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The Great TV Switch

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By Steven Norris

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr The Great TV Switch

Published: Wed, May 21, 2008 - 12:01 pm
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 12:31 pm

A big change in television is coming next year. On February 19, 2009 a full-power television stations will be changing to digital transmission.
Changing from analog to digital will free up more airspace, and that will allow for a greater number of channels and television options.
People who pay for their cable or satellite television service will not be affected. But people who use antennas to tune in to their favorite stations will no longer see a picture when the changeover happens.
But you can purchase a converter box for your television to continue to tune in a picture. The federal government has also set up a program to provide people with coupons to offset the cost of the boxes.
Megan Pollock from the Consumer Electronics Association demonstrates how to convert your television from an antenna to a digital conversion box.

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I’ve got some solar panels on two large marine batteries that are connected by large copper wire to two inverters in my utility room to use for things such as bad weather or what. During a hurricane you are probably going to lose your power lines,your phone lines,most cell towers,and that’s going to leave you with tv or radio and for most people the digital TV transmissions are not going to be strong enough to overcome the heavy rains and rain soaked trees being blown around by the heavy winds and other debris in the air.If you don’t have any phone lines , cable lines,or cell towers,that pretty much leaves you with TV and radio and with the transition to digital TV I think you can mark TV off too during a hurricane. the longer waves of analog TV handle the inclement weather better than the shorter waves of digital TV or so as to my past experience with them has been in every day use.

Posted by carl on 05/23/08 - 4:43 am • Report Abuse

wentworth, in case you didn’t notice, we were making comments about digital tv use during a hurricane and power outages.

Posted by DEW26M on 05/22/08 - 10:50 pm • Report Abuse

Just stop watching these stupid tv stations and get all yur entertainment off the net. tv is a dinosaur. it’s dying. Put it out of its misery.

Posted by wentworth on 05/22/08 - 9:45 pm • Report Abuse

Another option for some of you using Laptops would be to purchase a ATSC USB Dongle to attach to your Laptop PC. However in the event of an emergency, you’d be limited to the battery life of the Laptop, normally about 2hrs. If you really hardcore, you can get a small 12 volt solar panel, attach it to a car or deep cycle marine battery, for charging purposes. Then get a 12 volt charger for the Laptop. I know it seems pretty far-fetched, but hey, at the price of gas now, it’s cheaper than leaving town, and getting a hotel room.

http://www.sansonic.net/consumer/atsc_dongle.asp

And just so you know, I don’t work for Sansonic, nor do I endorse their products, just giving you some options. NOTHING is worse, than not knowing whats going on during a combination of a power outage and a Hurricane.

Posted by DEW26M on 05/22/08 - 8:46 pm • Report Abuse

For any who are interested in a new portable digital ready tv check out the Sansonic 7” Portable ATSC Receiver it’s digital, battery powered, and has a nice picture from the looks of it. However, remember, as with any digital equipment, the battery life sucks. Only 2.5 hours.

http://www.sansonic.net/consumer/portable_atsc.asp

Posted by DEW26M on 05/22/08 - 8:35 pm • Report Abuse

I was just responding to antenna guy,KxVx about that subject and what it would probably take to put anyone back to where they were before the change. I have had a digital tv for about three years now and I bought a hdtv receiver (tuner)at the same time, thats when I started noticing these signal drop outs. Sounds like you are going to be in the same boat as myself and a lot of other people if your going to get “over the air” digital tv. If you don’t have an obstruted view(trees,what ever) a new high gain UHF antenna and possible a rf pre-amp to go on the antenna would probably do it.In my case I have both satellite and over the air.When the digital goes out due to bad weather I switch over to analog over the air and usually the analog signal is still stable and viewable such as 44 which is a uhf channel and both digital and analog at this time,but come change over I’m out of luck.makes you wonder what’s going to happen come hurricane weather,doesn’t it?:down:

Posted by carl on 05/22/08 - 6:22 pm • Report Abuse

an unobstructed view would certainly help but in this county of mobile that would only be possible from a top the celeste road rise or hill. I think it’s about the highest in the county. a good antenna is a help also and a rf pre-amp on the antenna will help significantly and pointing the antenna in the right direction is not all that hard ,but the people getting their converter boxes and hooking it up and turning it on and expecting to get everything they use to get are going to be real disappointed. They probably got the box because they didn’t have the money for a new tv and probably will not have the money for a new antenna and rf pre-amp,trees removed and installation just to put them back receiving what they got before the change. Time will tell,let see how it all shakes out,but I bet there is going to be a lot of unhappy people out there for a while.

Posted by carl on 05/22/08 - 5:36 pm • Report Abuse

I have a digital tv and a digital receiver, and my biggest beef is that during bad weather, I get the “NO BROADCAST NOW” message instead of just a fuzzy picture.

During a storm, I’ll settle for fuzzy information over NO information!

It’s also a hassle to “adjust” the digital receiver according which channel I’m trying to watch. (When I can get all 4 APT channels, I lose the CW!)

Posted by KxVx on 05/22/08 - 5:00 pm • Report Abuse

There are many converter boxes on the market, with more coming. As with any new technology, their quality, efficiency and price vary considerably. So the selection of a converter box will be an important variable to desired digital reception.

But an even larger variable is the choice of the right antenna.

Most TV consumers think of antennas as low-tech devices, but there is more behind some of the newer antenna designs than just bent metal and plastic. Many of the TV antenna designs on the market today, such as the Yagi and rabbit ears have technology roots going back 30 to 50 years or more.

The correct antenna, installed and aimed properly (considering obstructions) will receive desired local stations it’s aimed at up to 70 miles or more, including several in HD, almost completely uncompressed. Some viewers may even be able to receive some or all of available out-of-town channels, carrying blacked out sports programs or network broadcasts not available in home towns.

Posted by antennaguy on 05/22/08 - 4:49 pm • Report Abuse

I have been harping on this for more than a year. I’ve tried different experiments on reception of both signals ,analog and digital,portable and stationary. Your home sets will lose a good many channels you now are able to recieve because of the Thresh hole signal level,wheather or not you are using a digital ready tv or converter box. We’re talking over the air transmissions now.The converter boxes now being produced have a significant signal loss when inserted into the system,before or after other things,such as satellite reciever,dvd,vcr players and other things. At this time all portable tv’s future look really dim. A stage or two of extra rf amplification would really help the digital ready portables and home sets,As for analog(the old sets) portables,get ready to have a yard sale before everyone gets wise.

Posted by carl on 05/22/08 - 6:53 am • Report Abuse