Analog broadcast TV signals will stop in February 1999
 

Analog over-the-air TV broadcast will be dropped in a year and a half.

As I understand it, those with cable won't have to worry about it since their cable boxes already convert digital signals to analog. The rest of us will have to buy a converter, buy an HDTV, or do without.

We could probably do without in our house since we watch so little TV. However, we do like to watch the Olympics when they come up. And the in-laws like to watch the news when they visit.

And there's always the possibility that I'll get the 'wants' for a wide-screen TV. :)

Anyone else cableless?

Yeah. Over here.

As I understand it, my roof top antenna will probably still work, but the number of channels I currently get (including a bunch of fuzzy ones) will drop significantly. With digital, you either get the channel, or you don't. If the signal is weak, you don't get it. I'll probably drop from 12 or so channels down to 5. We'll see.

I'm also not too thrilled with the selection and price of HDTVs now. You should be able to get a name brand mid sized TV for around $400 in my mind. The prices aren't there yet.

What year will it be dropped?

I needed a new TV...got one for $100, not really big, not really small, but had the warning that I will need a "special box" (which I like to think I already have) when they convert. I figured I'll either get the box but by then I should have a better TV, maybe cable, anyway.

Dude.......... Did you say 1999? 1999?

Like, 8 years ago?

lol...I didn't catch that!

I have three tvs. One is a small flat screen I don't like because it's small. I have a huge cheap $300. dollar one that just went out on me after 2 years. It's too heavy to move without a boyfriend. j/k

My favorite tv is a small regular tv with a great picture.

My next tv will be a HD flat screen. Totally flat ..the ones you can hang on the wall if'in you want.

I did but I didn't want to come off as a bitch.

Oh, so I'm a bitch because I caught that and pointed it out!

Haaaarumph!

Is it too late to get a big, cheap TV that's the wrong kind? I don't watch TV, all I need is S-Video for my DVD changer.

Sure you can...you can get the one that will be "obsolete" at a much cheaper rate than a comparable sized "newer" one. If that's all your using it for, you should look around.

Craigslist has lots of them. Used, perfectly good and cheap.

In fact, I bet most towns will change their policies in the next year or so if they haven't already to make you pay to throw them away.

All I need to do now is measure the size of the hole in my entertainment center...

Also, my dad had a great idea about building a homemade jumbo-tron ha ha ha srsly

When I saw the title, I thought someone had revived an old thread...to point out that analog signals didn't stop in 1999. :rolleyes:

Flint man, it's too bad you live all the way over in TX--we have a gigantic TV that we're trying to get rid of. It would probably cost more to ship than what we're selling for, though.

lol

Ooops. Make that February 2009.

Losing track of time in my old age. :neutral:

Whew...that's a relief. 'Cause I already partied like it was 1999. ;)

The correct year is of course 2009. And what is the FCCs most intelligible reasoning behind spending mega money for this glorious switchover? A prettier picture. Oh no, our beloved government can't be bothered with spending to improve education and healthcare. No, Americans only need a prettier picture on their TV sets to be happy. And let's just forget about the retired senior citizens and others who probably won't be able to afford set-top converters, let alone cable or satellite TV, or expensive iLo HDTVs from Wal-mart that'll probably flake out within a year, which I bought after my good ol' Magnovox gave up after 20 years of reliable service.

But haven't the feds said they would give out $100 vouchers to everyone who needs one so they can get a box?

Maybe. I haven't heard/read that.

Actually, the prettier picture also uses less spectrum, which will eventually open up a lot more spectrum for other uses.

This doesn't make sense....I thought mind control experiments were done in analog not digital.

I guess that's going to end now that it's 1779 again.
;)

http://www.ncta.com/ContentView.aspx?contentId=4355

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/index.html
I can't find an actual application form for these coupons/vouchers, so it looks like even though there is almost a Billion dollars in funding for it, the program isn't off the ground yet.

How will that improve education and healthcare?

By opening up a lot more spectrum, because it uses less.

Smartass.

I'd rather be a smartass than a dumbass.

I didn't say it would; just that it does more than improve the picture.

But now that you ask, I can certainly see emergency and medical services making use of future devices that will use the newly opened spectrum.

Yeah, that does make sense.

I just want to know how it's going to work with mind control projects.
New horizons there too?

Don't start asking questions about our mind control projects or we will have to terminate you. Pot stirrer.

Is that definite, or just a possibility... if the big guns can't figure out a way to make a buck off that additional bandwidth?

It's just a possibility, AFAIK, but if the way they make a buck is improved communication devices, emergency and medical services would probably be able to use them.

The available frequencies are a finite resource, so no matter how you slice it, freeing up a chunk of bandwidth is a positive.

At worse, the newly liberated bandwidth could be used for something crappy, but it would just be replacing the other crap.

I had not heard about that! I won't be counting on it.

I know that your cable company should be giving you the converter box for free because they don't want to lose your business? That's what I heard.

So even satellite users will need a converter or just a compatible tv?

No, cable and satellite people are fine. The only ones that have to buy new equipment are the over-the-air viewers.

Those seeking TV's at amazing prices should look no further than craigslist. SD big screens, even amazing quality ones, are going for peanuts there. With the savings, you buy a converter box. I have in particular seen 32 and 36 inch Sony Wegas for $350 on more than one occasion, and that is one damn fine CRT based SD TV.

I will say this, though. HiDef is *awesome*. If you are into sports, its beyond awesome. We picked up a 42" plasma at WalMart's Black Friday sale last year, at a sale price which I have yet to see matched for its size. It is a NoNameo box, but since the displays themselves are only manufactured by like two companies, it matters relatively little in terms of pic quality. And keep in mind that this is only a 720p display - 42" plasmas can't do 1080 due to the inherent pixel structure, but if your viewing distance is within certain parameters, your eye can't really tell the difference between the two anyway.

It really is a stupendous step up in terms of resolution, picture stability and viewing pleasure.

So does that mean that after the big change, my satellite company will still be charging more for High Definition?

No, because everything will be hidef. The cheaper tier will cease to exist, and they'll have to raise the price of the whole service to make up for lost revenue.