Digital TV deadline extended

vic4news · Jan 29, 2009

schmism said:
i can garentee you do not recive HD signals with a goverment coupon approved converter. Infact it was specifically writen into the spec that the DTV converter boxes eligibly for the $40 coupon NOT receive HD signals.

Actually, the converter box can receive all digital broadcasts, both HD and SD stations. However, the box will down convert all signals to 480i which is what analog TVs display. So, if you hook a converter box up to a nice HDTV that displays 1080i or 720p, you will only be feeding it a 480i signal.

But for those that want to watch broadcasts on their analog TV. The digital signal usually produces a nicer picture than the analog signal does.

Vic

mikim · Jan 29, 2009

why hang on to an older set?
Because, just like grandpa, it still works!
and new ones --- plural --- just aren't in the budget right now.

MossRoad · Jan 29, 2009

mikim said:
why hang on to an older set?
Because, just like grandpa, it still works!
and new ones --- plural --- just aren't in the budget right now.

I agree. I would like a new T.V., but I don't need a new T.V. and have other things I would like to spend money on first... like tractor stuff and ice fishing!

JB4310 · Feb 4, 2009

Skyco said:
HURRAY! The house voted to NOT delay the switch, so that means it will take place as scheduled next month

Now it's off again, delayed till June.
Our local public station is announcing that they are going to stop analog transmissions on the 17th regardless, wonder if they can do that?

JB.

BobRip · Feb 4, 2009

MossRoad said:
O

What I am sure of is the picture on my anaolg T.V. using the digital converter box is perfect. It never looked anywhere near that good before using the converter box. It is of the exact same quality as the picture over the dish. No snow, no fade, no double images, no buzzing if there is white text on the screen, and none of that wavy lines stuff you get when the weatherman wears a gaudy tie that buzzes when he's in front of the weather map. I still think it was worth the $9.00 I had to kick in after the coupon.

After we got satellite, I commented how great the picture was with the old set. So she said "We don't need a new set". I am now stuck with the old set till it fails. That could be arranged.

txdon · Feb 4, 2009

JB4310 said:
Now it's off again, delayed till June.
Our local public station is announcing that they are going to stop analog transmissions on the 17th regardless, wonder if they can do that?

JB.

Yes they can.
According to http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/41...four-month-delay-for-the-switch-to-digital-tv

"The complicated part about the bill is that the delay is voluntary, meaning that broadcasters must turn off their analog signals by June 12, but they can do it any time after Feb. 17, as originally planned."

"Early indications are showing that nearly a fifth of the nations TV stations plan to switch to digital this month despite the delay. That would represent 300 of the 1,700 stations in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report."

What I can't understand, I guess because I'm in Texas and have to hunkerdown if the temperature drops below 40, is why anyone would rather spend money on ice fishing instead of a HDTV??????

2manyrocks · Feb 4, 2009

The PBS news here was saying that some stations may go ahead and make the digital switch anyway because it is costing the stations money to continue the analog broadcast. The commentator also said that the analog broadcasts were more powerful than the digitial broadcasts and some people in fringe areas won't see anything but snow unless they upgrade antennas, too.

JohnDeere4300 · Feb 4, 2009

My local news station has been doing a test everyday for a month, and they are going with the switch after the 17th.

I am glad i have cable for my home and satellite for my camper, i just wished they would go ahead and switch over and stop those tests.

One day on my local news they was talking about the switch, and they had a man on talking about antennas, he said if you had the right antenna turned in the direction of the tv station, and didn't have a box you could still get the signal.

They said it worked, the next day on my local news they was getting emails from people that had already bought a box, and they was mad.

aczlan · Feb 4, 2009

johndeere4300 said:
One day on my local news they was talking about the switch, and they had a man on talking about antennas, he said if you had the right antenna turned in the direction of the tv station, and didn't have a box you could still get the signal.
They said it worked, the next day on my local news they was getting emails from people that had already bought a box, and they was mad.

They were wrong, digital tv is a completely different system than the old analog one. see here: Digital television - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for more information

Aaron Z