in an improvement over the old ways of doing things. Some years ago, there were those who didn't want to give up their old "crank up" telephones!
And some people are just technically ignorant. I recall in the mid 60's, when the networks switched over to color full time, there were viewers who would call and complain about still getting the shows in black and white on their TV's. When asked "Do you have a color TV?" the answer was "HUH???"
anotherguy said:
It was chosen so that the Super Bowl (February 1st) and Daytona 500 (February 15th) would air without interruption. February 16th is President's Day (a federal holiday - which is not observed where I live in Georgia except by a few school districts). So the next day availble that will make the politicans happy is February 17th...which is a Tuesday.
So in other words, it was chosen for purely political reasons.
Networks Going Under Due to the Digital Switch?
With the switch to digital in '09, what are the chances that networks like America One will go under due to LPTV Stations not switching to digital?
Or does it really matter, as long as cable systems keep picking up the LPTV Analog signals and broadcasting it to their viewers?
With the switch to digital in '09, what are the chances that networks like America One will go under due to LPTV Stations not switching to digital?
Or does it really matter, as long as cable systems keep picking up the LPTV Analog signals and broadcasting it to their viewers?
Re: Networks Going Under Due to the Digital Switch?
Given that digital TV sets also pick up analog signals, I don't see an issue at all.
Also, in Arizona, KM Communications, one of the larger affiliate partners with America One, has one full service A1 affiliate which is supposed to be broadcasting in DTV already, and several LPTV affiliates, almost all of which have construction permits to build companion LP DTV facilities.
Given that digital TV sets also pick up analog signals, I don't see an issue at all.
Also, in Arizona, KM Communications, one of the larger affiliate partners with America One, has one full service A1 affiliate which is supposed to be broadcasting in DTV already, and several LPTV affiliates, almost all of which have construction permits to build companion LP DTV facilities.
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