[kariato]

The latest edition of Scientific American dropped in my in-basket and it had an interesting article called "Digital TV's Analog Curse". Fascinating article about the problems with all the NTSC only TV when only ATSC is broadcast. I think NTSC TV are still outselling ATSC signals. It goes on to talk about how the wired ones will have problems because they will continue to use NTSC signal in their analog portion. I think dish is probably sitting pretty since the will just down convert the ATSC signal to 480i type product for encoding to MPEG-DVB type signal. Interesting question will be will it have top and bottom black bars or will they clip either side.

Set top boxes have failed everywhere except the UK which has Freeview. An amazing product if you've ever seen it but it has created a big market for good preamp-ed antenna positioned well. But set top boxes will not work in a lot of cases since ATSC signal require a good signal to work with a good antenna experience with both Freeview and ATSC I found that an interesting pain getting both to work.

So what do you plan on doing with your second or third set not hooked up to a Dish receiver?
I have a video sender which I plan to use.

What are you going to tell your technically challenged friends when they ask?

Do you think they will cut off the signals in 2009?

 

[dbconsultant]

All of my TV's (2 digital, 2 analog) are hooked up via splitters to my single 622 receiver. So I don't need to do a thing!:lol:

 

[caam1]

You need an option in the survey for people that are already set up for 2009. I have the four outputs from my two 622s, the output from my 501 and a digital OTA box connected to a distribution system that goes to every TV in the house (two HD, eight analog, and a HD front projector.) They could shut off analog tomorrow and I would never notice it.

 

[boylehome]

With DBS and Cable, most analog TVs will still operate with set top boxes. I see the VCR taking a bigger hit as they lose the ability to record different channels for OTA signals.

 

[kariato]

With DBS and Cable, most analog TVs will still operate with set top boxes. I see the VCR taking a bigger hit as they lose the ability to record different channels for OTA signals.

Yes, I think DVDRecorders too. I think the PVR will become king at that point. I use my VCR/DVDRecord now as a means to archive my PVR.

 

[Paul Secic]

The latest edition of Scientific American dropped in my in-basket and it had an interesting article called "Digital TV's Analog Curse". Fascinating article about the problems with all the NTSC only TV when only ATSC is broadcast. I think NTSC TV are still outselling ATSC signals. It goes on to talk about how the wired ones will have problems because they will continue to use NTSC signal in their analog portion. I think dish is probably sitting pretty since the will just down convert the ATSC signal to 480i type product for encoding to MPEG-DVB type signal. Interesting question will be will it have top and bottom black bars or will they clip either side.

Set top boxes have failed everywhere except the UK which has Freeview. An amazing product if you've ever seen it but it has created a big market for good preamp-ed antenna positioned well. But set top boxes will not work in a lot of cases since ATSC signal require a good signal to work with a good antenna experience with both Freeview and ATSC I found that an interesting pain getting both to work.

So what do you plan on doing with your second or third set not hooked up to a Dish receiver?
I have a video sender which I plan to use.

What are you going to tell your technically challenged friends when they ask?

Do you think they will cut off the signals in 2009?

You forgot an option: Nothing. They might have to extend the deadline. As for myself I'll be watching my analog sets until they break down.

 

[tsmacro]

What's that? I only have one! Now if you asked what I plan to do w/ my old computers and monitors that have been building up for the past 6 or 7 years....well I don't have an answer to that anyway other than collect dust! :lol:

 

[James Long]

Anyone with a ViP receiver is set, and with the repackaging of the 811s and 942s as ATSC+Satellite they will do ok. Even people with older receivers will do OK as long as they subscribe to locals - including cable subs.

NTSC is going away OTA, but it is certainly not going away on cable or satellite. There is no mandate requiring cable systems to transmit only in digital - and every satellite receiver on the market has NTSC compatable outputs of one sort or another. No worries, mate.

 

[boylehome]

Do you think they will cut off the signals in 2009?

Yes, The FCC published two articles yesterday and it sound like they are firmly sticking to 02-17-09. Here is the FCC site: http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/

 

[Hall]

There is no mandate requiring cable systems to transmit only in digital...

That's correct, but part of the same ruling says that cable companies (and satellite ??) cannot degrade the signal and I think most people would consider converting the digital signals to analog to be a degradation.

There's also the issue of re-negotiating carriage of the digital channels. They currently only have rights to carry the analog signal (in most cities). Of course, maybe the contracts were wisely written that when the analog shut off occurs, that Dish automatically carries the digital feeds.

 

[Stewart Vernon]

That's correct, but part of the same ruling says that cable companies (and satellite ??) cannot degrade the signal and I think most people would consider converting the digital signals to analog to be a degradation.

Only people who don't understand nature.

If the digital signal wasn't at some point converted to analog, then we wouldn't be able to see it with our eyes!

Analog is perfectly capable of transmitting even HD signals (Japan has used 1080 line analog for HD for some time before the US decided to go digital).

Actually, it is the process of converting an analog signal to digital that introduces the most degradation of picture quality. Converting that digital back to analog doesn't lose anything (unless we start calculating length of cable for signal loss).

 

[scooper]

You forgot an option: Nothing. They might have to extend the deadline. As for myself I'll be watching my analog sets until they break down.

You might be watching the same TV, but the blackout of broadcast NTSC is going to happen. Get your convertor box when they become available.

BTW - you can now buy SD sets that have the ATSC tuner at Walmart / Sam's / other electronic stores for less than $300 - I have PERSONALLY seen this. Granted - right now the TVs are 25 inches and larger, but you will see this in the smaller sets soon enough.

 

[sampatterson]

There wasn't an option for "all my tvs are already digital"

 

[Bill R]

NTSC is going away OTA, but it is certainly not going away on cable or satellite. There is no mandate requiring cable systems to transmit only in digital - and every satellite receiver on the market has NTSC compatable outputs of one sort or another. No worries, mate.

James,

That is all very true right now but that might change within the next few years for the cable companies.

Right now my cable company has all of its analog (NTSC) channels duplicated on their digital tier and said that they will be phasing out analog within the next few years. They don't have an exact time frame but "phase two" will likely be late next year. When they do "phase two" all the channels except the ones in the basic tier (channels 2-26, which are local broadcast channels, access and shopping) will be digital ONLY (QAM). They are actively trying to convert analog only customers to digital. They have increased the price of analog only service to a higher price than digital service (if you only need one digital STB and get the same channels). Their new STB that will be available later this year has NO NTSC output, just composite and component outputs.

 

[James Long]

IIRC only "lifeline" cable has to be available NTSC via cable. As long as the cable provider is willing to provide/rent the boxes they can go digital any time they want.

Personally I consider composite/S-Video to be an "NTSC" output since the signal is SD and easily modulated to RF. Not 100% on definition but closer to "NTSC" than anything else.

 

[Bill R]

IIRC only "lifeline" cable has to be available NTSC via cable. As long as the cable provider is willing to provide/rent the boxes they can go digital any time they want.

The cable companies are working very hard to get that changed and very likely will be sucessful (at least in 2009 or shortly thereafter). I did read about one cable company that is all digital now but I can't find the article. I don't know if they got an FCC exemption or what.

Personally I consider composite/S-Video to be an "NTSC" output since the signal is SD and easily modulated to RF. Not 100% on definition but closer to "NTSC" than anything else.

S-video and composite are considered "baseband video". Anything can be modulated to NTSC (inculding HDMI and component) but it is a step in the wrong direction (as far as picture resolution is concerned).

 

[CoriBright]

All TVs here have access to receivers.... we don't have to do a thing for 2009. Obviously some dbstalk readers are far thinking!

 

[Paul Secic]

You might be watching the same TV, but the blackout of broadcast NTSC is going to happen. Get your convertor box when they become available.

BTW - you can now buy SD sets that have the ATSC tuner at Walmart / Sam's / other electronic stores for less than $300 - I have PERSONALLY seen this. Granted - right now the TVs are 25 inches and larger, but you will see this in the smaller sets soon enough.

I'm an E sub. My cousin in Buffalo, N.Y. thinks its not happening for some reason. She'll find out when her rabbit ears gives her snow.

 

[kariato]

I'm an E sub. My cousin in Buffalo, N.Y. thinks its not happening for some reason. She'll find out when her rabbit ears gives her snow.

You must be an enthusiast to be on this site so it will definitely skew the answers here compared to a true poll. With most people receiving their signal via Cable/DBS it's not going to be a terrible problem for most. The people who will be most effected by this are going to be the poor and the elderly who least understand the problem. Hopefully the OTA will have a message on their sets before they shut off their signal. I'd hate for some house bound 90 year old on social security suddenly to see just snow and not know why.:eek2:

 

[ClaytonD]

Well hopefully the local broadcast companies (such as WRAL here in the Raleigh, NC area) will have a program in place to give out converters or STB's to the poor and elderly. They already give out free antennas if you simply ask for one.