digital TV : you find it to be a farce ?

[BrianWC]

 Originally Posted By: XS650

Some stations will probably change actual channel assignments too. Some are going to move when the analog stations vacate frequencies.

Yes, I have heard this is confusing people even more. Some folks who have been getting certain channels will find that their cable provider is moving these channels to free up space for more desireable subchannels or other features they are offering. As a result, people who have just had to plug the cable into the back of the set are now having to get the standard cable converter box (not the analog to digital box) at an increased monthly rate for expanded channels.

 

[XS650]

 Originally Posted By: BrianWC

 Originally Posted By: XS650

Some stations will probably change actual channel assignments too. Some are going to move when the analog stations vacate frequencies.

Yes, I have heard this is confusing people even more. Some folks who have been getting certain channels will find that their cable provider is moving these channels to free up space for more desireable subchannels or other features they are offering. As a result, people who have just had to plug the cable into the back of the set are now having to get the standard cable converter box (not the analog to digital box) at an increased monthly rate for expanded channels.

I heard on the news today that the Sacramento ares is the third least prepared for digital TV. I wondered who could be worse From http://www.latimes.com/business/la-061109-fi-dtv_unprepared-g,0,7354033.graphic

 

[Eric Smith]

 Originally Posted By: CivicFan

As suggested earlier, the coat hanger antenna is a cheap way of receiving more channels. We have one of that style (bought from Amazon) that is professionally made and is pretty good. Much better than any other antenna I tried when we switched.

All we have is a cheap indoor uhf antenna zipped tied to a old satellite dish on the roof. Very redneckish but it works better than the $40 amplified we tried out for a while.

 

[brianl703]

 Originally Posted By: BrianWC

As a result, people who have just had to plug the cable into the back of the set are now having to get the standard cable converter box (not the analog to digital box) at an increased monthly rate for expanded channels.

Comcast is offering a "DTA" box in some markets for when they start removing analog channels. Interesting thing about the "DTA" box is that it doesn't support encryption, so you will be able to tune the expanded basic channels with a TV that has a ClearQAM tuner (which is most HDTVs made in the last few years). The rental charge on the "DTA" box is reportedly nothing for the first two, and $1 per month for 3rd and additional ones.

 

[chevrofreak]

I re-scanned today and picked up 4 more channels, all of them PBS. That brings me to a total of 10 free OTA digital channels.

 

[Crashbox]

 Originally Posted By: XS650

Some stations will probably change actual channel assignments too. Some are going to move when the analog stations vacate frequencies.

I've read about this- apparently DTV struggles on the frequencies once occupied by channels 2 to 6 (low-VHF) in the U.S. because of impulse noise difficulties which analog TV could handle, and from what I've read the vast majority of stations will move upward in frequency. This currently does not bode well for fringe-area folks. I wouldn't mind seeing some of the vacated spectrum donated to us ham radio people DTV doesn't really matter to me because I do not have aerial or cable television- I get my news, et cetera online.

 

[chevrofreak]

Much of the vacated spectrum is going to cell phone use. Much more useful than ham

 

[JHZR2]

I refuse to buy cable, as I will NOT pay money to watch commercials. Therefore, I am restricted to "free" TV. Before, we always got a signal, even if a slightly snowy one. We got less channels too. After the converter, I found that we had a better picture overall in most conditions, but it is always more finicky. We live close to the TV towers (15 miles or so), so the picture is never bad in terms of going in and out, but in some situations, it does just go out (nature of DTV). That said, we have more channels, and the picture is noticeably better.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Is there a converter for all the radios that receive TV station audio?

 

[eljefino]

^ If it tickles your fancy the regular convertor boxes output channel 3 modulated which the radio could pick up if it had an antenna in. You'd be the only one on your block. Local channel 6 actually struck a deal with some AM station for simulcasting their news... since it used to be reachable on the low end of the FM dial at 87.7.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

87.7FM. I noticed when I was in Chicago's south-land recently that there is an FM station playing music on that frequency. I was really surprised at how fast the frequency turnover has happened.

 

[JustinH]

Pretty sad what is happening to television. I can't get a basic package with HD from Time Warner, I'm stuck with their 50 dollar package, plus 7.50 per month to rent their stupid box. They just made me agree to a 2 year contract with them to continue service. The dish companies are doing similar tactics, so you are stuck if you want any kind of premium TV. Their basic cable service have very little HD offerings over QAM, so I had to go with their digital package with "Free HD". Another ripoff. I just tried out my indoor antenna, I live 4 miles south of the city of Buffalo, where many stations are broadcast. I can get exactly 1 channel over the air right now. Fox29. The cable/satellite companies are getting to be worse than cell phone carriers with these contracts and agreements, now they have a $150 early termination fee.

 

[XS650]

 Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn

87.7FM. I noticed when I was in Chicago's south-land recently that there is an FM station playing music on that frequency. I was really surprised at how fast the frequency turnover has happened.

It's probably this low power TV station. LPTV stations haven't had to go digital. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WLFM-LP AFAIK, FM radio is not allowed to use 87.7 although some pirate stations have.

 Originally Posted By: eljefino

^ If it tickles your fancy the regular convertor box's output channel 3 modulated which the radio could pick up if it had an antenna in. You'd be the only one on your block.

He would need an output on channel 6 to be able to hear it on an ordinary FM radio. There were quite few oddball reasonable priced radios that also got channel 2-13 sound. They aren't much use for TV now though.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Must be a pirate station. I couldn't find anything on Google about it. Pretty cool to hear a broad mix of music on one channel though.

 

[eljefino]

^ of course it was a pirate, it wasn't a preprescribed format available, turnkey, and describable to Madison Ave as "album oriented rock" or whatever. "Gimme all the AOR stations in Buffalo, I have a spot for them." As for cable/satellite, I'll get it as soon as I can get my favorite channels (both of them) a la carte for ~$1.50 a month. Not paying for/subsidizing channels I'd never watch... BET, Oxygen, FNC, HGTV, etc.