I agree with this: There are people who were never going to be ready. Not if we sent out vans with big blaring speakers announcing the switchover down every little road and goat path in the country. It simply isn’t possible to get 100% of the people ready in a country this large.
So we make a decision that some people have to be left behind for the greater good. In this case, the greater good includes prime frequencies being cleared up for emergency responder use. That is a hell of a lot more important than Aunt Tilly getting her TV reception.
Except of course that in addition to Aunt Tilly, the people being left out are those who a)are poor and/or b) live too far away from the city to get digital reception, where cable isn’t available and for one reason or another don’t have satellite.
The TV frequencies that are being freed up by the switch to digital are Channels 52-69 (channels 1 and 70-83 were previously taken back for other uses). There were damn few stations in that part of the spectrum to start with, and I’m willing to bet that most of them could have been relocated without overhauling the entire TV spectrum.
Of course you can argue that universal coverage isn’t that important, and people have a lot of places to get their information. Just like the folks in Minot, ND back in 2002.
I’ve been using my HDMI digital over-the-air receiver for over 2 years now. The picure is amazing, and BETTER than cable. I get FULL 1080 HDMI for FREE. Granted, it’s on only a few stations compared to cable, but be honest: How often do you peruse all those channels and find nothing to watch? I watch mostly DVD’s and streaming HD video anyway. I find the few stations over the air are worth every penny for free 1080. Between that and the computer? So much better than cable.
The hotel I stayed in last month had flat panels in every room, and the crappiest picture I’ve ever seen on a flat panel tv. I really missed my reception from home while I was barely tolerating the “cable” shit-for-picture at the hotel. Seriously, If that’s what I would get for basic cable (which is all I would bear to pay for), nooooo way, that’s just dumb, and I feel sorry for all the putzes out there who think basic cable is the way to go over antenna reception!
I’ve had Antenna TV on an old set (14 year old nephew: "You guys are SO RETRO!) for years, that’s been enough, and cable doesn’t come out here.
I’ve been well aware of the switch, sure, but it hasn’t mattered enough to get the gear to implement it. As of now, I’m using it as a forced exercise in seeing what life without TV is, as this is a once in a lifetime chance for that. We’ll see if I break in less than a week. I’m really curious about the effects.
In non IMHO territory: the station that has always come in most clear WFMY/Greensboro, is still running a clear analog signal, with alternating English and Spanish( NC has a large Hispanic community) explaination of the transition, with info how to get the new signals. A big ol’ running loop DTV infomercial, with phone numbers to call.
UNC-TV/PBS, no signal at all. I would have thought they would have run the same sort of info, being a Public service. The other previously clear channel, a Fox affiliate, no signal.
Yep, me too, I was expecting a total shutdown. The fact that the G’boro station has done that really has my admiration. They already have a very diverse news crew, best in this state, and are definitely different from other stations in the area. I should contact them and get their reasoning on providing the continued broadcast.
A few are keeping their analog signals on for 30 more days with transition information, under the Federal Communications Commission’s “nightlight” program. A couple of other North Carolina participants are WRAL-5 in Raleigh (currently with reduced power) and WITN-7 Washington (seems to be full power).
My cable box broke three months ago. Only thing we miss is the clock, so I’ve theoretically cancelled cable (and we could really use the money!) only, and this is humiliating, I haven’t gotten around to taking the stupid box back yet.
So I turned on the TV yesterday to see if I could see TV, like, over the air, like when I was a kid. Two muddy stations. So, I need an antenna, right? It’s an HDTV, so I don’t need a converter box, right? I mean, I only want it for when there’s a hurricane or something.
We have one station here which is doing the “night light” thing, and one station (a home shopping one) which is merrily continuing to broadcast in analog, somehow.
I felt like screaming when I saw the local news interviewing person after person who said that they “had never heard of this digital TV thing, not once” and how they think it’s “unfair to get my stations taken away with no warning.” Holy fucking shit - these people wouldn’t realize it if their feet were on fire and their asses catching. :rolleyes:
Those people vote and post on the internet. Food for thought.
I am kind of the opposite. I have cable right now but I got a couple of coupons and bought a couple of converter boxes just in case… Chances are they will go to the recycling bin unopened in a few years. Or to Goodwill with a TV.
I forgot about this thread!
I just wanted to come back and mention all my stations are coming in now, plus I have five new ones.
Of course they’re ALL Christian stations I’d never watch. I’m just glad to get PBS back.