Moving from Analog to Digital TV

Posted by on 07/06 at 09:23 AM
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By this time in 2009, television as you know it will have changed. It’s not that the quality of what you’re watching will be any better or any worse (although you’d hope that TV shows will get better!). It’s how you’re getting those programs over the air that’s going to change.

This TechTip looks at the coming changes to the way in which you get your over-the-air TV and what you can do to adapt.

    Posted by Herman Campbell  on  07/06  at  02:30 PM

  1. I would like to have permission to reprint this article in our ham radio newsletter.  Credit will be given to Scott Nesbitt and Computer Geeks.  I think it will be of interest to our readers.

    Herman Campbell
    KN5GRK
    Editor

    2. Posted by Trevis Vanlandingham  on  07/06  at  03:14 PM

  2. What will happen to all the handheld portable tv’s.  I guess they will all be worthless.  I don’t suppose any of the companies like Casio have a program or offer to change out the tuners.
    Just a thought.

    3. Posted by Pat P  on  07/06  at  04:32 PM

  3. Actually, the government SOLD the analog frequency spectrum for NINETEEN billion dollars.
    I think they only plan on giving out $15 million in coupons.
    Nice little profit, eh?
    How much money will flow out of the U.S. since everyone must buy/own a digital TV or convertor?

    4. Posted by GuyWithDogs  on  07/06  at  05:20 PM

  4. I live in a “rural” area near Seattle. Not really all that far from the transmission towers, but there are mountains and hills and valleys and lots of trees. So the reception is iffy. I’m also using rabbit ears, and not an larger outdoor antenna. Analog reception was pretty snowy. I’ve only got old standard definition TVs, so it wasn’t important.

    Got the new converter boxes. Wow - what a difference. Clear picture, better sound, more stations. But I can’t get all local stations. Apparently the KOMO 4 signal is close to something coming out of Boeing Field’s radar system and I just can’t get that to come in. So I’ve still got rabbit ears for that station (which has Jeopardy that I like, and Grey’s Anatomy that my wife and daughters like).

    You can get signal breakup (which looks similar to watching a DVD that has fingerprints all over it). It’s sort of annoying. I tried a powered rabbit ears antenna. It helps somewhat, but isn’t a cure-all. I should probably go for the outdoor antenna, but I’m probably going to make the satellite plunge at some point.

    5. Posted by William Kost  on  07/06  at  06:37 PM

  5. Question that comes to mind is: I use long range antenna with a booster to increase signal strength,I live between stations and have to change positions often, how does digital to analog converter effect the siginal strength and do I still need the booster or do I need a different antenna? If so will there be a need for upgrading antenna’s or booster?
    Thanks
    BILL

    6. Posted by Jim Vanderloop  on  07/06  at  06:49 PM

  6. I think you should warn people that DTV either works good or doesn’t. The old analog may fade but the signal ususally will stay. Digital doesn’t handle weather or the change in frequency band. Have been watching off the air digital now for two years with a 16 foot fringe area antenna and weather takes it out or high winds at the satelite/microwave site. I think this may be the end of free TV as we have known it! If they don’t do something about the power that they tranmit with the fringes will definitely be left out. As frequency goes up the more power to get it out has to follow. Just an old Electronics Tech from the Navy who had his problems with thermal inversion and signal loss on microwave sites and links to the sixth fleet in the Med.

    7. Posted by J-turtle  on  07/06  at  08:12 PM

  7. I have two problems with this article and every article I have read on this subject.

    1- Digital reception is not perfect.  I get little squares in my digital reception and then the sound stops and the picture can stop completely. This happens on cable and with the converter. NO ONE MENTIONS THIS PROBLEM.  When an analog program gets distorted or snow at leaast I can still follow and understand what is happening.

    2-The Coupons expire in 90 days!!!!!!!.  You can’t save it and wait for discounts or to see what features if any may be added.  NO one mentions the 90 day expiriation!!  I thought I would have a whole year to find out more info and could take my time in making a decision.  I’ve got one coupon I did not use.

    I would advise anyone to only request the coupons when you are absolutely ready to buy.

    8. Posted by P. Wolfson  on  07/07  at  05:09 AM

  8. Good overview of Digital TV. One comment though. In the real world, I’ve been using/experimenting with my new converter box. What was not mentioned is that in order for the converter box to work, a minimal TV digital signal strength is needed. If the signal falls below that threshold, there is no picture and no sound. I’ve experienced days where a channel functions just fine, and the next day it’s gone.

    Thanks for listening.

    9. Posted by Jimmy the III  on  07/07  at  10:18 AM

  9. One bit of information you forgot to pass along is that the key reason we are switching from analog to digital is to open the spectrum for homeland security and national defense, that after 9-11 the 9-11 commission in examining the problems of communications found that the different agencies didn’t or couldn’t communicate with each other due to spectrum allocations. Therefore one of the recommendations was to use the broadband spectrum occupied by the lower TV channels and do what was desired for years and upgrade the TV signals to digital. And do this by spliting the spectrum and selling the overage spectrum to private users like cell phone applications to cover the costs. So the switch from Analog to digital should be a smiley face TV not a sad one in that it will improve our first responders communications and hopefully never to have trapped hundreds of firemen or policemen or miscommunications between differing agencies again in case of a national or regional or even a local crisis.

    10. Posted by Bruce Epper  on  07/07  at  03:28 PM

  10. What you list as the last step for sending an analog signal is very similar to what is done as the last step for sending a digital signal.  These digital data packets must also ride on top of an analog radio signal to be transmitted over the air.  This means that your DTV experience will still be affected by interference, but it manifests in different ways (choppy audio/video, blocky video).  It is just a different form of distortion.  Also, many stations that are already broadcasting digital signals have a much lower audio signal than they broadcast with their analog transmissions.  I have to keep my converter volume maxed out and the TV close to its upper limit to get the same volume that I could get from the analog signal with the TV set at about half-volume.

    It is a great fallacy that DTV will give us a better viewing experience.  For many of us, it will be worse that what we are used to.  Some channels will just fail to come in, sometimes for hours at a time because their signal level fell below the minimum required even without weather-related interference.

    Somebody’s pockets got lined for this one.

    11. Posted by Candyman  on  07/12  at  01:57 PM

  11. I don’t have any problem with going digital, I just wish we were given more time. Folks like me on a fixed income need to save up for big ticket items like DTV’s.

    I am glad for the coupon/card, and 90 days IS stated on the coupon site.

    I remember seeing something about expired coupons but I won’t go beyond that so as not to give the wrong information.

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