Large Scale Central

Welcome to the wonderful world of Digital TV

General Discussion
#1

I am rapidly getting the feeling that Digital TV is once again fixing something that wasn’t broke and/or improving something to the point that it no longer works.

Our local cable company switched over to the digital feed from the local TV stations a few weeks ago. Ever since I’ve noticed the sound dropping out. Usually only a few words of dialog but it always seems to happen at the worst possible time. At first I thought it was censorship, but I now realize that it is signal drop-out. When the drop out is really bad, the whole picture freezes.

And this is better than a little static when an analog signal drops off ???

Tonight it just dropped out in the middle of one of Mr. Obama’s responses to a question. I really wanted to hear his answer, but all I got was to see his lips move.

Oh well. Just like over compressed MP3’s replacing high quality recordings and piss-poor internet and cell phone replacing the “pin-drop” quality of the old analog wired systems, we must succumb to reduced quality in the name of progress.

/RANT Off

#2

What they don’t tell you about Digital, is how many rural people will completely lose the ability to watch TV.
Here, I can get about a dozen stations over the air. On most of the channels the picture is poor. But I can watch.
With Digital…I get zero stations.
With digital, its all or nothing.
When I had analog cell phones years ago I got reception all over these mountains. Now with Digital cell phones I can go miles without a signal.
As with TV’s, if you get a signal, the quality is better.
Ralph

#3

I have been using a digital set top box for around ten years (well three boxes, to date, as the technology seems very unreliable). Digital reception in an urban area is DVD quality, it is alas also susceptible to electronic interference from outside sources and picture freezing, static are still with us. The real downside is that digital requires almost full signal strength or no picture at all. The receiver needs to ‘lock on’ to a strong signal to get a picture. At least, with analogue, one is able to receive something, even if very poor.

What the government authorities are not telling us is that the bands that were used by analogue, have already been sold, by tender, to multinational companies to provide other services, like broadband. There is no going back.

#4

Hey look on the bright side, you were saved from hearing another lie or condemnation of America and Americans. "If Americans would only just do it my way we could be happy, out of financial trouble, safe from attack, (fill in the blank). "

#5

I guess it’s like the old car radios with the knob tuners. I could pick up all kinds of signals on the road and listen even to those with a bit of static. Now the “auto-seek” skips over most everything and I’m lucky to get 3 or 4 stations, invariably ones I don’t want.

As to TV reception Ralph I got zero reception before digital and zero now with an antenna so I haven’t lost anything. Here it’s Dish Network all the way. hehe!

#6

I have DISH also.
But if I needed to cut the budget, the government is now taking away my free TV.
The whole thing is a big negative for me…and a lot of other people too.
Ralph

#7

Dear All,

We have about 5 broadcast stations serving our area. The CBS station is far behind a hill with the ABC station’s antenna on it. No signal whatsoever.

We pay for “broadcast basic” cable, which has the big 4, 2 X PBS, WGN, 2 others that I can’t recall, plus 13 other worthless channels.

Its main purpose is to get CBS.

I can’t imagine getting more channels, as my family wastes too much time in front of the tube as it is.

Main point of thread ahead.

Do you know that one digital channel can carry more than one signal? The higher the definition, the fewer sub-channels can be used, though.

I asked the chief engineer of one of the local stations what he was going to do with his extra sub-channels. He didn’t really know, perhaps another station out of the same studio, or info-mercials, etc.

I told him my reception situation, and asked if he would consider “repeating” the other stations on his sub-channels. He said there is very little room (bandwidth) left if one channel is High Definition.

I said that I wouldn’t care if the subs were less than HD, I just want to recieve any kind of picture and sound, as I get nothing now.

He said that the other stations would not want to give up control of their signal. By that I think he meant that the repeated station would not be in control of the “quality” of their signal, as in it would be open to signal degradation by their competition.

I suppose if they repeated each other’s signals in good faith, with a stated level of definition, it could work out.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

#8

Digital is very much all or nothing. The good news is that the “all” covers a lot more people than analog. The bad news is that the “nothing” folks are up the creek. We regularly get calls here about our DTV signal. There are many who complain about not being able to receive us, and many who have never seen us before. It’s a different technology, which yields different results. There never was–nor could there be–an expectation that digital would continue to cover absolutely everyone who could receive the analog signals. The reception pattern simply shifts. Repeaters are one answer, and–in time–may be set up to cover communities who are left in the shadows, as they are now for those communities in analog shadows. Time will tell.

I strongly disagree that “the government is taking away” free TV. Certainly those who now can receive the digital signals who couldn’t receive the old analog signals wouldn’t agree. To them, the government just gave them free TV.

As for one station carrying another’s signal? I think Steve F and Rick G will vote for a democrat before that happens. :wink: The closest you’ll likely find is stations cooperating to build a single tower for multiple stations (as we have here in Denver).

Later,

K

P.S., Tim, the government’s been very up front about the RF spectrum being vacated by analog, and what it’s going to be used for–at least in my circles.

#9

Kevin,
in our situation we are converting very soon, but nothing has been said of the soon to be vacated spectrum. You are in the industry, so no doubt more up to date with information, than those outside, who are simply consumers.

     My point was that we cannot return to analogue as that road has been closed off.
#10

I don’t know anything about the technology - haven’t studied it at all. I just know that what I now get on cable TV sucks since they switched to the DTV feeds from the network affiliates. It could be their conversion hardware and not the TV stations fault - but this dropping seconds of audio while receiving a perfectly solid video signal has me really annoyed.

I still haven’t bought my converters. Coupons came weeks ago, but I can’t decide which brand to buy. I will need one for the RV and would like to have one for home should I ever decide to cut the cable.

Just heard today that a delay in mandatory change-over was passed in congress, but many stations will terminate analog next week anyway.

#11

Jon,
I regularly watch the Newshour with Jim Lehrer on PBS and the topic of digital receiver coupons came up last week. It was stated that the money set aside to fund the purchase of the receivers had been fully spent. I would check that your coupons are going to be honoured.

#12

I’m told by the retailers I asked (Wal-Mart was one) that they are good until they expire. I did hear that the Dept. of Commerce lost track of how many they issued and/or issued more than they were funded for.

#13
www.dtv2009.gov said:
[b]DTV Delay Act[/b]

Congress passed the DTV Delay Act, which would postpone the conclusion of the digital television transition to June 12, 2009 and give U.S. households additional time to prepare for this historic switch. However, this legislation does not change the operation of the TV Converter Box Coupon Program at this time. The DTV Delay Act will allow the Coupon Program, upon request, to offer replacement coupons for those which have expired without being redeemed. However, this program change will not take effect until the Coupon Program receives additional funding.

For this reason, the Coupon Program cannot accept requests to replace lost, stolen or expired coupons at this time. NTIA will move quickly to change the program if Congress authorizes additional funding. The website will be updated to alert the public if funding becomes available.

Coupon Program Waiting List

On January 4, 2009, the Coupon Program reached its authorized funding ceiling. However, coupon requests from eligible households are still being accepted. Applications are placed on a waiting list, and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis as funds become available from expiring coupons. You will not receive coupons until funds become available.


Unexpired coupons are still funded. New coupons will be issued as unredeemed coupons expire. The coupon itself is a debit card with a unique number, so it can be tracked.

I just used my two coupons at SolidSignal.com with no problem.