February 17th is D-Day for Analog TV signals

[muman613]

Hello,

I just want to remind everyone that American broadcasters are dropping analog TV signal transmission starting February 17, 2009. It is time to make sure that your set is capable of displaying the digital TV broadcast. Here is an article discussing the transition:

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/40629/113/


Richmond (VA) - On February 17, 2009, all analog broadcast TV stations transmitting their signals through their air are required to switch to digital transmissions by new FCC regulations. But are American consumers prepared for the switch?

The analog TV signals require a wide swath of bandwidth for their video and audio signals (red, green, blue, and two or more audio signals for stereo and SAP/foreign languages).

Many consumers are still confused, however, about what exactly this switchover means. To address their concerns and make the issue perfectly clear, many TV stations are embarking on momentary tests. These will occur during normal news programming and prime-time. They will be similar to the a test of the emergency broadcast system.

A local news reporter will come on, announce that the test will take place. The TV station will cease broadcasting their analog signal for just a few seconds. TV viewers are advised to continue watching their sets. If the TV goes to snow (no signal), they will need a converter box. If they continue seeing the broadcast without interruption, then everything on their system is correct and nothing else is needed.

Tests like this will continue between now and the switch-off date of February 17, 2009. Coupons are available which will reduce the cost of obtaining the digital converters. Cable and satellite TV users will not be affected by the switch. Only those who use an antenna to pick up local broadcast stations will need the converter.

[Rubystars]

I think it's bad they're forcing people to switch. What about older people or people who aren't technical? Who is going to be able to explain to them why their tv won't work?

[DownwithIslam]

Their is nothing much on broadcast tv anymore. Most people do have cable tv or satellite. I haven't met anyone that actually watches tv and doesn't get cable.

[Americanhero1]

Their is nothing much on broadcast tv anymore. Most people do have cable tv or satellite. I haven't met anyone that actually watches tv and doesn't get cable.

What about elderly people on a fixed income they won't have cable

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

I think you meant to say Judgment Day, Muman.

[Abben]

I cannot stand this. Ever since the commercials have been on tv, I have been looking up to see if anyone still has old style antennas. They do.

[eb22]

   I'm aware of at least one family who is going to be affected by this.         In many cases,   change can be very difficult.   

[muman613]

I think you meant to say Judgment Day, Muman.

Actually I think D-Day is appropriate for this usage... From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-day

"
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar terms. The initial D in D-Day has had various meanings in the past, while more recently it has obtained the connotation of "Day" itself, thereby creating the phrase "Day-Day", or "Day of Days".[1]
"

[White Israelite]

Their is nothing much on broadcast tv anymore. Most people do have cable tv or satellite. I haven't met anyone that actually watches tv and doesn't get cable.

What about elderly people on a fixed income they won't have cable

Good thing for DSS hacked satellite receivers.

[SavetheWest]

I'm sure the cable companies were behind the analog to digital switch just like the cell companies were with the analog to digital switch on phones.  They can't sell all the features and track your use with an analog phone, which is essentially a walkie talkie.  With digital, they can track your TV usage and your phone usage better.  All of a sudden, there is this "requirement", probably government backed action from Congress members who are on the take from AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner, Sprint and T-mobile. 

The only good thing about all this is many older and poor people will be forced to sign up for more channels and thus give them more access to information.   They will see new information for the first time and not only watch evil programs like the View, Oprah, daytime TV, ABC, CBS, NBC news and local news.

[muman613]

I am sorry you feel the way you do about digital video. There is nothing evil about the technology. I work in the digital video field and as a result my company is going to do well because our chip is in most consumer electronics already {we work with Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sanyo, Pioneer, and many others}.

What you may be lamenting is that the content providers will be able to have greater control over the content. I dont have a problem with this. As others here are aware, I am very vocally against all forms of theft, including theft of video and audio content. I can't imagine anyone here advocating people to steal property from the mall or grocery store. The only excuse for stealing food is because one is hungry, not because they are fufilling the 'need' to see the latest action flick.

You see because I don't like Microsoft i don't use their product... I don't steal it, I just dont use it at all. Why would anyone want to see a movie made by a company you hate, with actors you hate, just to rip off the company. This reminds me of the Mabel {The Flood of Noah} which was brought to the world because of rampant theft {of miniscule quantities but by many people}.

I imagine there was much resistance to Color TV too but eventually all broadcasts were made in color. They designed the color specification to be backward compatible with black and white. But there is a similar converter which will convert digital signal into analog for display on a older set.

I have been blessed to have been watching High Definition screens for the last four years. The quality of the video is so much better than the barbaric NTSC standard which has been with us for these many years. I have been saying NTSC SUCKS for many years and I am glad we are making it obsolete. I notice so many flaws in the video quality on a standard resolution NTSC screen that it detracts from watching the video.

Do not be afraid of the digital video. I think we will all look back at this time and laugh, like we did at 12:01AM on New Years night in 2000. Everyone thought the world would end because of computer bugs related to the year 2000 {called Y2K bug}. It was all blown out of proportion by the media...


References : http://www.shemayisrael.com/Parasha/eylevine/5763noach.htm

We are aware that the purpose of punishment is not to harm the sinner but to inspire him to repent from the evil that is the root cause of his punishment. It is perhaps for this reason the flood and its aftermath took an entire year. The survivors had one complete year to contemplate the root cause of the destruction and repent. Chazal teach us that the final verdict of destruction for the generation of the flood was sealed on account of theft. Theft defines the attitude that one may freely consume from the labor of his fellow. Such an attitude is extremely dangerous. If this attitude is not restrained it may develop to the extreme that is expressed in the posuk “stolen waters are sweet.”

[Rubystars]

Muman you're going to benefit from this so it seems as if you don't care about elderly or disabled people who won't understand what this is all about. All they'll know is that their tv will stop working, and they could withdraw into themselves.

This is a comedy clip but it's not very far off the mark:


There are a lot of real-life people like the woman in the video who will react much the same way. The fact you don't have any compassion for them and are just pushing "progress" is disturbing.

[White Israelite]

I am sorry you feel the way you do about digital video. There is nothing evil about the technology. I work in the digital video field and as a result my company is going to do well because our chip is in most consumer electronics already {we work with Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sanyo, Pioneer, and many others}.

What you may be lamenting is that the content providers will be able to have greater control over the content. I dont have a problem with this. As others here are aware, I am very vocally against all forms of theft, including theft of video and audio content. I can't imagine anyone here advocating people to steal property from the mall or grocery store. The only excuse for stealing food is because one is hungry, not because they are fufilling the 'need' to see the latest action flick.

You see because I don't like Microsoft i don't use their product... I don't steal it, I just dont use it at all. Why would anyone want to see a movie made by a company you hate, with actors you hate, just to rip off the company. This reminds me of the Mabel {The Flood of Noah} which was brought to the world because of rampant theft {of miniscule quantities but by many people}.

I imagine there was much resistance to Color TV too but eventually all broadcasts were made in color. They designed the color specification to be backward compatible with black and white. But there is a similar converter which will convert digital signal into analog for display on a older set.

I have been blessed to have been watching High Definition screens for the last four years. The quality of the video is so much better than the barbaric NTSC standard which has been with us for these many years. I have been saying NTSC SUCKS for many years and I am glad we are making it obsolete. I notice so many flaws in the video quality on a standard resolution NTSC screen that it detracts from watching the video.

Do not be afraid of the digital video. I think we will all look back at this time and laugh, like we did at 12:01AM on New Years night in 2000. Everyone thought the world would end because of computer bugs related to the year 2000 {called Y2K bug}. It was all blown out of proportion by the media...


References : http://www.shemayisrael.com/Parasha/eylevine/5763noach.htm

We are aware that the purpose of punishment is not to harm the sinner but to inspire him to repent from the evil that is the root cause of his punishment. It is perhaps for this reason the flood and its aftermath took an entire year. The survivors had one complete year to contemplate the root cause of the destruction and repent. Chazal teach us that the final verdict of destruction for the generation of the flood was sealed on account of theft. Theft defines the attitude that one may freely consume from the labor of his fellow. Such an attitude is extremely dangerous. If this attitude is not restrained it may develop to the extreme that is expressed in the posuk “stolen waters are sweet.”

The issue I have is that a good chunk of the channels were free or still are free, however DBS providers have pretty much killed off the market for BUD's (Big Ugly Dishes), we used to get free programming all the time and it wasn't considered theft of service because the channels were free. the DBS providers just used the broadcast of those stations, bundled it in with their thousands of channels and overcompressed it, and offered it as a monthly service with a smaller dish to the consumers.

I preferred FTA.

[briann]

I know Im gonna get someone angry by mentioning this.... BUT  does anyone else use FTA satellite?  (Free to Air).

It saves me $100 a month.

[White Israelite]

I know Im gonna get someone angry by mentioning this.... BUT  does anyone else use FTA satellite?  (Free to Air).

It saves me $100 a month.

I used to. I'm stuck with DirecTV right now, but I don't pay for it. Long story, the company isn't charging me for it though.

[briann]

I know Im gonna get someone angry by mentioning this.... BUT  does anyone else use FTA satellite?  (Free to Air).

It saves me $100 a month.

I used to. I'm stuck with DirecTV right now, but I don't pay for it. Long story, the company isn't charging me for it though.

Wow... Ive never heard of that before.  I used to use DTV until they finally stopped using the old HU cards.   

[muman613]

Muman you're going to benefit from this so it seems as if you don't care about elderly or disabled people who won't understand what this is all about. All they'll know is that their tv will stop working, and they could withdraw into themselves.

This is a comedy clip but it's not very far off the mark:


There are a lot of real-life people like the woman in the video who will react much the same way. The fact you don't have any compassion for them and are just pushing "progress" is disturbing.

Are you talking about hypothetical old people or do you really know people who don't have a clue? Do old people know how to use phones? Im pretty sure when the TV stops working they will pick up the phone and call the TV stations to find out what happened. To claim I am not concerned with the old people is completely ridiculous, but I believe your argument is a straw hat.

The TV industry is doing a lot to make people aware of the upcoming switch. I doubt any old person is going to have any problems with this. It is simply another step in the progress of the technology.

Watch this funny SNL skit : http://www.hulu.com/watch/2340/saturday-night-live-old-glory

[Abben]

I know Im gonna get someone angry by mentioning this.... BUT  does anyone else use FTA satellite?  (Free to Air).

It saves me $100 a month.

FTA is a good hobby why would someone get angry? cable tv is a monopoly. With FTA you can get tons of ethnic tv on cable even when you buy the package you get a few channels.

[Rubystars]

Are you talking about hypothetical old people or do you really know people who don't have a clue? Do old people know how to use phones? Im pretty sure when the TV stops working they will pick up the phone and call the TV stations to find out what happened. To claim I am not concerned with the old people is completely ridiculous, but I believe your argument is a straw hat.

I've been around older people who are able to still turn on the tv but wouldn't be able to carry on a phone conversation. If some of them did, they'd just want someone to come and fix it, they wouldn't want all this stuff about digital and analog and how they had to fix it.

The TV industry is doing a lot to make people aware of the upcoming switch.

Correction: Forced switch.

The SNL skit was funny but I still think the digital thing should have been something elective or backwards compatible.

[briann]

I know Im gonna get someone angry by mentioning this.... BUT  does anyone else use FTA satellite?  (Free to Air).

It saves me $100 a month.

FTA is a good hobby why would someone get angry? cable tv is a monopoly. With FTA you can get tons of ethnic tv on cable even when you buy the package you get a few channels.

Yes... but there is also the temptation to pirate... as it is so extremely easy using FTA.   Most people I know... including myself... who use FTA also unscramble the dish networks signal.