Analog to Digital TV Conversion - Comments Page 3

Many people are still confused about the transition to digital television, so thanks for providing accurate information. Our non-profit, the Urban Progressive Foundation has been actively working with seniors and other groups to provide straight, clear and understandable information to help them through the transition.

You can read about my experience at the Wilmington test run on my blog http://digitaldynamo.blogspot.com/.

Or you can visit my website, http://www.transition2dtv.com/,to get info on outreach workshops to keep seniors and others from being left in the dark.

Can one converter box connected to the antenna service more than one TV per household or will each TV require their own converter box?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I suppose you could put a splitter on the output of the converter box, and feed into multiple televisions. Might depend on the specific converter, though. I would check the specs to make sure.

What about emergency radios and such that pick up tv audio channels? will they still work?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Only if they pick up digital channels, or have a digital-to-analog adapter.

I only have analog TV's right now. I would like to use a digital tuner card in my computer in order to capture programs and replay them.

When programs are captured by the tuner card, I believe they get converted to mpeg-2 or mpeg-4. I'm guessing people who use a tuner card watch the recorded programs on a computer monitor or other digital device which can play mpeg files. Is there device available which will take mpeg files and convert them to whatever I need to view them on an analog TV?

EDITOR'S NOTE: This really has nothing to do with the analog to digital TV issue, but anyway... you should not need to convert the mpeg files. Just connect your analog tv as a monitor and you should be able to view them. See http://askbobrankin.com/tv_as_computer_monitor.html

I recently purchased a new digital TV. When I connected it up to cable through my old analog VCR/DVD and set my TV mode to digital, the screen says the digital signal is too weak. Is the old VCR/DVD causing this problem? Will it be necessary to purchase a new VCR/DVD?

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you're sending the signal from the analog VCR/DVD, then it sounds like your TV should be set to analog, not digital.

we just installed our converter, and are receiving a few more channels than before. They are exceptionally clear, but every few seconds both the picture and sound fragment? Why?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I would suspect the converter, if it happens on all of the "new" channels.

i have a analog tv and a dvd/vcr player/recorder all connected to an antenna in my barn. i connected the converter per the owner's manual and the tv worked fine but the dvd/vcr player did not. where could i get a drawing showing the proper way to set up?

EDITOR'S NOTE: In a nutshell, the converter should be installed at the end of your antenna's output, and the output of the converter should go into the same place where you had the antenna plugged in. But you're jumping the gun... the digital broadcasting will not start until February 2009.

I now have HDTV in the living room, where the VCR and DVD are and I do not have either cable or satellite, only over the air broad casting. Here is my question, how do I get the VCR (after the conversion) to continue to tape shows? Can I hook up one of my converter boxes to just the VCR, since the TV is already digital ready? Please explain how I can both set up and continue to record TV shows after the conversion takes place. I have also noticed that when my HDTV is on channel 3.1 the digital channel 3, I can't get the VCR to work at all. Does this mean that it won’t work after the broad cast is only digital or is that because the conversion has just not taken place yet? I just want to be able to continue to record television programs like I am able to now! Also my understanding is that I can’t use a DVR without either cable or satellite, right? I am getting that the best solution to my situation sounds like we all need to be connected to either cable or satellite, if we want to continue to keep everything as the status quo? Please help! Thanks so much for your time and any help that you can give! Allie

EDITOR'S NOTE: Typically the line out from the antenna goes into the back of the VCR, and the VCR feeds the TV. You want the converter box installed in between the antenna and the VCR.

Bob, we have analog TVs & VCRs, and record extensively. We do not have cable or satellite. Installed our first converter box today, but cannot get the VCR to recognize new "digital" stations, ie, 6.1, 12.2, etc. Can the old VCRs be "converted" with a digital tuner, or must they be replaced with digital VCR? Appreciate your help!

EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't think you can upgrade an older analog VCR to digital. Are you feeding the antenna signal into the converter, then into the VCR, and then to the TV? I think the VCR should be able to recognize the "dotted" channels, maybe you can check with the vendor to confirm.

I work at a Dialysis clinic where we have 15 TV's hooked up to an antenna through a splitter. In other words, 1 signal to 15 TV's. Can I use 1 converter box to handle the 15 TV's? Or do I need to get a converter box for each TV?

Thank you for your time. Troy

EDITOR'S NOTE: You should be able to feed the antenna into the converter, and the converter into the splitter. My only question mark is whether the 15-way split signal will be strong enough. If not, you could split the antenna signal into 2 or 3 streams, and feed them into their own converters, each feeding a set of TV's.

I'm a little confused about how it will affect recording tv shows using my vcr. Can I still record shows with my vcr after the dtv switch? Or will I need a new vcr? I have a normal vcr and a digital television. What will I need?

EDITOR'S NOTE: See the section "What About My VCR, DVD Player, etc?" in the article.

I just bought a HDTV, what do I need to do to get the regular, non-cable, free stations before the switchover date?

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have a new HDTV, it will definitely have a digital tuner. So there should be nothing to do. Some UHF channels already contain digital broadcasts. If you can tune into those channels, you're good to go.

I have fitted the converter box and can receive the channnels. However, channel 7 at times says weak signal, Channel 5 and 9 sometimes fragment. Can you advise me as to how to correct this?

I have hooked up the converter box and now the DVD player won't work. I was wondering if I have it hooked up wrong or how I can get it to work. Could you please help me out with this?

EDITOR'S NOTE: In what order did you connect the devices?

Well, I've got some major issues with the "gift card" program - we ordered the cards when they were first offered, and none of the stores we frequent had boxes each time we checked. The cards expired, and we're told we're out of luck.

So, I've got 2 questions:

1. For our analog set, we'll need to buy the converter box, but also need a new DVD player. I notice there are some DVD players which list digital to analog conversion among the specs. Is there a dual purpose device which will function both as a DVD player and a converter? Seems as if it would make sense.

2. We have a digital set, with an antenna. Portland already has a wide array of digital stations, and they come in quite well on our set. We love all the extras on our local PBS affiliate. We tend to get a bit of interference, with audio stalling and stuttering, and the video does this mosaic kind of distortion (like a stalled DVD). Is it better with cable, or will transmission improve over time?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I've read that the NTIA is considering the idea of extending the expiration dates on the coupon cards, but I wouldn't count on that. Maybe you could have a friend or neighbor order cards, if they don't need them for themselves. As for the digital DVR, the "digital to analog conversion" probably means it will convert digital media (DVD discs) to be played on analog TV sets. I'd guess you still need the converter box. And as for the stuttering problem, do you have any fluorescent lighting near your TV? Turning off the fluorescent lights in my family room solved this problem for me!

Your article says: Your VCR, DVD player, camcorder, gaming systems and other equipment that interfaces with your television will continue to work, no matter what kind of TV you have. . . [but] if you currently record TV shows the digital-to-analog converter [and] if you want to watch digital TV on one channel, and record something on another, you'll need TWO converter boxes.

Just checking an issue that falls in the cracks here. I have cable and do record on a DVR and/or VCR while watching other shows. Will the DVR/VCR work without a converter box?

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have cable, then all of this is moot for you.

I have two tv's only one is hooked to cable will it hurt to hook my converter box to cable. Second are all converter boxes the same, I don't know witch one to buy. thanks

EDITOR'S NOTE: Your cable signal is probably analog, so I would not recommend connecting it to the converter box. As far as I know all the converter boxes work pretty much the same. Check at your local electronics store or look on eBay.

I found out that my PIP (picture in picture) is worthless on my tv now. how so i set up two converter boxes on 1 TV?

We have been setup on the converter box since Oct. 2008 and love the quality of the picture and new channels. I use the converter box to scan for new channels weekly since we are so close to the conversion date. Since the begining of 2009 we have been having a lot of problems with no signal or a lot of distortion. I also noticed just last night that when set on 1 channel other channels try to share the same channel. It's almost like the channels are changing themselves. Any suggestions?

Is there a digital tv-band radio converter for analog tv band radios in the near future? I have two almost new, expensive am/fm/tv/weather radios which will be useless for the tv band if someone doesn't come up with a conversion idea soon!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Unless there is an external antenna, and a way to insert the converter between the antenna and the device, you're out of luck.