DTV Transition....Ready or Not Ready

[t0yrobo]

Not ready and don't care. I got my coupon thing in the mail a week or two ago and I haven't even looked at converters in the store yet. I'll get around to buying one eventually, and if that means I won't be watching tv for a month that won't bother me at all.

[dsheinem]

For some people, the only that will make them switch is the inability to watch TV because they haven't previously prepared themselves. The government shouldn't coddle the dimwits that aren't prepared. Hell, the government was even willing to help pay for a converter box, how much more can they do? Nothing. Throw the switch.

Actually, they haven't thrown the switch yet because they would be excluding around 6 million homes that still rely on rabbit ears for their signal. A very high percentage of those homes are low income (either the elderly, inner-city or - more often - extremely rural). I don't know that those demographic make them "dimwits." Yes, the government offered coupons for boxes - but they underestimated demand, ran out, and not everyone was able to get one. I believe that more coupons are due to be issued in this interim (part of the reason for the push back).

I think the delay is reasonable, and I don't know that those who are ready are really missing out on anything by having to wait. Especially if the delay means more people will be able to have access to TV, I'm for it.

[Mozgus]

If your not ready by now you don't deserve to watch TV.

Exactly. It's dumb they pushed the deadline back to June.

Uh I read that it failed to get enough votes and its still on for this month.

[dsheinem]

Uh I read that it failed to get enough votes and its still on for this month.

You read wrong: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/busin ... f=business

[Mozgus]

Uh I read that it failed to get enough votes and its still on for this month.

You read wrong: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/busin ... f=business

I didn't read wrong, ass. I just didn't see any sites posting that follow up reversal.

[glynnahab]

I didn't read wrong, ass.

Quit being such a meanie, buttface.

[dsheinem]

Uh I read that it failed to get enough votes and its still on for this month.

You read wrong: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/busin ... f=business

I didn't read wrong, ass. I just didn't see any sites posting that follow up reversal.

The article you linked to mentions (at the end) that the democrats planned to bring it up again for a standard vote (as the first one was done under a 2/3 procedure). So no, you technically didn't read wrong, but based on your source it probably would have made sense to look for follow-up news before incorrectly explaining to everyone here that "it failed to get enough votes and its still on for this month."

[Mozgus]

The article you linked to mentions (at the end) that the democrats planned to bring it up again for a standard vote (as the first one was done under a 2/3 procedure). So no, you technically didn't read wrong, but based on your source it probably would have made sense to look for follow-up news before incorrectly explaining to everyone here that "it failed to get enough votes and its still on for this month."

Are you done? I never said I was sure. I never said anyone was wrong. I even said "Uh", to imply that I wasn't sure. So, something in the world changes, and just because for once I'm not on top of it, you're trying to inflate your ego and bring me down out of some grudge. Get a life.

[dsheinem]

Are you done? I never said I was sure. I never said anyone was wrong. I even said "Uh", to imply that I wasn't sure. So, something in the world changes, and just because for once I'm not on top of it, you're trying to inflate your ego and bring me down out of some grudge. Get a life.

LOL. I figured once you called me an "ass" a bit of retaliation was warranted. I bear no grudge against you, Moz. I certainly have no need of ego-stroking either.

Anyway, back on topic: does anyone know off hand what the difference is in signal strength of digital vs. analog? I'm guessing that it is a stronger signal over a shorter difference, and thus those who are just barely bringing in stations with an antenna in more rural locations will now be left out of receiving TV all together, even if they do upgrade with a converter box.

[skate323k137]

Are you done? I never said I was sure. I never said anyone was wrong. I even said "Uh", to imply that I wasn't sure. So, something in the world changes, and just because for once I'm not on top of it, you're trying to inflate your ego and bring me down out of some grudge. Get a life.

LOL. I figured once you called me an "ass" a bit of retaliation was warranted. I bear no grudge against you, Moz. I certainly have no need of ego-stroking either.

Anyway, back on topic: does anyone know off hand what the difference is in signal strength of digital vs. analog? I'm guessing that it is a stronger signal over a shorter difference, and thus those who are just barely bringing in stations with an antenna in more rural locations will now be left out of receiving TV all together, even if they do upgrade with a converter box.

I think you're guessing right. Being a cable guy i know more about cable than over-the-air, but even on a closed cable system you can operate analog channels on next to no signal compaired to digital stations. average cable signal strength runs from -50 (DEAD) to +20 (smoking hot) DBmV. Digital cable does not usually operate properly after it gets below 0 DBmV, but analog cable works fine well into the negative teens (although below that point it does start to noticeably degrade).

I've seen pixelization and dropped pictures on digital antennas in town. people in rural areas, especially michigans upper penninsula, will be screwed.

on another note, which im not positive of as far as OTA goes; on a cable system, the higher frequencies that carry digital signals won't travel as far as lower frequencies that carry analog signals. basically higher frequencies will suffer more signal loss per foot, than the lower frequencies. If they're using higher frequencies for digital over the air broadcast than they were for analog, they're going to have to amplify it to all hell to have a prayer of keeping the same broadcast radius.