Goodbye to Analog TV - Comments Page 1

Isn't this change just wonderful. Where are all these obsolete TV sets going to their final resting place? Has anyone thought of the environmental impact of all this dumping? The rubbish collectors are going to love the extra fees they collect for moving large items into disposal sites, but are we going to have another Mt.Everest of discarded TV's with all their supposedly toxic contents polluting the landfills, which BTW may have to be converted to hazardous waste sites. Industry wins again, unfortunately.

Love your columns. Some comments about this US analog to digital conversion: As you mention, analog sends pictures and sound over electromagnetic waves. Then again, so do digital signals.

The switch has already been postponed once, as it was originally mandated to occur BY the end of 2006, long after the TV broadcast companies were given the extra frequencies to use. (btw, those same companies have been using some of their "required" bandwidth to use sub-carriers to sell bandwidth to others.)

As you mention, "the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005" calls for a "switch from analog television will free up much needed radio frequency spectrum for emergency services."

However, those frequencies needed for emergencies are mostly being auctioned off, lost forever to those emergency service agencies who needed them in the first place:

"...By the time of the 2009 switch, the government will have auctioned the remaining spectrum to companies interested in deploying wireless technologies....The auction is supposed to begin no later than Jan. 7, 2008..." http://news.com.com/Digital+TV+switch+set+for+early+2009/2100-1028_3-6004429.html

As you mention, regular TV will stop, "soon." That is, if you consider almost 2 years from now to be "soon." As you mention, "Proponents of digital say the picture and audio quality of the signal is significantly clearer and sharper than analog..."

That is, if you consider that locations who get scratchy analog reception won't get ANY reception at all with digital. (Just like with cell phones, an "all digital" network has no static, but it also has no coverage when signal strength is below a a certain level.) Ever watch digital TV via satellite during a heavy rainstorm, or a snowstorm? Digital loses signal, while analog is able to continue to show the programming in those situations.

As you mention, "will cost the US taxpayers at least $1.5 billion" But the sale of the frequencies to companies will bring in a profit, to help offset high spending elsewhere. "The proceeds are estimated at about $10 billion by the Congressional Budget Office. Many people consider sale of public frequencies for a one time dollar amount to be foolish and very short-sighted. The US could make a LOT more money by renting those same frequencies to those same companies, if they decided that they weren't desirable to have available as a public resource.

I saw a cartoon in the newspaper recently where someone was using a garbage can for a satellite antenna - very fitting! Once the programing improves to somewhere over a 8 year old's level, then I'll worry about digital TV!

After reading your insightful article on "Goodbye to Analog TV", my only question is where does one apply for the two $40.00 vouchers per household. I currently have four analog TV sets and I am not in a position to just go out and buy more electronic equipment when I have good working units right now. I want to be one of the first to apply...maybe I will get in early enough to really get the voucher...

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can't apply until some time in 2008. But never fear... lots of people who DON'T need them will get theirs and them sell 'em cheap on Ebay. :-)

Does this mean that as a current subscriber to a standard cable TV plan, I will have to pay my cable company the higher fee to receive digital channels?

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have cable or satellite, nothing SHOULD change. Since ALL channels will go digital, there should be no reason for them to increase your rate, if you continue with the same monthly plan.

I'm with Glen! There is so much garbage & advertising, which only get worse, on TV now, that when the switch actually comes I'll just tune out of the "technology age".

EDITOR'S NOTE: It's not the CONTENT that will change in Feb 2009... just the mode of delivery.

I don't have cable TV or a satellite dish now because I can't afford it. I'm a firefighter and I do get to watch the cable at night while I'm at work when I have the time. There is only one channel that I would consider paying for and that is the history channel. I quess that when they turn off analog TV I will watch movies from blocbuster or nothing at all.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't misunderstand... the free channels will not stop broadcasting. They'll just be broadcasting in digital. If you get a converter, you can still receive them.

Consumer interest in free over the air digital- HD TV is definitely on the increase. The number of visitors to our web site http://www.dennysantennaservice.com has skyrocketed over the past year, mainly do to the introduction of free over the air digital - HDTV.

Choosing the proper TV antenna for a particular location is the main issue for most. Many consumer's have a tendency to purchase antennas that are to small to do the job, digital reception is an all or nothing proposition, you're going to want a strong signal. Also, there is a misconception that all digital - HDTV broadcast signals are on the UHF band (14-69) Currently it's true, many broadcaster's are transmitting their digital signals on UHF, because much of the VHF band (2-13) is currently being used to broadcast analog TV signals. However, when the digital transition is complete on February 17th of 2009, the date set when broadcasters will turn off their analog signals, things will change. There are only a handful of broadcast locations across the U.S. that have plans to remain 100% on the UHF band, most areas will have both VHF and UHF digital stations. This means if you purchase a UHF TV antenna now, chances are you may loose the ability to receive a portion of your digital channels in the future. Some areas already have VHF digital stations.

My best advice is to purchase a TV antenna that is large enough to be certain it can easily receive all of the digital broadcast signals in your area, even during poor reception conditions. The antenna should be VHF/UHF capable, unless you are absolutely certain all of your stations are currently UHF, and will remain UHF after the digital transition is complete. To determine the channel number your area digital stations currently broadcast on now, and the channel number they plan to broadcast on after the 2009 analog shutdown date, visit http://hraunfoss.fccgov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf. When you visit this site, start by finding your state and then the city where your area stations are located. The channel number that appears in the first column is the current digital channel number of that station, the second column is the current analog channel number, and the third column is the tentative final channel number destination. The third column is the channel number where the station plans to permanently broadcast their digital signal. VHF channels are 2 - 13 and UHF are 14 - 69. If your not sure where or what stations are available in your area, visit www.antennaweb.org. This is a great site to visit, it will provide the city location of the stations in your area and much more.

I think Nancy has a point. All channels may be going digital in 2009, but if you have basic cable (non-digital) now, guaranteed that when the switch comes our bills will go up and we will be paying just what current digital cable customers pay. I'm with Wayne, when the switch comes I'm going back to radio. I'll still have my DVDs & videos. It should be my decision if and when I want to move into the "technology era" I shouldn't be forced by the government. Especially for TV...

I'm very confused. Will the antenna we have right now be totally unusable? In other words, if we want to watch any TV at all, will we be forced to subscribe to cable or satellite?

EDITOR'S NOTE: No, you just need to put a digital to analog converter between your antenna and the TV.

The TVs will go into America's basements or the side of the road or the lakes and rivers. My city along with others no longer takes anything electronic because of lead cadmium etc. I do not own any HDTV's, there is nothing on worth paying $1,000 each TV.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The switch from analog to digital broadcasting really has nothing to do with when or how your TV gets recycled. You CAN continue to use your existing television, but you will need an A/D converter.

Why is everybody saying that cable subscribers will not be affected? It is true that the FCC mandate does not apply to cable, but eventually cable systems will discontinue analog cable service and go digital only. Those of us who currently subscribe to analog cable will be required to rent converters from the cable company or buy digital tv's with QAM tuners (the QAM tuner option will not work if you subscribe to expanded basic and your cable company decides to scramble all channels above the limited basic tier). I subscribe to analog expanded basic and have a strong preference to use cable-ready tv's and not converter boxes. I have one HDTV, which can receive a few digital cable channels including 4 in high definition. The overwhelming majority of my cable system's digital channels are scrambled, including the digital simulcasts of channels available on analog such as USA and ESPN. I hope that when the cable system goes all digital that they leave all tiers of basic unscrambled. I would then go buy a few more digital tv's, but that would be a waste if I am going to have to use stupid converter boxes anyway because they insist on scrambling all channels above the limited basic tier!

Okay, right now we watch very little TV. The news, stuff like 60 Minutes, and sometimes PBS offerings. I don't mind paying whatever I need to pay for a more powerful outdoor antenna and I wouldn't mind paying for a converter of some kind. But I absolutely refuse to subscribe to either cable or satellite. I think a lot of the confusion is that most of us have been told, (or have read), that there will be no more "free" TV. It will all be by subscription to cable or satellite. Can you absolutely confirm that that won't be a necessity?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes. Free over-the-air broadcasting will continue. The only change is that the signal will be digital, and some older TVs will need a converter box.

Since there are 13" digital TV sets at Wal-Mart now for $95 (Not HDTV but with the same tuner as the boxes probably will have) I see no reason for the converter boxes to cost more than $40 in December of 2008 if the manufacturer has an almost certain market of $1.5 billion.

Question by "RWRABINOWITZ 10 May 2007": where does one apply for the two $40.00 vouchers per household.

Answer:

"Between January 1. 2008. and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two coupons. worth $40 each, to be used toward the purchase of digital-to-analog converter boxes. As described above, these converter boxes are designed to make over-the-air digital television signals viewable on analog-only TVs. and thus are not intended for analog-only TVs hooked up to cable or satellite service. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is running the coupon program. For more information, visit the NTIA website at http://www. ntia.doc.gov" from http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvlabels.pdf

I have a digi box to view digital TV on my analogue TV, here in the UK, via a freeview VCR with Video Plus.However except for the five terrestial analogue channels for which Video Plus works OK, the digital channels having Video Plus numbers indicate 'Invalid Channel' when setting up although the date,time and length of programme are all correct. So it is still useful but why does this anomaly occur - any ideas?

How do I know what type of tv I have as one is 13yrs. old and the other 5, plus my mothers is less than a year. How do I know which ones will work and what type of tv should I go buy,are all tv's on sale now able to handle the switch in 2/09>

EDITOR'S NOTE: You only need to be concerned if you are currently getting your signal via antenna. As mentioned above, NOBODY NEEDS TO GET A NEW TV. If you have an older TV with an analog tuner, and you get your signal from the antenna, you will simply need to add the A/D converter box. Older TV's with cable or satellite service will NOT need to change anything. It's safe to say that any TV set purchased in the last couple years has a digital tuner.

I have six older(non-digital) TV sets connected to an outside antenna which receives analog broadcasts from stations no closer than 80 miles away. I find it down right communistic that the U.S. government will reqire that I subsidize makers of converter boxes in order to continue using these sets! NO THANKS!

I also mentioned this in your HDTV via PC article you also need a GOOD antenna. Most of my local VHF's are actually transmitting on UHF. My channel 6 is broadcasting it's "Chanel 6" programming on Channel 25.

Those old rabbit ears may not cut the muster. visit www.antennaweb.org to see what antenna that you may need.

Also, supposedly the FCC is getting manufactures on board to offer cheap ATSC converter boxes, where you may only have to put $20 with your converter "coupon."

Since they will be changing transmission frequencies, my antennas for the present frequencies of transmission will not be suitable for the new frequencies. The stations I receive are over 50 miles and 110 miles away and my antennas are on a 70 ft. tower. So I will require more than just a analog to digital converter, I presume.Won't I need new antennas as well?

EDITOR'S NOTE: The FCC says "A special antenna generally is not needed to receive digital signals. You may have antenna issues, however, if your current antenna does not receive UHF signals (channels 14 and above) well, because most DTV stations are on UHF channels." See http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.html