DTV Transition?

[wildmaninal]

Well I know some of you may already know about this DTV transition that is supposed to be finalized or in action by 2/2009 but some of you may not know. This is to change analog TVs into digital TVs. I heard about this months ago through the grape vine but didn't know that they were seriously going to put this into affect until I seen the commercial last night. I have 2 analog TVs that I am completely happy with, will hopefully last 10 more years and now I'm supposed to buy a converter box here in the near future or else I wont get any signal on the TV. I don't like the thought of having to pay for satellite and buying a converter box that might not last, so I'll half to replace it. Then programming for the satellite or cable will probably go sky high. I am still a little confused about this, I have studied some on this but enlighten me on the subject if you all will.

"www.dtv.gov" This link does not refer to any political references from what I have seen, if you all do find something along that lines you can zap it if need be, I mean no harm. What do you guys think of this.

P.S. No political intentions intended here on this thread.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: DTV Transition?

As I understand it much of the reason is to recover radio frequencies. I beleive there is a crunch right now and there is money to be made commercially in licensing these for other purposes.

This site may be helpful..

URLhttp://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.html

You will either need to upgrade or have set top tuner devices to understand the broadcast.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: DTV Transition?

"After February 17, 2009, you will be able to receive and view over-the-air digital programming with an analog TV only by purchasing a digital-to-analog set-top converter box. Between January 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be able to request up to two coupons, worth $40 each, to be used toward the future purchase of eligible digital-to-analog converter boxes. Eligible converter boxes are for the conversion of over-the-air digital television signals, and therefore are not intended for analog TVs connected to a paid provider such as cable or satellite TV service."

Hmmmm, interesting rogerwa, I appreciate that link. From what I understood the converter box was for all analog TVs but I guess I was wrong there. Still they probably will jack up the prices on satellite services. I'm glad I didn't purchase the hand held TV that I was going to buy, I use to own one and I ended up selling it. Still allot of people are not aware of this "transition" that is underway. It's going to be a mad house around these retail and electronic stores when this does follow through.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: DTV Transition?

I think the mandate is for OTA broadcasts. I am not sure it applies to cable and satellite as those are not broadcast on the airwaves..

I would think this year will be a high water mark for tv sales as well as seeing the prices come down. they already have come down significantly. One thing yyou have not noticed is the drop in price for sets with the ATSC tuner included. In the fall of 2006 they was usually a $3-400 diff in price. I am glad I waited.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: DTV Transition?

I think the mandate is for OTA broadcasts. I am not sure it applies to cable and satellite as those are not broadcast on the airwaves..

I would think this year will be a high water mark for tv sales as well as seeing the prices come down. they already have come down significantly. One thing yyou have not noticed is the drop in price for sets with the ATSC tuner included. In the fall of 2006 they was usually a $3-400 diff in price. I am glad I waited.

I hear ya rogerwa. I was looking at a flat screen HDTV at sears in there discounted or mark down room at one point, this was really the only time I considered getting a new flat screen TV, but money is tight for me. My mother didn't even know about this transition. I wonder when they say broaden the channel selection or choices for the customers if the price will broaden with it. I believe I have 180 to 200 channels on dish network, I wonder if this will increase, from what I have read of these links that it will give us more channels. I don't know if I am disappointed about the situation or excited about it now lol.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: DTV Transition?

Hmmmmmm.....BIG TV

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: DTV Transition?

My understanding is that HDTV requires a wider frequency band to transmit where analog uses a narrow band. I expect to see many more HD channels after this switch is complete since there will be many freq's made available for transmitting.

Gotta have that picture quality. Geeesh, I remember back in the early 60's that snow, static, and a black/white screen were a wonderful thing to have.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: DTV Transition?

RABBIT EARS, with foil on them, Man those were the days,

 

[dolluper]

Re: DTV Transition?

A company in Kanata Canada is selling the switches to all the broadcasters already and they are making one for regular home TV's also to use with rabbit ears ,cable,dishes approx price was 19.95 CAN funds.IT's expanding fast doing losts of sales,all is not lost yet.I saw it on the news here and the Company's name is filed somewhere I can't find at the moment,maybe google TV switches

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: DTV Transition?

LOL boatbuoy

Oh OK I hear ya SS.

TD, as tight as money is for me I might be making an untransition from my satellite system back to rabbit ears or the antenna on the pole sitting about 50ft up in the air lol. When you all move forward in technology I'll go backwards lol. Then when when the transition comes for you all I'll just watch YouTube on the puter lol.


dolluper, "A company in Kanata Canada is selling the switches to all the broadcasters already and they are making one for regular home TV's also to use with rabbit ears ,cable,dishes approx price was 19.95 CAN funds. IT's expanding fast doing losts of sales,all is not lost yet.I saw it on the news here and the Company's name is filed somewhere I can't find at the moment,maybe google TV switches"

Hmmm. Interesting, so in a sense you all are a little ahead of us on this?

 

[woodrat]

Re: DTV Transition?

I haven't used a TV for anything but watching rented movies since 1989... As long as my ancient clunker keeps reading the DVD player, I'll keep it.

 

[Nandy]

Re: DTV Transition?

As stated before, this only affects Over The Air transmission. Those that have direct tv, dish, or cable will not need any addapters unless you want to receive your local channels with a regular antena.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: DTV Transition?

Woodrat, I hear ya, I was only watching discovery channels, history channels, and documentary channels for a while here. I wold pop in a DVD every once in a while.

Nandy, I hear ya also, I guess those that have a river or lake lot and depending only on antennas are up the creek without a paddle. And I as I mentioned before I am glad I didn't purchase any portable TV like I was planning on, I almost bought one a month or so ago.

 

[Mike722]

Re: DTV Transition?

My mothers Cable company will receive the programing in HD and they are converting it back to analog unless you pay a higher price. At least according to the lady she talked to.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: DTV Transition?

My mothers Cable company will receive the programing in HD and they are converting it back to analog unless you pay a higher price. At least according to the lady she talked to.

Not saying that isn't possible, and I'm not arguing that at all, but I would tell her to get some more information from another source. Be interesting to see how someone else explains the transition at the cable company. Being if this true, and I have been tempted to go back to cable, I wonder if they would do the same to me. That follows along the lines of what I mentioned earlier they may jack the price up for the programming. That is wrong.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: DTV Transition?

Hmmmmmm.....BIG TV

Yep!.......

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: DTV Transition?

That would be a good excuse to get a big TV though wouldn't . I would be looking . I don't know about them flat screens though, I heard somebody say "that you can't see it clearly when your up close to the TV, but I responded to the person that told me this by saying "you are not supposed to be up close to the TV anyways".

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: DTV Transition?

The newer LCDs look fine up close.We have a 46 inch in the den and the sofa is only about 10 foot away at most.Looks great!
About everything i watch now i pick up free with the antenna on the roof.Sharp,clear digital and HD programming.
Digital is the way to go with an antenna,no snowy pictures.Either it comes in perfect or not at all.
The prices are sure coming down on the tvs too..

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: DTV Transition?

My mothers Cable company will receive the programing in HD and they are converting it back to analog unless you pay a higher price. At least according to the lady she talked to.

I've heard the same thing. The stuff is already in HD. You get the converted signal unless you pay for HD, in that case you get the same feed they get.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: DTV Transition?

The newer LCDs look fine up close.We have a 46 inch in the den and the sofa is only about 10 foot away at most.Looks great!
About everything i watch now i pick up free with the antenna on the roof.Sharp,clear digital and HD programming.
Digital is the way to go with an antenna,no snowy pictures.Either it comes in perfect or not at all.
The prices are sure coming down on the tvs too..

For real? Interesting.
P.S. Love the avator LOL, We need to have a thread on who's got the best avator, anyone ever done that before?

I've heard the same thing. The stuff is already in HD. You get the converted signal unless you pay for HD, in that case you get the same feed they get.

So in other words allot of cable subscribers are about to be screwed.