ASU2003

What is the government doing? They keep delaying the switch to digital TV... Well, I know that they aren't the ones to put all the blame on, a lot of it's the people who saw free money from the government and didn't need a converter box. The other part is the people who didn't get a converter for one reason or another. And I don't really feel that sorry for them. There are other ways to get TV, they can rent DVDs from the library of their favorite TV shows, I'm sure there are some they haven't seen yet, and will be able to live for a few weeks/months until the government gets them a $40 coupon that someone got and let expire. (Because they have money to pay for the electricity to run the TV, and to buy a TV, buy don't want to spend the money on a converter box that probably would only cost $10-$20 if they knew the government wasn't handing out $40 checks). Then again, maybe they should be advertising HDTVs and reminding people that they can get a better TV signal if they get a 1080p TV for $500.

There is a small group of people who would lose channels, but I think they might come in once the digital signal is full strength.

Is there something I'm missing here? Is there some other reason they don't want to turn off the analog signals? Maybe they want to wait until the summer so they can tell the people to go outside and play, or that there is nothing good on TV in the summer anyways, save your money up...

(If Obama wanted to win support from the people he should have told them that all shows had to be in HD. I would be for that by June 12th.)

Senate passes bill to delay digital TV switch - Yahoo! News

filtherton

Probably has something to do with the airwaves theoretically belonging to the people. Maybe they're trying to avoid "disenfranchising" a bunch of people. Or mayber there is an economic interest in making sure advertising reaches the largest audience possible.

I don't know, I've been getting HD broadcast signals since last Christmas. It's still kind of gross when I accidentally tune in to local network affiliate news; the anchors don't wear HD-friendly makeup.

Derwood

I've had satellite TV for 4 years so the switch is of no benefit to me. why have you been looking forward to this so much, ASU2003?

Willravel

I don't personally see any need for the switch. I've heard all the arguments—it's better quality, it frees up the airwaves for emergency signals, and wifi—but really, analog is okay quality, emergency signals are able to get out just fine now, and while wifi frequencies aren't perfect they're still good enough to last years before people really need them to become better. My home wifi can download at like 100 Mbps. My internet can't even hit 10.

snowy

I think you're underestimating the impact of this transition. I know a number of people in my community who still use rabbit-ear set-top receivers, and they largely use said antennae/televisions to watch public television. It's not necessarily about just getting television--for these people, they could care less about what's on prime time or how many channels cable has. And our library does not have Ruff Ruffman on DVD. Additionally, the library's DVD collection is very popular, good luck picking what you want right off the shelf as most DVDs are checked out, meaning you will have to wait for weeks for a hold to come through; depending on what you want to watch, that coupon might come more quickly.

Pretty sure amongst the folks I know there are more than a few that have yet to get converter boxes, 'cause, ya know, they have lives beyond their televisions that include children (children take up lots of non-television time). Television just isn't their priority. Does that mean they shouldn't have access to the public television that they support? Of course not. Is it really inconveniencing anyone if we have to wait a bit for the transition? Perhaps, but I have a feeling we would be inconveniencing far more by transitioning too soon.

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Cynthetiq

we've got analog antennaes on our roofs of the 4 large buildings. It was originally going to cost $15,000 each to reconfigure. We charge $.50 a month to connect to our 4 master antennae which costs us $10,000 year to keep in service (maintenance contract).

Turns out the price will be less to reconfigure, maybe $15,000 for all of them but we'll have to recover the costs and those people that use it will probably have to pay $5.00/month since there aren't that many users who are attached to it.

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ASU2003

Why do you need to reconfigure the antennas? Do you mean where they point at? You should be able to use the same UHF antenna.

And the better way to do it is to switch and display the message to go to the public TV station or library to be given a converter box or two for $10 (or free). It is costing these public TV stations millions of dollars to power the analog transmitters and some other headaches with operating both. Maybe they should have them turn off the analog TV for a day or a week and put full power to the DTV antennas to see if that fixes the problems people are having.

It just seems like this coupon program is a scam. People are buying these boxes with the coupons now, but will sell them in a few months when the coupon program isn't around. I don't underestimate the cheapness of Americans.

I want them to switch because it will be one step closer to having more TV shows broadcasting in HD. TV stations can put money into better camera and equipment instead of running an outdated technology that doesn't work as nearly as well as digital.

Strange Famous

I cant receive digital TV at all.

Ipswich is one of the last places in the UK which cant though I think

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Redlemon

At first I thought the "OK, we'll delay the transition, but if you want to switch early, go ahead" was going to be a huge clusterfuck. But now, I think it might be a bit easier that way. If one station goes dark for you, you still have access to other stations and don't have to panic, but it becomes time to transition.
FETCH! Woo-hoo!

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Derwood

the people who aren't ready for the switch now won't be ready in four months either. I think the delay has more to do on the broadcast side (or the cell phone companies) than on the rural folks who haven't received their coupon yet

laconic1

This change has been coming for years, if people aren't ready now they wont be in four months. It'll take actually losing their signal for some people to wake up to the fact that they need to make the change. I bought my tv in early 2005 and one of the considerations when I bought it was making sure it had a digital tuner in anticipation of the transition. I have cable but I use the digital over the air signal for watching network broadcasts for the improved picture. The only problem is the stations around here are not broadcasting digital at full power until the analog signal is turned off. There are only two channels I watch, the Fox and NBC affiliates and I have to adjust my antenna whenever I change the channel. I expect once they begin broadcasting at full power I wont have to deal with it, and I'm annoyed that I have to wait longer now.

Derwood

Tv stations have known about the transition since at least 2004 (when I was working in TV)

Locobot

In my experience the coupon program has been a total pile of shit. Where I live Target, Wal-mart, Circuit City, and Best Buy have been out of dtv converters since before Christmas. I tried to use the vouchers online but Amazon's system wouldn't validate them. I called the 1-800 hotline but couldn't actually reach a real person. So now I have two expired and worthless coupons.

Derwood

ASU2003

It's going to committee now, and I'm not sure if the $819 billion package still includes the $650 million (waste) for the extension of the coupon program. We'll have to see if the members of congress take the advice of the nerds on-line.

Locobot

You're right, the coupon program is a scam. If you can find a retailer with a converter box, there's no way that the $40 coupon will cover the cost. The online system for validating the coupons doesn't work. It's purposeful incompetence.

My understanding is that digital signals are all-or-nothing. Considering that most of the channels I watch are fuzzy or require antenna/gain tweaking that means that my reception will probably be vastly inferior, a complete downgrade. That is of course providing that I'm able to actually get my hands on a converter box.

filtherton

It might be the other way around, though. Most of the SD broadcast signals I get are fuzzy and if I want to channel surf proper I really need to fuck around with the bunny ears somewhere along the way. Even so, I still get sweet, sweet HD from all the stations who broadcast in HD. I still have to fuck around with the bunny ears sometimes because you're right: poor HD signals just show up as nothing. I wouldn't assume that a fuzzy SD signal automatically implies an insufficient HD signal, though.

Derwood

ASU2003

It took me a few months to get my antenna pointed in just the right direction to get every station without fail. And you need to get above 20% signal strength to be able to watch the station without problems. Or at least that is what my TV tells me. I am in the 60%-80% range at my house for all of the stations that I should be able to get.

If I have nothing to do, I will build this new antenna design and mount it inside my attic.
The Gray-Hoverman Antenna For UHF Television Reception - Digital Home Canada

I just watched that video for the first time. Wow. That was too funny. And probably too true at the same time. There was no way a non-AV person would have been able to follow that.

dc_dux

For some reason, the House tried the quick and clean approach to enact the bill under a "suspension of the rules" which meant no debate, no amendments, and a 2/3 vote required for passage.

They will bring it up again next week under "regular orders" and suffer through hours of debate and proposed amendments that will be shot down, then pass the bill with a simple majority.

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braisler

ASU, did you ever get around to building that DIY antenna. I had the same site bookmarked on my computer. I just got my hands on some old metal coat hangers to work with. I've got reception of some of the channels that I should, but I'm missing Fox completely. I don't know whether it would be resolved with the switch to full power digital transmission or not.

I don't want to go out and spend $90 or more on a larger antenna for my house, but I'm willing to spend an hour or two cobbling together some hangers and spare parts to see if I can't get better reception that way. I'm not likely to get to this project until next weekend, but if I get it up and running, I'll post back with the results.

ASU2003

It is on my schedule for June. I have read that people in the next big city (~50 miles away) can pick up my local channels using that antenna. The current antenna I have only goes 30 miles. Newegg.com - TERK HDTVi Directional indoor UHF/VHF HDTV antenna

Hopefully I can get stations 50 miles away with this style antenna (http://www.digitalhome.ca/ota/supera...overmanpvc.jpg) It would add 3-5 different PBS stations (some show are the same as what's on locally), and a few different sporting events. There is also the possibility that certain shows are in HD in the other city, but not here on my local station.

But, I will wait around until June 12th to see if the digital switch increases power or makes my local stations improve as well.

timalkin

..

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ASU2003

The day is finally here. It will finally be over after tomorrow. Yea!

Yes, Virginia, the DTV transition still isn't over - CNN.com

It's scary to think that 2.8 million households weren't able to figure out how to upgrade their over-the-air setups to digital. How do these people function in modern society? (I'm assuming the polling people asked if they didn't upgrade because they don't watch TV.)

Then again, there is very little on TV that I watch now.

Zeraph

Amusing how dearly we hold TV that the thought of going without it sends angry rabble rousers down our spine.

Derwood

I've been digital for almost 5 years.....