Digital Tv

[jimsnarocks]

Is anyone else confused about the reason behind the transition from analog to digital tv in the US? Or more importantly, if anyone understands the reason behind it could you please explain it to those of us who don't. Jim

[Ray]

From the FCC's website:

Why Are Broadcast TV Stations Switching to All-Digital?
Congress mandated the conversion to all-digital television broadcasting, also known as the digital television (DTV) transition, because all-digital broadcasting will free up frequencies for public safety communications (such as police, fire, and emergency rescue). Also, digital is a more efficient transmission technology that allows broadcast stations to offer improved picture and sound quality, as well as offer more programming options for consumers through multiple broadcast streams (multicasting). In addition, some of the freed up frequencies will be used for advanced commercial wireless services for consumers.

[jimsnarocks]

Thank you Ray.That makes sense to free up frequencies for safety. I've been hearing about the transition for a few years and never understood why. Jim

[garyj147]

Here in the thriving Megopolis of Dresden, TN, the conversion of analog signal to digital signal appears to be resulting in us losing TV reception for 4 of the 5 channels we currently receive on our rooftop antenna. Apparently, we are too far from the "local" TV stations to receive the digital signal. The analog signal we currently receive is more than a tad grainy, but at least we can get some news and weather. When the changeover occurs, we will be down to one station (according to the TV station testing that has been occurring), and it will only have spotty reception.
The digital signal from our nearest station (60 miles) that is currently being broadcast is watchable less than 50% of the time. Our area is not served by any cable companies. We tried Dish TV about 3 years ago, but every time a cloud passed over, we lost reception. After numerous calls/complaints to the Dish TV folks, we were essentially told "that's the way it is; live with it". We cancelled service and will not deal with those customer-unfriendly "people" again. So, we have bought a DVD/VCR, bought a bunch of old movies and TV shows (such as Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Laredo, Andy Griffith, etc.) and are now watching better quality entertainment than we used to get with Dish. I will miss getting local news and weather, however.

[shadesofsisyphus]

The question I have with this is why did the government have to get involved? In almost all other tech transitions that I know of (in my very limited experience) was industry driven, not government regulated.

The freeing up of bandwidth for emergency use puzzles me. All the tv stations in my area will still be broadcasting on the same channels, but we get several subchannels... whoopee... how does this free up bandwidth if they are still broadcasting on the same channels? (I am assuming that each channel corresponds to a certain bandwidth signal) Just confused I suppose.

Geoff

[MontanaMoose]

Hello garyj, your local channel may be online in case you haven't checked that out...

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[nighthawk]

The question I have with this is why did the government have to get involved? In almost all other tech transitions that I know of (in my very limited experience) was industry driven, not government regulated.

The freeing up of bandwidth for emergency use puzzles me. All the tv stations in my area will still be broadcasting on the same channels, but we get several subchannels... whoopee... how does this free up bandwidth if they are still broadcasting on the same channels? (I am assuming that each channel corresponds to a certain bandwidth signal) Just confused I suppose.

Geoff

My suspicions are that this is another example of industry lobbying congress for forcing a transition to a technology that will make them a bundle of money. An expensive technology that most of us would still opt out on if given the choice. Emergency services, police and military operate at frequencies higher than analog TV.

Even though there are substantial quality increases in digital signal vs analog signal and more data can be transmitted simultaneously by the digital signal, digital is still just a niche market that not all are willing to buy into. We are being forced to buy this technology by the equipment manufacturers who now appear to have congress working for them to create a huge market for them. In short it is all about money. The freeing up of frequencies thing is a "Red Herring".

To me this is another blatant example of government, industry and do-gooders eroding away your freedom of choice.

[nighthawk]

Here in the thriving Megopolis of Dresden, TN, the conversion of analog signal to digital signal appears to be resulting in us losing TV reception for 4 of the 5 channels we currently receive on our rooftop antenna. Apparently, we are too far from the "local" TV stations to receive the digital signal. The analog signal we currently receive is more than a tad grainy, but at least we can get some news and weather. When the changeover occurs, we will be down to one station (according to the TV station testing that has been occurring), and it will only have spotty reception.
The digital signal from our nearest station (60 miles) that is currently being broadcast is watchable less than 50% of the time. Our area is not served by any cable companies. We tried Dish TV about 3 years ago, but every time a cloud passed over, we lost reception. After numerous calls/complaints to the Dish TV folks, we were essentially told "that's the way it is; live with it". We cancelled service and will not deal with those customer-unfriendly "people" again. So, we have bought a DVD/VCR, bought a bunch of old movies and TV shows (such as Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Laredo, Andy Griffith, etc.) and are now watching better quality entertainment than we used to get with Dish. I will miss getting local news and weather, however.

MM hit it before I did. Most of your news, favorite older shows and some new ones too are available at your broadcast network's web site. For instance if you are a Trekkie or Trekker, like me, you can watch most of the Star Trek original series at cbs.com:

http://www.cbs.com/video/?showname=c...wtype=classics

Note the other great classics available there too. I get almost all of my news and weather online too. For weather I find accuweather hard to beat:

http://www.accuweather.com/

Sorry Weather Channel but these folks pretty much blow you guys out of the water.

[Normand]

Why are we switching to DTV?

An important benefit of the switch to all-digital broadcasting is that it will free up parts of the valuable broadcast spectrum for public safety communications (such as police, fire departments, and rescue squads). Also, some of the spectrum will be auctioned to companies that will be able to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services (such as wireless broadband).

Consumers also benefit because digital broadcasting allows stations to offer improved picture and sound quality, and digital is much more efficient than analog. For example, rather than being limited to providing one analog program, a broadcaster is able to offer a super sharp ?high definition? (HD) digital program or multiple ?standard definition? (SD) digital programs simultaneously through a process called ?multicasting.? Multicasting allows broadcast stations to offer several channels of digital programming at the same time, using the same amount of spectrum required for one analog program. So, for example, while a station broadcasting in analog on channel 7 is only able to offer viewers one program, a station broadcasting in digital on channel 7 can offer viewers one digital program on channel 7-1, a second digital program on channel 7-2, a third digital program on channel 7-3, and so on. This means more programming choices for viewers.

[MontanaMoose]

Thanks for the accuweather link nighawk, I checked against weatherbug and it's almost exactly the same day by day forecast and the current temp was right on. I use the weatherbug because it's on the 'sidebar' feature and is always viewable on my desktop.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose