How will the mandatory HD effect us?

[Pony]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

Cable will still put out both analog and digital signals. Time Warner is at least.

 

[Nandy]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

Here is the whole thing!
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2006/couponprogram_nprm_07202006.htm

Still I found no mention of where/how to get one of the *proposed* coupons just that you will have 90 days to use it. Good for only 2 sets, so if you have a larger family and want more than 2 sets, well it's gonna cost ya! I find mentioned that converters are around $200 and a digital ready TV is $300 (ballpark) and the TV MAY go down. All because the government wishes to steel our frequencies!

I find in it (the doc linked above) that the *converter* has to do radio also, are we going to loose that as well? I will not put a radio in my vehicle that I have to pay for reception *period* ever!!!

Is it just me or do I smell the stench of a class action law suit?

IT is said that if you have either satellite or cable you will not qualify for the coupon. How are they going to know... I have no idea...

 

[rwise]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

They COULD check you local cable service DTV Dish and others, (sounds like sumpthin our Gov would do ) but that would cost more than just handing out the coupon.

Cox is the local cable provider, for now they are delivering analog and digital signals, however as they expand the digital tear the analog channels are vanishing. Cable will go digital due to peer pressure, go digital or go under.

This really freaks out a lot of people, I know folks that say this also affects AM FM radio as well as CB radio and some ham bands (10 and 11 meter). Some have actually told me that there will be a pulse in February 2009 that kills all analog radios, well they believe it! Now as I read it I did find a reference to radio, but only that the converter had to convert that signal also! But IF radio does not have to change what would be the purpose?

 

[rwise]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

IT is said that if you have either satellite or cable you will not qualify for the coupon. How are they going to know... I have no idea...

That is what I get from it so 2/1/09 turn off cable service get coupon, freak out over price, disconnect TV and toss it wasn't anything on anyway

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

I'm more confused now then when I started reading. Will my old TV hooked to a old direct TV dish work or not?

What about a old TV hooked to a new dish?

What about the old 13 inch TV in my camper working from a cheap multi directional antennae?

I wish they would jut leave it all alone. That's like these new flat screen TV's. They don't have as good of a picture as the old tube type TV. But, you almost can't purchase a tube type TV anymore. I need a new TV soon and will have to learn to live with a worse picture then what I have now. Not to mention the price. You have to be Bill Gates to afford a new TV these days.

 

[Pony]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

I'm more confused now then when I started reading. Will my old TV hooked to a old direct TV dish work or not?

What about a old TV hooked to a new dish?

What about the old 13 inch TV in my camper working from a cheap multi directional antennae?

I wish they would jut leave it all alone. That's like these new flat screen TV's. They don't have as good of a picture as the old tube type TV. But, you almost can't purchase a tube type TV anymore. I need a new TV soon and will have to learn to live with a worse picture then what I have now. Not to mention the price. You have to be Bill Gates to afford a new TV these days.

1) The newer stuff looks worse when it ISNT DIGITAL. Now that it will be, it will be substantially better......
2) You can get a 32" HD flatscreen for the same amount as 32" tubes were a few years ago........research some prices before you start talking about being Bill Gates......
3) The ONLY ONLY ONLY ONLY way this even effects you is if you are getting over the air broadcasts with an antenna, Let me repeat... IF YOU HAVE DISH OR CABLE STOP WHINING

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

OK I understand the part about only if received by over air antennae. That's what I though but got confused by some of the replies in this thread.

As far as picture quality goes. LCD TV's have a problem whit ghosting I think it's called. Where when something moves across the screen fast it looks bad because it's fallowed by ghosts of itself. Now the better ones do not do that but, there 800 dollars, at least! The TV i have now was about 450 dollars the last time I bought one. (I actually have a 26 and it's 6-7 years old) LC D's also have the problem that you need to set right in front of them and not off to the side. That's OK on my computer but, in my living room the way it's set up some of the chairs are kinda off to the side of the TV and there is no other way to do it. The room is only 12X14 and it has a door on one side. They also do not recreate black colors very well. I looked this all over 2 years ago when I was thinking about getting a new TV but, all the technology (and numbers like 1080 i what ever that is) got me so confused I was afraid to bring home the wrong thing I wouldn't like and chicken out and decide to keep the TV I have for awhile. I still would like to get a newer, bigger, one but, don't know which one to choose.

 

[BoogieMan]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

Hey Caveman

When it comes time to buy a new TV try to find an electronics store with a few good salesman to help you find a TV that fits your room and needs. I am sure there are some Flat screens out there that can be seen clearly from different angles. I still have the tube type TV myself and now after reading these threads I am not worried about the transition unless I go to Cable instead of satellite like I thought about doing. I guess I might stick with satellite.

There is another thread on this by another iboats member by the way.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=229363&highlight=DTV+Transition

 

[Pony]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

OK I understand the part about only if received by over air antennae. That's what I though but got confused by some of the replies in this thread.

As far as picture quality goes. LCD TV's have a problem whit ghosting I think it's called. Where when something moves across the screen fast it looks bad because it's fallowed by ghosts of itself. Now the better ones do not do that but, there 800 dollars, at least! The TV i have now was about 450 dollars the last time I bought one. (I actually have a 26 and it's 6-7 years old) LC D's also have the problem that you need to set right in front of them and not off to the side. That's OK on my computer but, in my living room the way it's set up some of the chairs are kinda off to the side of the TV and there is no other way to do it. The room is only 12X14 and it has a door on one side. They also do not recreate black colors very well. I looked this all over 2 years ago when I was thinking about getting a new TV but, all the technology (and numbers like 1080 i what ever that is) got me so confused I was afraid to bring home the wrong thing I wouldn't like and chicken out and decide to keep the TV I have for awhile. I still would like to get a newer, bigger, one but, don't know which one to choose.

A lot has changed in the past two years. LCDs do not exhibit the veiwing problem you are describing.......not in the least bit. They are more versatile in that respect that any other technology on the market................including tube tvs.

Also LCDs have come a long ways in recreating true blacks. They now have contrast ratios that are comparable to Plasmas........

 

[rwise]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

1) The newer stuff looks worse when it ISNT DIGITAL. Now that it will be, it will be substantially better......
2) You can get a 32" HD flatscreen for the same amount as 32" tubes were a few years ago........research some prices before you start talking about being Bill Gates......
3) The ONLY ONLY ONLY ONLY way this even effects you is if you are getting over the air broadcasts with an antenna, Let me repeat... IF YOU HAVE DISH OR CABLE STOP WHINING

Cox Cable here will be digital (but will supply a DAC) as will most across the country.

 

[rwise]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

Found it! You can get details and fill out the form to get your $40 coupon/s here
www.dtv2009.gov
Have fun

Caveman Charlie you will need one of the DAC's for the RV but if you have cable, dish or direct TV you do not qualify for the coupon, sorry.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

Don't worry about that HDTV stuff, I'll just watch you tube, it will all be on there anyway.

 

[rwise]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

400 channels of nothing worth watching

 

[ondarvr]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

I gotta go with Pony on this, there's a lot of fuss over almost nothing.
If you haven't used or have a digital HDTV currently, then you have no idea of what your missing, I would never even think of going back.

Before I got my new 50" Plasma, I couldn't see what the hype was all about and wasn't interested in getting a new set. Mine was a 32" model that was $1,200 about 12 years ago and I thought it had a good picture (so much for how cheap they used to be).

The old set is still set up in another room and never gets used, we had 5 set's in the house before we got the 50" and the other four are stacked out in the shop and haven't been used since. I can't even give them away.

There are big updates in digital and HD technology taking place so fast that by the time this phase out takes place, the sets will be so cheap and so much better than what you have now, you'll be glad they forced you into it.

I do have an opinion on the change though, I think the market place should have mandated the change if needed, not the Feds.

 

[muskyone]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

as said the mandatory chance is to Digital not hd and the gov is doing it to free up the air waves we can fit 8 to 10 digital channels in the same space one anolog takes but you throw hd into that and in some cases your down to 4 or 5 i cant type or spell good enough to explain it

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

400 channels of nothing worth watching

I remember a old rock song that went "57 channels and nothing on" . You know ,I have a least 57 channels now and instead of watching TV I'm on here. lol

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

Found it! You can get details and fill out the form to get your $40 coupon/s here
www.dtv2009.gov
Have fun

Caveman Charlie you will need one of the DAC's for the RV but if you have cable, dish or direct TV you do not qualify for the coupon, sorry.

The extra weight and hassle of the box would be worse then buying a new TV to replace the 5year old 40 dollar Emmerson one anyway. lol

 

[beerfilter]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

The cable boxes still use analog except for the higher channels.Through Time Warner in my area channels 2 thru 98 are analog.It does not convert it to digital.So either the cable companys will need to upgrade the boxes or change all of their format or you will still need a converter box.
I have cable,DirecTV and off air antenna for HD,The antenna is by far the best.Cable and Direct have to compress the bandwidth so much it degrades the picture.With an antenna there is very little signal compression.I get 27 digital channels with the antenna.With true digital its either a perfect picture or none at all except in week signals where you get the picture freeze or pixelizing.
About all the new TVs have digital tuners even if they are not HD.

True , the name of the game is bandwidth , and if you don't have enough you are in a predicament .

Cable providers , despite having ~ 700 MHz of available bandwidth in most modern HFC systems , still have to use ~ 450MHz to offer the 2 legally required "tiers" of programming to subscribers .
This leaves a ~ 250MHz to sqeeze in all those digital channels , SD and HD , along with other services like HSD and phone services .
Hence they have to compress everything , which leads to artifacts due to the nature of MPEG Codecs .

I'm sure they would love to go all digital and free up massive amounts of bandwidth , but , given the legal restrictions and customer demands , it isn't going to happen soon ( all those old folks with thier old analog sets.... ) .

Dish and Direct , have the same issue , despite using an all digital transmission scheme .
Despite using wideband digital transponders on thier satellites , they have both had to use multiple satellites each to deliver the extra HD content , and , they also have to use rather extreme amounts of compression to accomplish this .

OTA digital transmissions essentialy only have to transmit a single channel in 1 6MHz "channel" so compression is not an issue , hence little or no artifacts .
Local OTA digital does have range issues , a little more so than analog OTA .
Those in fringe areas may well have some problems .

Essentialy the whole 2009 Digital transition is a lot of hype about nothing .
Get a set top Digital tuner , or , a new tv with it's own digital tuner .
You may have to update / upgrade your antennae sytem also .

If you have cable or a dish , go watch tv and forget about it .
Or better yet , just forget about tv all together and go do something constructive .

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

Not much constructive I can do when the high temps today will be in the single digits Fahrenheit. I wish I could cancel my dish in the summer and just turn it back on in the winter but, they have it set up so that it is not affordable to do that.

 

[arboldt]

Re: How will the mandatory HD effect us?

I wonder if it's possible to be more confusing than it already is.

We use just an antenna -- no cable, no dish, no ... We really don't watch that much TV anyway. We've consciously made the decision several years ago we'd never do cable or dish.

I found the web site to request the digital-to-analog converters, but haven't requested them yet. I searched on Dealtime.com, shopping.com, Bestbuy.com, circuitcity.com but could not find any of the digital-to-analog converters. Why bother getting a coupon if no converter boxes are acutally available? Maybe I just wasn't using the proper search terms, maybe I just didn't see what was in front of my face (my wife tells me that sometimes). Anyway, I couldn'f actually find any of those converter boxes. Supposedly they're available, but anyone know who is actually selling them?

There are 3 or 4 different cable companies depending on which little community you live in around here. A coworker has Comcast, and they told her she'd have to buy a new TV -- that next February she'd have to have a digital tuner. Other sources say that cable and Direct-TV would continue to give analog signals.

Last summer I think we went several weeks without turning on the TV -- my wife and I might have to find something else to occupy our time.