Digital TV

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: Modelworks
I was against the whole switch to DTV . It will do more harm than good. Just wait till after the switch when millions of people will not be able to watch tv even with a converter box and will be forced to switch to cable or satellite. Damn telco's strike again.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Try spending time with the people that will be hurt by the switch before you speak. I've been donating my free time over the last couple weeks helping retired people with the switch. Of the 50-60 people I have helped I would say that about 70% of them will now have to pay to have tv. They are too far from the stations to get digital reception. Outdoor antennas cannot be used because they live in apartments that forbid it because there are no private areas.

So people that once got their local news and weather for free, now have to pay for satellite or cable. All for something that was not needed in the first place. Another example of the telcos buying votes and promising benefits to the consumer that in the end will only benefit those consumers willing to pay for them for it.

Grandma and grandpa with their massive $1300 a month income are overjoyed with DTV and their new monthly cable bill.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: jhu

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Not to mention if people ever stop watching TV and get active the government will fall.

"get active" is the operative phrase there, and that won't ever happen

If you listen attentively to your patients I think you will find that most of their illnesses are of the heart that is to say emotional, that they carry some deep hurt, some guilt, some burden that weighs on their soul and that, if they can deal with that their health in general will improve. People are inactive, I think, because of the pain they carry.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: Modelworks
I was against the whole switch to DTV . It will do more harm than good. Just wait till after the switch when millions of people will not be able to watch tv even with a converter box and will be forced to switch to cable or satellite. Damn telco's strike again.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Try spending time with the people that will be hurt by the switch before you speak. I've been donating my free time over the last couple weeks helping retired people with the switch. Of the 50-60 people I have helped I would say that about 70% of them will now have to pay to have tv. They are too far from the stations to get digital reception. Outdoor antennas cannot be used because they live in apartments that forbid it because there are no private areas.

So people that once got their local news and weather for free, now have to pay for satellite or cable. All for something that was not needed in the first place. Another example of the telcos buying votes and promising benefits to the consumer that in the end will only benefit those consumers willing to pay for them for it.

Grandma and grandpa with their massive $1300 a month income are overjoyed with DTV and their new monthly cable bill.

OK, I see. Sorry for my comment. Just asking now - my understanding was that the digital signal was actually stronger than the analog? No? I also seem to remember talk of broadcasters ramping up the power at the transition. Is this the case? In other words, is it possible they would be able to have reception if there is in fact an upcoming increase in signal strength?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: boomerang

OK, I see. Sorry for my comment. Just asking now - my understanding was that the digital signal was actually stronger than the analog? No? I also seem to remember talk of broadcasters ramping up the power at the transition. Is this the case? In other words, is it possible they would be able to have reception if there is in fact an upcoming increase in signal strength?

The power output from the stations is higher but that is because at the UHF frequencies it takes more power to cover the same area. UHF signals are poor at passing through things like trees and buildings. Some of the stations are only at 75% power but some have already gone to full power. For the area I am in there will be no change come friday except people losing their channels.

The other problem is that DTV works at 100% or nothing. You get a perfect picture at 20 miles and nothing at 20 miles + 10 feet. During things like hurricanes many people used battery powered tv, most have not upgraded those tv. I also hate to think of what the DTV reception will be like during a hurricane.

I would have been okay with DTV if they kept the VHF bands. VHF was great for tv because it passes through trees, walls, people, just about anything. That is why the telco and wireless companies wanted that frequency and not the UHF. UHF actually has more bandwidth than VHF for things like data which would be great for communications like wifi except it is easily blocked so the telco were not interested.

I have seen signals in the 700-900Mhz band travel for miles from just a simple handset. That is something UHF will never do. I've got satellite so the switch doesn't impact me, but I suspect after Friday there will be many people asking the question of why they now have to pay to get tv.

 

[frostedflakes]

The problem with digital is that it's all or nothing, you either get picture or you don't. It's not like analog where if you're in a fringe area you get the picture, but with static/ghosting/etc. With digital if you're in a fringe area you lose all reception.

Modelworks, I can understand where you're coming from, unfortunately the transition will leave quite a few people without reception. Surely there's something that can be done, though, maybe a quality indoor antenna or convince the landlord to install and outdoor antenna for the residents. Although it sucks that they even have to pay for this, it's better than the monthly fee for basic cable or satellite TV.

edit: Sorry I was doing other stuff while I was writing out my reply, Modelworks already beat me to it.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes


Modelworks, I can understand where you're coming from, unfortunately the transition will leave quite a few people without reception. Surely there's something that can be done, though, maybe a quality indoor antenna or convince the landlord to install and outdoor antenna for the residents. Although it sucks that they even have to pay for this, it's better than the monthly fee for basic cable or satellite TV.

I'm trying to get the owners of the apartments to allow people to put up one antenna and then distribute it off to all the apartments, but its a corporation that controls the apartments and they don't seem to care if people have to pay for tv.

The problem here is that the nearest station is 45 miles away so unless you go outdoor with the antenna you can't get a signal.

One thing is for sure, time to buy stock in antenna manufacturers.