the much ballyhooed conversion of the current analog broadcast television signals to digital is set to take place friday.
we are looking for readers who may still have tv antennae to correspond with us about how the conversion goes.
e-mail news@barnesville.com or call 770.358.6397.
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The Dish signals are staying the same, so that isn't changing for now.
We bought VCR's/DVR's that receive HDTV so we can keep our analog TV sets. We leave the main analog TV's on the VCR/DVR units and use the tuners in HD video player/recorders. That way we only had to buy a few converter boxes for sets without VCR's, and for the sets with VCR's the recorder/players now convert HDTV to analog output. As TV sets fail we will replace them, but i can see tossing out good sets.
We only have one HDTV in the house.
We will lose several stations that are marginal (can't see their digital signals at all), but since many of the new HDTV stations (all on UHF band now, even channel 2) have multiple channels we wound up with about the same number of useless channels to not watch.
Tom
You still can't beat the variety and scope of programming available on satellite and cable providers. You won't be able to watch the Discovery Channel, History Channel, or any all news chennels. There's no Outdoor Channel (one of my favorites. But the new digital channels have additional sub-channels associated with the main channel e.g.; Channel 8, 8-1, 8-2, etc. I can see a time in the future when more of the alternative networks start showing up on digital television.
Now you can watch the Braves in the very best digital quality format - and there is no monthly fee to watch the best team in America.
So after the initial investment of $100-$150, you're done paying. If you're currently paying $29.95 per month and invest $150 in your antenna, your payback time is just 5 months.
All you need is a new television - new ones are factory equipped to receive digital broadcast stations. Or, just get a digital converter and use your old one. They'll add up to $40 to your investment extending your payback time another month and a half.
Be sure to properly ground your antenna to lower your risk during the frequent spring - summer electrical storm season.
You need to be a bit more careful when aiming your antenna for digital signals. A couple of degrees off, and you won't receive anything. Analog signals (the old style) are far more tolerant and while the quality degrades if the antenna isn't aimed to the correct position, you can still see a picture.
Here is a great resource to help you with your digital conversion:
www.antennaweb.org
Bob Heiney
Watching real life reality soap operas. It's better than the fake reality crap.
You don't have to take down your TV antenna. You could have gotten a HDTV converter box for $5, if you got the coupon, and used it to pick up the HDTV channels.
Know anyone who can pull it up, it's 4 feet in the ground, the ant. goes with it along with rotor box on top.
Antennas are no more or no less critical for digital then they were for analog. Even the same antenna is fine, as are the same connectors and signal processing equipment up to the converter or set terminals.
Two things do happen with digital.
First, the digital broadcasts have all moved to UHF. This is a higher frequency. For example channel 2's transmission moved from 56 million cycles in a second, which has excellent distance coverage and penetration of buildings and foliage, to several hundred million cycles in a second. Trees, buildings, and other obstructions absorb the signal more, and this reduces range for a given antenna and power.
The second thing that happens is digital is all or nothing. Just like a digital cell phone, we either have the signal or we don't. The level or breaking point where things get choppy is very narrow. With analog we could watch a signal down into the noise, or even with considerable interference. With digital, once it starts losing "bits" it freezes or drops out. It is all or nothing.
To give an idea of the range of old channel 2 VHF, when Atlanta pulled the plug today I could see WCDB in Charleston SC with a watchable picture. There is no way that distance would ever be covered with digital on UHF.
People might have to upgrade antennas because now, with all transmissions on UHF, the higher frequency is blocked significantly more by obstructions. UHF is lossier in every aspect all through the system, so range is always shorter for a given antenna height and transmitter power.
As for programming, don't throw away that cable or satellite. The programming on digital TV is basically the same stuff that we got on analog. There can be a few extra features, like a channel might decide to multiplex weather or old shows on their additional bandwidth, but don't expect to watch the same cheese you get on cable because of the switch.
Tom
WXIA channel 11.x in Atlanta is now on old analog 10 VHF. They are real good here.
WMAZ 13.x is now on old analog VHF 13. They are OK here.
WGTV 8 Athens is on old analog VHF 12. Their new digital signal stinks here.
So we still need upper VHF antennas for those three. Looks like everything else is UHF.
I lost reception on several stations from this transition, and PBS is pretty bad here now.
Tom
I was a little empressed with the simple plans for a digtal antenna and how well it works.
http://www.tvantennaplans.com/
BTW I am using a Digial stream box from radio shack
...NOT!
Despite a new TV, new antenna, and in line signal booster the reception is awful.
Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Some channels previously seen cannot be viewed any longer. Overall the situation was NOT improved.
Leave to the same people that run the Post Office to screw up TV completely.
Not much better tonight. Are they trying to censor what we are hearing ? Even the early morning news, when it got to the meat of the story, noise, no voices.
It's worse than You Tube's constant sticking.
I don't like to think conspiracy, but maybe the CT's were right.