SD Broadcasting After 2-17-09?

[ddd831]

Don't know if this has been asked before - sorry if I'm repeating the question. I have a Samsung SD Directivo. Will it become useless after Feb. 17, 2009 to record Directv programming when analog broadcasting is turned off? Or is that event only going to affect local TV stations that have to switch over to digital by then?

I'm a little confused as to how this will affect satellite broadcasting. :confused: Will the channels we get on Directv that aren't currently broadcasting in HD continue to broadcast in SD until some future date beyond 2-17-09? I'm asking this because I'm wondering if I should sell my Samsung SD DTivo now because it won't be worth anything after 2-17-09?

Thanks for any light you can shed on this subject!

[cavihitts]

I'm sure that someone will hit on this with more information but it doesn't mean that everything has to be hd. It just means that it has to be a digital transmission. Digital does not have to be high definition

[convem24]

ddd831 - I believe that since you are getting all your programming over a digital signal (DIRECTV and Dish rebroadcast all programming over a Digital signal) you should not have any problem with your digital switch over. Only people who are running OTA (over the air) without a digital convert (some of the DIRECTV receivers run a digital receiver that will allow you to pull digital signals if you cannot get local channels through DIRECTV in your area) will lose their signals. Basically you should see an improved quality from your local channels since the local channels have to be all digital by 2009. So you should be fine.

[carl6]

The 2009 date only involves over the air analog transmissions. It does not directly relate to HD, nor does it apply to cable or satellite systems.

Satellite is already 100% digital. Nothing has to change. Cable systems may or may not switch. I would guess that they will because it is to their advantage to do so (you will then need set top boxes for every tv - more revenue). But they don't have to.

Yet another separate issue is the transition from SD to HD, both in regards to source programming, and what cable and satellite systems will carry. I would expect DirecTV to continue to offer SD programming beyond February 2009.

Perhaps of greater concern to your equipment is DirecTV's conversion from MPEG2 to MPEG4. Your SD DirecTivo won't receive MPEG4. Right now the only thing we know is that new HD offerings from DirecTV will be in MPEG4. What SD, or existing HD, transition there will be to MPEG4 over the next few years is unknown.

Also worth considering is that any of the new interactive features that DirecTV is introducing will not be supported by the DirecTivo equipment.

Carl

[ddd831]

Thanks all for the good info. Really appreciate it. I'll hang onto my Samsung, at least for awhile. Don't have an HD TV yet so didn't really want to buy an HD DVR at this time. Directv's HD DVR does have some appealing features such as 200 hr SD record capacity besides being able to record in HD and a remaing recording time indicator (why hasn't Tivo ever put this feature on their units??!!). But I was more concerned about my DTivo becoming useless in less than 2 years.

[jarredduq]

The only issue I see, is what they will do about wide-screen programming. Since the SD stations will no longer exist, the only available broadcast will be the digital. So when an HD show is broadcast it is in the 16:9 ratio. Are DirecTV and the Cable CO's going to have to have a letterboxed version of the channel for the folks with 4:3 TV's?