OTA statistics

[Morgan Wick]

Bumping a moribund thread, but... I wonder if we could see an OTA renaissance at the DTV transition. I see a future where some cable networks become DTV subchannel networks, by which I mean true networks. Imagine FSN West as a subchannel on KTTV, for example.

 

[mjlarochelle]

Bumping a moribund thread, but... I wonder if we could see an OTA renaissance at the DTV transition. I see a future where some cable networks become DTV subchannel networks, by which I mean true networks. Imagine FSN West as a subchannel on KTTV, for example.

That would be a good idea. It would also be a more efficient use of bandwidth. Right now WWOR is broadcasting not only on Channel 9 in the New York area, but also on WNYW-DT 5.2, if I recall correctly. Channel 5.2 should have something different. Likewise WABC could run ABC Family on a subchannel, while the various channels owned by FOX would be spread out among WNYW and WWOR. CNN could reach more viewers this way.

I see OTA making somewhat of a return in the United States with DTV, if it is promoted properly. It will never happen in Canada, because the networks there know it would happen if they get their way in collecting cable/satellite fees directly from viewers, and they want to shut down their OTA stations and go cable-only. Nobody is going to invest in an antenna if all they'll get is CBC.

 

[vibe]

With most of the OTA DTV stations being on UHF, one can put $200-300 into an incredible setup and probably receive a large number of OTA's from more than 1 market. I'm going to do that next fall in SW Fla. The plan is to easily get the locals (Tampa-Ft. Myers) while getting the Miami-Orlando-Palm Beach stuff when conditions are right.

 

[zumahans]

The percentage of households with cable and/or satellite TV is now somewhere around 80% in the U.S, making it about 20% with strictly OTA viewers. It depends on what part of the country we're talking about, though. Some areas have more than others.

Wrong.

Many homes with cable or sat also view OTA TV.

The percentage is probably growing, as some people with highend TVs are using OTA for HD, which is overcompressed by cable and cable on a dish, and often looks like crap compared to OTA HD.

 

[Markxxx]

I see the OTA TV stations (at least the network affiliated ones) offering TWO channels, one HDTV channel scrambled which they charge the OTA customers for and which they charge the Cable and Dish providers for and a copy of the HDTV on Digital only (not high def) which they air OTA for free and give to cable for free. Since the FCC said only ONE of the channels has to be free the rest are free to be charged for.

I am not sure but I think the current technology doesn't allow for HDTV and regular DTV on the same bandwidth, but I think by the time analog gets shut off that sould be possible.

 

[w9wi]

I am not sure but I think the current technology doesn't allow for HDTV and regular DTV on the same bandwidth, but I think by the time analog gets shut off that sould be possible.

Current technology does allow for one standard definition program and one high-definition program at the same time, on the same channel. Some stations are running two standard-def programs along with one high-def but that's pushing it - one of the channels ends up starved for bandwidth & breaks up occasionally.

The analog shutdown won't affect that split.

In HD Radio, some of a station's spectrum is currently occupied by the analog; when (if) the analog goes away this spectrum will become available for more bandwidth for the digital signal.

In digital *TV* each station already has all the digital spectrum it's going to get. The shutdown of the analog signals won't open any more room for a given station.