So, how long before a rebirth of the 8VSB Modulator?

[JohnH]

Would seem to be necessary when the switch occurs in Feb. 2009.

[Ghostwriter]

Well remember everything has to be digital not HD, and E* already is all digital.

[larrystotler]

The 8VSB modulator that the 5000 receiver had will not return thanx to Hollywood and the MPAA. It's like the FireWire on the Mitsubishi TVs - No Copy Protection. Remember, it's HDMI/HDCP.

[JohnH]

Got to have something to send -DTs to the TV in RF modulated mode. Many TVs will only have a Tuner, not component or HDMI or HDCP

[scooper]

There is NO requirement that NTSC modulators have to get shut off - only OTA BROADCASTING. Cable operators can do whatever they want over their cable plant, and you can distribute TV over NTSC within your house just fine post Febuary 19, 2009 .

There IS a requirement that practically all NEW TV RECEPTION devices will have to have ATSC tuners - but nothing is preventing them from also having NTSC tuners as well.

[JohnH]

We gonna make it more difficult by that time, I think. :)

Different formats and downconversion may not be allowed.

[BoisePaul]

Legal issues aside, I wonder how much it costs to produce such a device. After all, an MPEG2 encoder and some way to insert PSIP data can't be cheap, at least not compared to relatively simple components needed for an NTSC modulator.

[Bill R]

I was discussing the analog shutdown the other day with the chief engineer at a local TV station. The subject of set top boxes came up and what he expects to happen is that when the "cheap" conversion boxes become available he thinks that they will have a composite output and a NTSC (ch 3 or 4) modulator. He brought up the fact that there will be millons of TVs still in service that don't have any other input besides (NTSC) RF, hence the need for a modulator.

What the satellite companies will do is unknown but I'm sure they won't forget about customers who will only have NTSC TVs.

[larrystotler]

Ahhh, I misread the OP. Anyway, supposedly, Congress will make it so that the ATSC converter boxes(The 8VSB modulator is something that sends OUT an ATSC signal) will either be free or at under $100, probably depending on income level and age of the TV. So, IOW, your Grandparents with the 30 year old TV will probably get a free converter, and you, with that new 31" TV and the SVideo/RCA jacks will have to pay about $100.

[Chris Freeland]

The only people who will need to purchase a set top box are ones who do not subscribe to cable or satellite or do not have all of their TV's connected to cable or satellite and just get their TV ota only. If you have cable, most cable company's will still send their basic and expanded basic channels to homes in analog form, locals will simply be converted from digital back to analog at the cable company's head in, no STB necessary, if you get digital cable or your cable company goes all digital or you subscribe to E* or D* locals, you will have a STB already.

[JohnH]

Sorry, I am having trouble believing that we will continue indefinitely to use the NTSC interface to delever the 100% Digital Quality signal to the sets with built-in ATSC digital tuners and no other interface.

[kb7oeb]

Once dish is mpeg 4 a dish 5000 style modulator wouldn't work since it didn't reencode anything and I don't think any digital tv tuner supports mpeg4. Also Firewire supports 5c encryption so copy protection shouldn't be an issue but you still run into tv decoders that don't support mpeg4. I think thats why dishwire and the firewire 211 died.

[James Long]

Sorry, I am having trouble believing that we will continue indefinitely to use the NTSC interface to delever the 100% Digital Quality signal to the sets with built-in ATSC digital tuners and no other interface.I pity those with sets that have a HDTV with only an ATSC input. I certainly wouldn't buy one. My set (which is "HD Ready" and only has an NTSC tuner) has HDMI, CVI, S-Video and multiple composite inputs. I almost bought one without HDMI but I wanted the best I could afford.

How many ATSC tuner only sets are there (no other potentiallyHD inputs)?

JL

[JohnH]

Not referring to HD sets per se, but all sets must have ATSC Digital tuner capability at some point, even the 12-13 inch SD variety.

[James Long]

Not referring to HD sets per se, but all sets must have ATSC Digital tuner capability at some point, even the 12-13 inch SD variety.Then the issue is when NTSC receivers will be dropped. I'm not expecting that to be any time soon. Too many other devices in the field sending out NTSC signals (VCRs/Game Consoles/Etc.)

JL

[JohnH]

The issue will be, my local broadcasters are sending only digital and my receiver has digital reception capability why don't DBS and cable deliver a digital signal for the majority of new sets being manufactured? Of course, those sets will still have NTSC capability as well, but after the cutoff that will go in short order. DBS is already acknowledging that, by eliminating the Analog tuners in their receivers. The government is supposedly coming up with a digital to NTSC solution for the old sets out there at that time.

I suppose the government could mandate HDMI as well as ATSC OTA tuners, but they will not do that because it is not required for OTA reception.