End of Analog TV in the US: Were You Affected?

[Borek]

So, where you hit by the end of analog TV?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It is estimated that about 3 million people in the US do not have television today.

We've had digital service for nearly 15 years. When we first moved here we could only get about six analog channels.

 

[Astronuc]

I've been using cable TV ever since university, because where I lived, that was essentially the only way to receive television. We received the most basic service.

Where I live now, the local cable company installed fiber-optic system several years ago, and we use TV, internet and phone service through the fiber-optic system. The system went digital in conjunction with the fiber-optic system.

During my first few years of university, I did not have TV. I didn't have time to watch it anyway.

 

[JaredJames]

Well it's about to happen in the UK too. End of 2011 all will be digital.

 

[turbo]

We used to get 8-10 analog channels over our huge VHF/UHF antenna/mast setup. Now we get only 2. One is the CBS affiliate and the other is a PBS station. The drive to all-digital broadcasting is quite detrimental to those of us in rural locations, and seems destined to line the pockets of satellite-TV companies. There aren't enough people in my area to justify the cost of cable, so we'll never have that option.

 

[Moonbear]

The NBC affiliate here is so goofy. On every news show this morning, they managed to include their footage of someone pushing the rather unimpressive looking button that turns off their analog transmitter. :rofl: Then they interview some engineer who tells the viewers that we should be impressed with the picture quality and that some game last night was so much better because it was already being broadcast in HD. Perhaps if I watched games, and had an HD TV that might be the case. I don't think my 20+ year old TVs are going to get any better picture no matter what they do to the signal.

I think a few of the smaller local stations had some issues with the switch today. Even over cable, a couple of them weren't broadcasting this morning. All were back on but one the last time I had the TV on a few hours ago, though.

 

[edward]

I know a lot of people, myself included, who have cable on a big TV yet also have a small analog set with rabbit ears in the bedroom.

My wife said that she can do without the bedroom set. I give it about three days until she has me going out to get a converter box and a better antennae.

If she wants to learn to speak Spanish the small set is still getting three Hispanic stations loud and clear. They must be broadcasting from Mexico.

 

[JasonRox]

Um... I think the switch to the digital is the smartest thing. I think it's dumb Canada is waiting until 2011. Living near the border, I get half analog and half digital.

I still get like 9 channels analog and about 10 digital in my area.

Note: Digital channels are clear 99% for pretty much all channels. Out of the 9 that I have 3 are clear, 3 are ok, and the other 3 are garbage.

 

[Topher925]

I really like the new digital TV. Not only is the picture clearer but I can see what's on without even changing the channel using the DTV guide. The clock on the TV is really nice to along with the signal meter. I should have bought the DTV converter box a long time ago.

 

[Cyrus]

We used to get 8-10 analog channels over our huge VHF/UHF antenna/mast setup. Now we get only 2. One is the CBS affiliate and the other is a PBS station. The drive to all-digital broadcasting is quite detrimental to those of us in rural locations, and seems destined to line the pockets of satellite-TV companies. There aren't enough people in my area to justify the cost of cable, so we'll never have that option.

My understanding is that that spectrum of channels would be used for something other than satellite tv.

 

[Office_Shredder]

We used to get 8-10 analog channels over our huge VHF/UHF antenna/mast setup. Now we get only 2. One is the CBS affiliate and the other is a PBS station. The drive to all-digital broadcasting is quite detrimental to those of us in rural locations, and seems destined to line the pockets of satellite-TV companies. There aren't enough people in my area to justify the cost of cable, so we'll never have that option.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/06/fccbroadband/

In my opinion this needed to be done eventually. The FCC originally planned for everything to be switched over in 2006, but obviously that didn't happen. Ensuring a modern communications infrastructure is actually one thing the government has succeeded at fairly well from what I can tell

 

[turbo]

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/06/fccbroadband/

In my opinion this needed to be done eventually. The FCC originally planned for everything to be switched over in 2006, but obviously that didn't happen. Ensuring a modern communications infrastructure is actually one thing the government has succeeded at fairly well from what I can tell

It may have been desirable from some viewpoints, but to people in rural locations, it seems that we have sacrificed a lot of access to information (weather reports, storm warnings, traffic disruptions) that might have been pretty valuable, but often taken for granted. If you are in the path of a cell of severe thunderstorms, and you can't get local weather reports, that's not good.

 

[Office_Shredder]

It may have been desirable from some viewpoints, but to people in rural locations, it seems that we have sacrificed a lot of access to information (weather reports, storm warnings, traffic disruptions) that might have been pretty valuable, but often taken for granted. If you are in the path of a cell of severe thunderstorms, and you can't get local weather reports, that's not good.

I'm a little confused... why can't you get this information precisely? Did your local analog station just decide to quit transmitting instead of switching to digital, or did you decide not to get a digital to analog converter?

 

[turbo]

I'm a little confused... why can't you get this information precisely? Did your local analog station just decide to quit transmitting instead of switching to digital, or did you decide not to get a digital to analog converter?

We have a converter, but guess what? The strength of the digital signal of a lot of the stations is insufficient, and unlike analog, you don't get a slightly degraded picture/sound with a weak signal - you get NO picture/sound. And no, the analog signals are totally gone.

 

[loseyourname]

I better buy the converter today or early tomorrow if I want to be able to watch Game 5 of the NBA finals.

Our NBC affiliate is broadcasting the same message as Moonbear's, only in Spanish.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

We have a converter, but guess what? The strength of the digital signal of a lot of the stations is insufficient, and unlike analog, you don't get a slightly degraded picture/sound with a weak signal - you get NO picture/sound. And no, the analog signals are totally gone.

Sounds like it is time for some antenna work.

 

[Office_Shredder]

We have a converter, but guess what? The strength of the digital signal of a lot of the stations is insufficient, and unlike analog, you don't get a slightly degraded picture/sound with a weak signal - you get NO picture/sound. And no, the analog signals are totally gone.

I know about the edge of cliff effect, but was under the impression thanks to the increased efficiency of digital TV the range could be increased to the original practical range of analog. So I googled around and discovered that most digital channels are broadcasting on UHF (ultra high frequency) whereas analog channels were broadcasting on VHF (very high frequency... original names guys); UHF having the problem of being much more dependent on line of sight for transmission range. Now I'm confused; wouldn't it have made more sense to switch all of the digital frequencies to the VHF range when it got cleared up thanks to all the analog channels switching off?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

One "expert" was saying that he expects a bit of a shift away from cable and satellite services, with more people going back to antenna. Many people will see the number of available channels increase significantly - quadruple the number in some cases - with the addition of HD, all for free.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Now I'm confused; wouldn't it have made more sense to switch all of the digital frequencies to the VHF range when it got cleared up thanks to all the analog channels switching off?

The old analog frequencies will go to other services.

 

[Cyrus]

There is no reason for TV to use up spectrum. There are tons of other things that could use those same channels. Use groundwires for TV signals - this isn't the 1950s.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

There is no reason for TV to use up spectrum. There are tons of other things that could use those same channels. Use groundwires for TV signals - this isn't the 1950s.

I'm sure that would provide a great picture!

 

[Office_Shredder]

One "expert" was saying that he expects a bit of a shift away from cable and satellite services, with more people going back to antenna. Many people will see the number of available channels increase significantly - quadruple the number in some cases - with the addition of HD, all for free.

From my new pseudo-understanding of digital TV reception this could apply in the urban areas where there's less blocking terrain

 

[Ivan Seeking]

How did you manage to quote me and attribute it to Cyrus?

 

[Cyrus]

I'm sure that would provide a great picture!

What are you talking about, my cable TV comes via a ground wire. The same wire can provide the free channels that use spectrum space.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What are you talking about, my cable TV comes via a ground wire. The same wire can provide the free channels that use spectrum space.

Do you mean it is broadcast that way, or you can just get a signal that way?

Are you saying that your cable is on all grounds in your house?

 

[Cyrus]

Do you mean it is broadcast that way, or you can just get a signal that way?

Are you saying that your cable is on all grounds in your house?

My TV get's its FIOS signal via a cable under the ground. Not a Radio Signal, just an electric Signal.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

My TV get's its FIOS signal via a cable under the ground. Not a Radio Signal, just an electric Signal.

So they are not just transmitting on a ground wire.

 

[Cyrus]

So they are not just transmitting on a ground wire.

What? I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[Phrak]

There hasn't been a popular uprising demanding digital broadcaste television.

Connect the dots. The broadcasters pushed this legislation through to reacquire market share. They even obtained legislation to have the tax payers foot the bill for give-away digital-to-analog converter boxes.

 

[Cyrus]

There are lots of people that want to use the spectrum space being used by tv. It's a constant battle to get some bandwith.


The demand isn't from televison viewers.

 

[Phrak]

There are lots of people that want to use the spectrum space being used by tv. It's a constant battle to get some bandwith.


The demand isn't from televison viewers.

Are you saying that the digital TV spectrum is narrower than the, now gone, analog spectrum?

 

[qntty]

Are you saying that the digital TV spectrum is narrower than the, now gone, analog spectrum?

A lot narrower I believe. Now they can squeeze in more channels for organizations who've been short on bandwidth in the past.

 

[Phrak]

A lot narrower I believe. Now they can squeeze in more channels for organizations who've been short on bandwidth in the past.

I haven't yet been able to come up with any solid numbers. Analog broadcast TV (NTSC) required, until today, 6 megherz per channel.

To keep up with cable and satellite services offering HDTV formats in MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 encoding 1280 x 720, at 60 FPS, they need to do the same. I'm still looking for a website willing to flip for the required broadcast transmission bandwidth.

 

[dlgoff]

Looks like there are both UHF and VHF digital stations; at least in my area. Check out what's in your area with this search: http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx"

 

[junglebeast]

I think a bigger motivation is to be able to cope with the growing trend of internet traffic, what with P2P, VOIP and streaming online TV services. Once they get rid of the analog TV sets, the cable companies can easily adjust the bandwidth between digital TV and internet as they need to...but they knew getting rid of analog sets was going to be a pain, so they wanted to get that out of the way with before they reach an internet bottleneck.