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Seen the ads for this yet...USDTV?

A

AliceTheCook

Guest
Apparently it's a local service in select markets that rebroadcasts digital signals terrestrial-ly into a descrambler box for $19.95 a month. DFW is one of the new markets. Great if you only want local channels for your digital TV without paying for cable or dish, but...check out the cable networks they carry. It's nearly all religious. The whole board of directors is Mormon, hence things like "The Church Channel" and some others you'd likely never see on a regular cable/dish lineup. No photo is provided of what the antenna looks like, but I'd guess it's along the lines of the old VEU, ON-TV, etc microwave-looking stick or a yagi.

BTW, this is not a plug, just an observation. I really don't think a religion-heavy cable-wannabe is going to make it in this market or elsewhere. Oh, and to fit perfectly with the religious bias, they offer only FOX News Channel for news. How appropriate. www.usdtv.com
 
> Apparently it's a local service in select markets that
> rebroadcasts digital signals terrestrial-ly into a
> descrambler box for $19.95 a month. DFW is one of the new
> markets. Great if you only want local channels for your
> digital TV without paying for cable or dish, but...check out
> the cable networks they carry. It's nearly all religious.
> The whole board of directors is Mormon, hence things like
> "The Church Channel" and some others you'd likely never see
> on a regular cable/dish lineup. No photo is provided of
> what the antenna looks like, but I'd guess it's along the
> lines of the old VEU, ON-TV, etc microwave-looking stick or
> a yagi.
>
> BTW, this is not a plug, just an observation. I really
> don't think a religion-heavy cable-wannabe is going to make
> it in this market or elsewhere. Oh, and to fit perfectly
> with the religious bias, they offer only FOX News Channel
> for news. How appropriate. www.usdtv.com

Those religious channels are received with a regular decoder box. They are broadcast for free, OTA, via KDTN, KDTX, KTAQ, and KPXD. You're only "paying for" the 99-xx channels.

I don't like USDTV anyway.

- Trip<P ID="signature">______________
Visit my website, www.rabbitears.info! It's eventually going to be your one resource for television info! Digital television, histories, and technical information for the entire USA from one source!</P>
 
> > Apparently it's a local service in select markets that
> > rebroadcasts digital signals terrestrial-ly into a
> > descrambler box for $19.95 a month. DFW is one of the new
>
> > markets. Great if you only want local channels for your
> > digital TV without paying for cable or dish, but...check
> out
> > the cable networks they carry. It's nearly all religious.
>
> > The whole board of directors is Mormon, hence things like
> > "The Church Channel" and some others you'd likely never
> see
> > on a regular cable/dish lineup. No photo is provided of
> > what the antenna looks like, but I'd guess it's along the
> > lines of the old VEU, ON-TV, etc microwave-looking stick
> or
> > a yagi.
> >
> > BTW, this is not a plug, just an observation. I really
> > don't think a religion-heavy cable-wannabe is going to
> make
> > it in this market or elsewhere. Oh, and to fit perfectly
> > with the religious bias, they offer only FOX News Channel
> > for news. How appropriate. www.usdtv.com
>
> Those religious channels are received with a regular decoder
> box. They are broadcast for free, OTA, via KDTN, KDTX,
> KTAQ, and KPXD. You're only "paying for" the 99-xx
> channels.
>
> I don't like USDTV anyway.
>
> - Trip
>
Its old technology thats gotten a facelift in the digital cable/sat age. Ive looked the thing over and found it to be lacking in quality, both in design and offered product, a good number of the channels appears to be a bedroom encounter with Paul Crouch and Trinity Broadcasting (TBN,TBN Enlace,JCTV,Smile Of A Child). Plus, they're price pointing it for every slack-jawed,redneck yokel in the trailer park who should be spending their money feeding their kids and not televangelism.
 
> Its old technology thats gotten a facelift in the digital
> cable/sat age. Ive looked the thing over and found it to be
> lacking in quality, both in design and offered product, a
> good number of the channels appears to be a bedroom
> encounter with Paul Crouch and Trinity Broadcasting (TBN,TBN
> Enlace,JCTV,Smile Of A Child). Plus, they're price pointing
> it for every slack-jawed,redneck yokel in the trailer park
> who should be spending their money feeding their kids and
> not televangelism.

Realize that even with a standard digital tuner box, you will get those channels. They are NOT USDTV-specific.

- Trip<P ID="signature">______________
Visit my website, www.rabbitears.info! It's eventually going to be your one resource for television info! Digital television, histories, and technical information for the entire USA from one source!</P>
 
> > Its old technology thats gotten a facelift in the digital
> > cable/sat age. Ive looked the thing over and found it to
> be
> > lacking in quality, both in design and offered product, a
> > good number of the channels appears to be a bedroom
> > encounter with Paul Crouch and Trinity Broadcasting
> (TBN,TBN
> > Enlace,JCTV,Smile Of A Child). Plus, they're price
> pointing
> > it for every slack-jawed,redneck yokel in the trailer park
>
> > who should be spending their money feeding their kids and
> > not televangelism.
>
> Realize that even with a standard digital tuner box, you
> will get those channels. They are NOT USDTV-specific.
>
> - Trip
>
Actually, comcast doesnt run JCTV or Smile,something about having a pair and not being pushed around ;)
 
What USDTV is.. and isn't..

USDTV has teamed up with local broadcasters to create a "wireless cable" system. They can send out about five cable networks on one DTV signal - in addition to the broadcast station's regular programming. These signals are scrambled and can be decoded by the USDTV box with a subcription to their service.

Currently they offer 12 cable channels over the DTV facilities of KTAQ, KPXD and KMPX. None of the cable channels are religious networks. I'm told they will eventually add more channels using KDFI and KLDT's DTV signals. (and maybe a few others)

The rest of their channel lineup is simply whatever DTV channels are broadcast in the area. The fact that KDTX has 5 signals on their DTV channel is the reason you see so many religious stations on the USDTV lineup. I get these channels on my antenna using my HDTV. I also get 5 weather radar channels. I'm sure those show up in USDTV's channel lineup as well. That doesn't make them a "weather centric" cable outfit.
 
Re: What USDTV is.. and isn't..

I meant to point out that they are unusually religion-heavy, and that they are emphasizing "family" viewing per their website. One instance is including Disney Toons instead of the Disney Channel. The Mormon connection only helps the argument. I would bet that any future additions would include safe cable offerings like Good Life TV, or maybe pulling in some LPTV stations that don't get local cable exposure...which the bulk of those are religious-based.

In other words, there's little there for atheist or agnostic families. HA.

If I were setting this up, I'd market instead to blue-collar Hispanics and pull in all the local Spanish stations instead, plus select Spanish cable offerings. And any of the local network affiliates could have their SAP defaulted for Spanish language, if offered.

Not to sound crass, but I've seen many, many instances of "poor white trash" who will still pony up $85 a month for cable TV with movie channels, even if it means letting the light bill go for the month. I just don't know if there's enough money-conscious poorer folks who'll think USDTV is worth the tradeoff.

> USDTV has teamed up with local broadcasters to create a
> "wireless cable" system. They can send out about five cable
> networks on one DTV signal - in addition to the broadcast
> station's regular programming. These signals are scrambled
> and can be decoded by the USDTV box with a subcription to
> their service.
>
> Currently they offer 12 cable channels over the DTV
> facilities of KTAQ, KPXD and KMPX. None of the cable
> channels are religious networks. I'm told they will
> eventually add more channels using KDFI and KLDT's DTV
> signals. (and maybe a few others)
>
> The rest of their channel lineup is simply whatever DTV
> channels are broadcast in the area. The fact that KDTX has
> 5 signals on their DTV channel is the reason you see so many
> religious stations on the USDTV lineup. I get these
> channels on my antenna using my HDTV. I also get 5 weather
> radar channels. I'm sure those show up in USDTV's channel
> lineup as well. That doesn't make them a "weather centric"
> cable outfit.
>
 
Re: What USDTV is.. and isn't..

> I meant to point out that they are unusually religion-heavy,
> and that they are emphasizing "family" viewing per their
> website. One instance is including Disney Toons instead of
> the Disney Channel. The Mormon connection only helps the
> argument. I would bet that any future additions would
> include safe cable offerings like Good Life TV, or maybe
> pulling in some LPTV stations that don't get local cable
> exposure...which the bulk of those are religious-based.

Again, it has nothing to do with USDTV. USDTV is not religion heavy. KDTX-DT is!
 
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