So what happens in 2009 when we switch to digital TV?

Post by **Scooter** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:56 pm

The change to all digital TV is coming, what does this mean to retro gaming? It's already getting harder to play light gun shooting games with so many TVs being LCD, plasma or projection TVs. My gaming buddy doesn't have a CRT based TV left in his house so we can't play light gun games at his house.

I'm told that when the US television system switches to full digital in 2009 my cable box will continue to work as a converter of the digital signal to my analog TV set (except that 3 of my 4 TVs don't use a cable box and simply get an analog signal from the cable which is attached directly to those TVs). However, what becomes of my gaming consoles? At some future point I'll probably want/need to buy a new TV which at that time will be all digital. How will I get my console's analog signals to the digital TV set? Will I need an analog to digital converter? If so, can we expect that using a converter and going to a much higher end TV than the consoles were designed to work with, will the picture quality of our games be detrimentally affected? I'm thinking I need to take really good care of my analog CRT based gaming TV set.

Post by **racketboy** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:07 pm

You can have CRTs with digital tuners.
Just about any CRT nowadays (other than maybe the really cheap ones) has a digital tuner.

digital does not require HDTV.

Post by **Scooter** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:09 pm

racketboy wrote:You can have CRTs with digital tuners.
Just about any CRT nowadays (other than maybe the really cheap ones) has a digital tuner.

digital does not require HDTV.

Sure, I know in the future I'll be able to get a digital CRT if I want to, but will a future all-digital TV be able to accept the consoles' analog signal? Isn't there also a future cutoff where HDTV will become the standard? Even if not, will an older low resolution analog signal (ie, from our old consoles) look crappy when it is squeezed into a high resolution digital device? How will we get an analog signal into a TV that no longer has an analog receiver?

On another note, will post-2009 TVs be cheaper because they no longer have to contain analog receiver components? (In theory at least.)

What about broadcast, non-cable delivered signals, what kind of a receiver (antenna?) will that take? Given how digital cell phones work without any meaningful antenna, I'm going to guess digital broadcast TV signals will be able to be received without a rooftop or set top antenna (rabbit ears to us old guys) but I just don't know how that will be accomplished for sure.

The portability and usefullness of the TV Tuner on my Game Gear will be entirely destoryed. I guess I'll be able to get a digital-to-analog receiver/converter of some sort which would allow me to see TV signals on my TV Tuner, but such a converter rather destroys the whole portability concept.

Post by **Mozgus** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:37 pm

So what happens in 2008 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2007 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2006 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2005 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2004 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2003 when we switch to digital TV?

What will happen? They'll delay it yet another year when they realize that people won't put up with that.

Post by **pixelbender** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:46 pm

Your tv will still accept analog signals (thats what composite is), new TVs just have to have digital tuners built in to capture the new digital-only air broadcasts. (which is not entirely true, only larger stations will be REQUIRED to broadcast digital only).

Post by **Scooter** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:51 pm

Mozgus wrote:So what happens in 2008 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2007 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2006 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2005 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2004 when we switch to digital TV?
So what happens in 2003 when we switch to digital TV?

What will happen? They'll delay it yet another year when they realize that people won't put up with that.

The FCC is auctioning off the lower 700mHz range soon and will be abandoning 54-88 mHz soon so at some point there simply won't be much of a place for analog TV signals to continue to exist. Regardless of when, eventually the switch to full digital will occur. We'll all have to face this issue at some point if we want to continue to play retro on their original consoles. I just don't know how much of an issue this will be and am trying to gain some understanding now before I have to scramble to buy equipment that will keep my systems humming along when the inevitable switch to a new all-digital TV occurs.

This situation is similar to some of the many issues faced by the old car hobby. The most recent is that starting in 2008 motor oils can only contain a limited amount of a zinc and phosphorous additive called ZDDP which helps prevent high pressure metal-to-metal contact from being destructive to engine parts. This is all well and good because of the design and metalurgy found in modern engines can cope with this lower level of ZDDP, however many older engines (especially high performance engines with high lift flat tappet cams) will not tolerate the now inadequate ZDDP levels and will wear out prematurely and in a quite destructive manner. Those in the know can still find and use additives to compensate for these lower ZDDP levels, but how long will it be before even the additives are legislated out of existance and with them our ability to use and enjoy older vehicles?

Post by **pixelbender** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:36 pm

Scooter wrote:but how long will it be before even the additives are legislated out of existance and with them our ability to use and enjoy older vehicles?

Just another reason to vote for Ron Paul.

Post by **Metalcrack** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:49 pm

I'm sure there will be a DAC (digital to analog converter) available for us people hanging on to our old SDTV for retro gaming goodness.

Post by **Scooter** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:52 pm

pixelbender wrote:
Scooter wrote:but how long will it be before even the additives are legislated out of existance and with them our ability to use and enjoy older vehicles?
Just another reason to vote for Ron Paul.

Uh huh, and how many primaries has he won? In how many primaries has he even been a noticeable statistical also-ran? If he doesn't show up soon, he like many other candidates, is entirely doomed. Even if he were the smartest man on Earth and the best choice of all candidates available, he does no one any good at all if he can't even get nominated let alone elected or even garner enough votes to require that the leaders of the pack pay attention to his policies and points of view. Hell, he can't even get the press to give him the time of day. Ross Perot only got 19% of the popular vote in 1992 but at least in doing so he had an impact on the process and on the policies of those who did win.

My vote is precious and I'll reserve it for whomever I feel has a real shot and will (hopefully) do those things I want them to do while in office. If we had a political system which rewarded minority points of view with at least a portion of the governing process I'd be willing to vote for some less populist people, but as it is I feel you have to go with the candidate that you most often agree with AND who has a real shot at getting into the position to do something.

Post by **Mozgus** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:54 pm

Again, they've been saying this is going to happen for years. The date just keeps getting delayed. The best thing we can do is ignore them until they finally do it. When it does happen, and you are still an over-the-air network television viewer and nothing else, just buy your little digital receiver and be done with it. I can understand how this is newsworthy because they are dropping a standard we've used for like 70 years (I forget the date), but it's not ganna kill anyone.