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Battery Powered TV’s vs. The Digital Switch

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By Jene' Young Meteorologist

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr Battery Powered TV’s vs. The Digital Switch

Published: Fri, June 20, 2008 - 4:26 pm
Last Updated: Monday, July 21, 2008 - 6:23 pm

Jene' Young

During hurricanes or severe weather, you may have used battery powered portable televisions to keep up with our First Alert Storm Team coverage. But after the digital TV switch next year, many of you may be left in the dark.
When a hurricane makes landfall, often times, because of power outages, that means relying on a battery powered TV during the storm. Next February, analog battery powered TVs will no longer work on their own.

Keith Vrazel, a News 5 Engineer says, "Next year, during hurricane season, if you are expecting to use your battery powered portable TV, you are going to be in a fix. Unfortunately, the conversion box that you will need to use an analog television set is not battery powered."

Without power, the converter box does you no good. Vrazel says, "It kind of defeats the purpose of having a battery powered set if you can't tune in your signal."

The FCC does not require companies to make battery powered analog to digital converters. And they say no manufacture has stepped up to produce these converters.
That means your battery power TV will look like snow.

There are a handful of digital battery powered TVs on the market. However, it might take some luck finding one. I made a couple of quick phone calls to electronic stores around the Mobile area, and only found one that had a portable DTV, but it will cost you.

John Hatten is the manager at Radio Shack in the Bel Air Mall. He says, "The transition is costly for consumer and for the stations. I'm just not sure of a cheaper way of doing it."

The only battery powered DTV available in our area will cost close to 200 dollars.
Hatten adds, "Anybody from the state of Florida to Brownsville, Texas needs to have something like this. If your power goes out, you can still check and see what is going on in your area."

The battery for this TV will last 3 to 4 hours and you can charge it using the cigarette lighter in your car. That is, if you can make it to your car in the middle of a storm.

I spoke with people at the FCC, but they have no real solution for your old battery powered TVs. The Consumer Electronics Association believes there will be more options on the market the closer we get to the DTV switch on February 17th.

If you’d like to contact the FCC, check out this link and let them know your thoughts.

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Thank you very much!
Leslie

Posted by lesliediane on 07/30/08 - 9:43 am • Report Abuse

That ACCURIAN little digital portable is a neat looking job. But I,d have to try it out on reception at a point some where around Saraland or further north or further west in the county. That’s where the biggest difference will be between the two systems. In the analog system and TVs such as this one I’ve gotten good or viewable reception on most all channels. On the digital system reception starts to drop off drastically in these areas. If you throw in heavy rains and winds, you might not get any reception at all on a rod antenna. If I could try one before I bought it and found it to be use able I would buy it without a second thought but if it was unusable it would be just an expensive paper weight.

Posted by carl on 06/26/08 - 7:02 am • Report Abuse

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?parentPage=search&summary=summary&cp=2032057&productId=2855063&accessories=accessories&kw=battery+digital+tv&kwCatId=2032057&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=custRatings&custRatings=custRatings&f=Taxonomy/RSK/2032057&features=features&categoryId=2032057&support=support&tab=summary

Posted by shihtzuman on 06/25/08 - 8:16 pm • Report Abuse

I believe that was referring to the very small stations in isolated spots that broadcast using very small wattage output that cover maybe a couple of miles. I read that a good while back and even considered applying for one of those license. I think they consider them MOM and POP operations and most in cases they are. I’ve only seen them in the south west but I think there may be one or two farm communities in the state that operate one. This whole fiasco, and I believe that’s what it’ll be , could have been avoided with better planning in the switch to digital, in the manufacturing of the first stages of the TVs and converter boxes. Maybe I should say I like the idea of all digital transmissions. But the switch to that in this manner is really poorly planned and will have a large number of outraged people before it’s over. I base that opinion on my past 40 years of experience in that area, I could be wrong about the number of people affected but at this time I don’t think so.

Posted by carl on 06/23/08 - 7:03 am • Report Abuse

You do realize also, TV stations are still able to broadcast analog signals, but at a reduced amount of watts. Rather or not they will do so in a time of emergency remains to be untold.

“At midnight on February 17, 2009, full-power broadcasters will stop sending out conventional “analog” television signals. After that date, full-power broadcasters will broadcast 100% digital television (DTV) signals that can be received only by digital TVs or converters. Low power broadcasters may continue to transmit their analog signals.”

Notice the last line.So therefore they could simply cut back the wattage of their broadcasts, so that at least some people could get an analog signal in a time of emergency.

Posted by DEW26M on 06/22/08 - 7:44 pm • Report Abuse

Hey DEW26m I didn’t think anyone remembered the old BETA systems. They loss the fight to the VHS systems before they had DVDs. It sort of makes you wonder what’s going to happen to the VCRs too as compared to DVDs and being able to record.

Posted by carl on 06/22/08 - 2:13 pm • Report Abuse

Probably less than 1% of the vacated space left by the move to the higher UHF band will be used for additional fire,police,and other public safety Organizations the rest is already being sold off to private companies and being reserved for other devices the electronic manufacturers might want to make in the future. The picture quality is a little bit better, if you can get the signal at all, half of the time. I’ve run both systems side by side, I have both, digital flat panel and flat screen analog and I still like the flat screen analog better and it still receives when the digital TV says no signal available, on over the air transmissions. The benefits derived from going digital at this time doesn’t even come close to offsetting the additional costs this will bare on the viewing public. Unless the stations pump up the watts out a lot will lose channels they now recieve even if they bought a new set and antenna,cable,etc.

Posted by carl on 06/22/08 - 1:56 pm • Report Abuse

They’ve been talking about this since 1999, originally the “change-over” date was supposed to be February 2004, then 2006, and now 2009. The reason it kept getting put off was the cost of a digital TV set was to high for the “average” consumer. Therefore only 25% of North Americans had a digital TV set. Now that Plasmas and LCDs are so competitive, most people can afford to own one. As fas a good “reason” for the change, technically speaking, to allow more space for police and emergency transmissions.In all reality, this has all been brought about by the newer generation, lmao, my generation, wanting the best of the best when it comes to electronics and entertainment. Kinda like the transistion from “Beta to DVD’s” .

Posted by DEW26M on 06/22/08 - 12:00 pm • Report Abuse

Well that just stinks! I’m already paying around $50 a month for satellite. I guess the government is going to milk us all dry any way they can.

Posted by rmseek1234 on 06/22/08 - 11:19 am • Report Abuse

I don’t think it will do any good at this stage now to protest it. The money behind this change all ready has a big start and they’re gonna force feed us this if we like it or not. This is going to affect people buying new digital sets as well as the old analog sets. For the public as a whole this is a set back instead of an advancement. It’s going to cost a lot of people a lot of money for the change with a decrease in service of over the air free TV. Once a decrease in service has been accomplished in free over the air Tv, Then you’ll probably see big jumps in satellite and cable fees. It’s sort of like the oil prices, they’re teeing us up for the big long drive on their course.

Posted by carl on 06/22/08 - 10:26 am • Report Abuse