Transition from Low-Definition to High-Definition TVs

Factual Questions
1

If I understand correctly, at a specified date broadcast TV will all go high-def. Will low-def TVs get any reception then? What will happen to all the discarded low-def TVs? Will this be the biggest discard of a type of consumer electronic? More sudden than the transition from vinyl to CD? How big an environmental impact will it have?

2

I don’t think you understand correctly. Transmissions will go digital, not hi-def.

3

[Fran Drescher]Aaaaaoooow.[/FD] :slight_smile:

Does that render all of my questions moot? :confused:

My reason for asking, besides morbid curiosity, is to gauge when I should make the switch and how guilty I should feel about junking a teevee.

4

OTA transmissions are going digital. This means TV’s with NTSC receivers will no longer be capable of receiving signals. If you have a cable box you are not receiving any OTA signals and you’ll be fine. If you are using an old pair of rabbits you are screwed unless your TV has a ATSC receiver. One solution would be to purchase a separate ATSC receiver and hook it up to your TV, it would be like a cable box but will be receiving OTA signals from your local stations. Another solution will be to just get cable or satellite and yet another solution would be to buy a new TV with a ATSC receiver built in.

This is just a truncated explanation. Please don’t sue me if your TV blows up when all signals go digital.

5

I don’t know specifics for the States, but tv sets have built-in digital receivers for a number of years here, so anyone with a tv purchased in the last half-dozen (???) years will be OK.

Used set-top boxes can be found for $40+ on the net, including shipping and tax.

6

FYI, you can get a terrestrial receiver on eBay for $50-$75 if you look around.

I bought a small HD flat screen for behind my bar and was determined not to give Comcast any more of my money (currently have two HD boxes) so I found a terrestrial receiver on eBay.

Coupled with a $29 double bow tie antenna I can get probably two dozen stations, including HD (when broadcast in HD).

Obviously no A&E or ESPN.

7

Here are a few previous threads on this topic:

8

thanks all for your responses. I’m gonna have to look into this. I’m one of the “not going to give money to Comcast,” and I live in their new hometown.