Say good-bye to analog television

[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

[August]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

In fact you can get goverment assistance for one

Yes you can.

I've been pricing the converters and they run around $50-60 bucks. The govt will send you a card that knocks $40 bucks off with a maximum of two per household.

What people aren't going to like is the quality of the picture. With analog broadcast TV a weak signal just causes snow on the picture. With digital broadcast TV you're going to see pixilation and freezes. Basically anything less than a perfect signal is going to be unwatchable.

[Dowly]

We went fully digital.. umm.. sometime ago.. cant remember, anywho, no analog thingies here anymore.

[Zachstar]

Obama tried to delay it but has met extreme resistance.

And even if it was delayed over 50 percent would go down anyway because that is what is contracted.

[Blacklight]

Want to bet the cable companies are now going to increase their rates and force everyone to pay the digital package prices which are twice as expensive as the non digital packages ? If they do this, I'm quitting cable period. I don't watch enough of it to justify doubling the price.

[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.

[Kapt Z]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

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.

Though it will suprise you what people will go without so they can have their widescreen TV.....food, heat, glass windows.....

I've seen it. It leaves you speechless.

[Letum]

Oh, I dunno.
I would rather be happy/entertained yet cold and hungry than sad/bored yet warm and full-bellied.

*edit* SB: I doubt the analouge radio signal will ever go off. It's much more power efficient than digital and doesn't requite half the cost or component size.
There might even be national security issues. In the event of a major disaster it will always be easier to pick up analouge signals than digital.

[Kapt Z]

Originally Posted by Letum

Oh, I dunno.
I would rather be happy/entertained yet cold and hungry than sad/bored yet warm and full-bellied.

If you are warm and full-bellied and bored you lack imagination.

But, then again except for PBS, BBC and SPEED I don't even watch TV.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Letum

Oh, I dunno.
I would rather be happy/entertained yet cold and hungry than sad/bored yet warm and full-bellied.

*edit* SB: I doubt the analouge radio signal will ever go off. It's much more power efficient than digital and doesn't requite half the cost or component size.
There might even be national security issues. In the event of a major disaster it will always be easier to pick up analouge signals than digital.

Fully agreed.

I gave my father an old, pre-war "Detektorradio" (crystal radio?) as a christmas present two years ago. It's 70 years old, and still fully functional, and needs no electricty at all, no battery, no network, no solar panel, no nothing. He dreamed of owning such a thing since he was a small boy. Most people today could not believe it that it runs without consuming any energy at all, they could not imagien anythign running without battery or a AC adapter. But this one does: Deutsche Welle, loud and clear, some scratche son the massive wooden box, but that is all.

Things are not being build like that anymore. If your item does not break down before reaching it's fifth birthday, you are already lucky. A longevity of eight years they already call "robust construction". Anything beyond ten years will be remembered as a miracle.

For the younger ones who may have cellphones, PCs and MP3 players, but do not know what this kind of radio was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_radio
It needed no separate energy ressources, since it took it's energy directly from the transmission wave of the broadcaster.

[Rockstar]

As long as they keep southpark updated who needs TV.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/

[Letum]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

As long as they keep southpark updated who needs TV.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/

Dammit! No service to England.

Time to look for an American proxy server.

[TarJak]

We were meant to go all digital last year but the govt delayed to 2013. I think only about 40% of TV's in home here have digital capability and there hasn't been a huge incentive to make people move. I'm expecting 2013 to see another delay although I could be wrong.