Goodbye Analog

[mschrank]

I've got something to whine about...

I was ready with my converter boxes back in February when the switch was supposed to happen. At that time, I knew that our switch would be a bit later because we recieve our signal via a rural translator (not under the same mandate as direct broadcast signals).

I just found out today that our switch to digital may not happen for another 1-2 YEARS!

I read today that up to a million people aren't ready for the switch. I'm betting close to that number or more of rural folks ARE ready, but their switch is still a long ways off.

[tfischer]

The way I understand it, translators may never be mandated to switch to digital. That's why many of the converter boxes still have "analog pass through"...

[Mr__Bill]

from: http://www.gocomics.com/pluggers/

[Hellrazor]

The local channels switched to digital today. 2 out of 3 had a decent outtage on DirecTv during the switch... so much for their "quick and easy" switch over.

[TB Roye]

It is a plot by North Korea and Iran to over throw us. They will then switch us back to Analog and 3 channels, one news, one culture and one sports (Soccer and Badmitten and Ping Pong)

Tom

[BerniePA]

I'm glad it finally happened. I was getting tired of being told about it several times daily.

Ed

WHAT finally happened?? How come I'm always the last to know things??

[mschrank]

The way I understand it, translators may never be mandated to switch to digital.

Funny the local Radio Shack salesman didn't mention that when I bought 2 boxes last January. He was more than happy to take my coupons + $20.00! Never said, "ya know, you don't really need these for 1-2 years, and maybe not ever"

[eccentrictinkerer]

Do they make battery converter boxes?

FWIW, here's a hack to convert a converter to 12 VDC.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Digi...onverter_Hack/

[pecker]

there's going to be a lot of groaning and moaning, I predict.
While an all out digital signal with good reception will be very nice, those who are in fringe reception areas and have always put up with snowy and ghosty images that were at least viewable and understandable with continuous audio will now have to put up with pictures that break up, freeze and sound that skips on and off rendering the TV program totally unusable.

The same Radio frequency signal level will be present but the way its rendered in digital will be completely unforgiving. Some people in good reception areas but lousy antennas will be able to get better antennas and be OK; those in fringe areas with poor reception cannot improve it much with better antennas and or amplifiers - you just amplify the noise as well.

One of my friends has been watching digital channels all year, in the Baltimore/Washington corridor, using the converter boxes.
But when the changeover occured this weekend, several of the channels switched from a high powered UHF signal to a VHF at only 5000 watts. He can't get any of those channels anymore.

Neither of us can understand why they did this. We thought the original intent of this was for the government to sell off the VHF band after the changeover. And to be broadcasting at only 5kw, the stations must have decided that since most of their customers are on cable or sattelite, there was no point paying that big electric bill each month for the old high power transmitter.