Say good-bye to analog television

[Kimmy]

http://www.cassville-democrat.com/story/1493598.html

Isn't this way overdue? Europeans are already fully digital, are they not?

[SteamWake]

But.... Barock wants to delay

[Letum]

All digital here. The quality on the wireless is fantastic.
The old signal is still on air, but not for long. Some parts of the UK have been digital
only for a long time now. Well over a year.

[AVGWarhawk]

I guess they wanted to get all those old analog TV's out of the warehouses first and then the government will send a coupon for a digital converter. Think about it, all those new analog TV's going to the dump.

[Schroeder]

I think you can put a converter between the antenna and the TV.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

I think you can put a converter between the antenna and the TV.

In fact you can get goverment assistance for one

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

I think you can put a converter between the antenna and the TV.

Correct, the government here in the US sent out coupons for converters. My guess this was done so all the new analog TV's could sell as the warehouses loaded up on digital. Again, makes no sense throwing new analog TV's in the dump when a converter will work with them. Besides, a lot of people can not afford a digital TV let alone cable for the TV which would negate having to get a converter box.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Kimmy

http://www.cassville-democrat.com/story/1493598.html

Isn't this way overdue? Europeans are already fully digital, are they not?

No, but on our way. In Germany, last analog TV broadcasting will be switched off 2010, that'S what the law has set as a deadline, the switching phase already has taken several years, with some regions already having switched off analog TV over the past 3-4 years. Radio is another thing, though. It is unlikely that there will be any major chnages before the year 2015 at the earliest. Probably analog radio will stay for much, much longer than just that. Forums mention time frames of 10-20 years. No federal state and not the federal government has any plans for chnaging radio.

Now, when we will get widespread HDTV - that is a totally different story. test programs have been stopped again last year. Demand for HDTV is low in Germany, and the broadcasting stations are hesitent, since they already had lost lots of money with earlier experiments that failed (PAL+ being one example). 5-12 years, I estimate, before HDTV is becoming a norm with major stations. The interest of broadcasting stations is incredibly low. I know a salesaman in a major electonric chain store, who tells me. He says customers are very interested in flat screen TV since the football world championship - but nobody is waiting for HDTV.

Same for me.