# Why do the controls on modern digital electronics have such a LOOONG lagtime? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977 "2009-06-16T19:36:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/21 "2009-06-17T18:03:08Z")
I’ve noticed a long lag time with modern electronics when tuning to _analog_ broadcasts, whether now-obsolete analog television or analog FM. Television sets and stereos from the 1980s, which often used electronic tuning, seemed to tune channels instantly. Today, a car or home stereo may have a lag time of a second or so before a station starts playing; it’s like PLL circuitry has gotten much slower in the past decade or two. Same thing with analog televisions of a few years ago; it wold take a few seconds for the station to be displayed, unlike televisions of the past with electronic tuning. There’s also the obnoxious push-and-hold-it-for-a-really-long-time on/off switches that are the norm now, even when switches are located or designed where they would not be accidentally turned on or off. ---
**Author:** ![J\_Cubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@J\_Cubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_Cubed)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/22 "2009-06-18T05:38:13Z")
> [@troub](#): > > It’s unnecessary, IMO, for them to charge as much as they do (especially the per-month charges). I love their software, but have problems with their business plan, which I think is killing them. With the feature set their DVR offers, and the complaints I see from all other providers (cable co.s, AT&T, Dish, and DTV), the adoption rate of Tivo boxes would be astronomical if they didn’t have such ridiculous monthly pricing. People constantly complain about their DVR software, but it’s _not_ worth an _extra_ $20/month (plus up-front equipment costs). In a reasonably frictionless capitalist economy, your first sentence is never true about anything. I shared a TiVo with a roommate for years, went for a year with Comcast’s free DVR, then went back to TiVo at $12.95/month. Since my TiVo has to IR blast the cable box to get digital channels, I often get a recording of the wrong channel, but it’s still better than using Comcast’s Motorola DVR. What TiVo **should** do is partner with Comcast and others to provide a seamless top-tier DVR bundle. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/23 "2009-06-18T05:42:10Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > I can receive the same network from multiple stations, and often one will be delayed relative to the other. Most recently, watching the NHL finals “live”, the Lansing station was a couple seconds ahead of the Detroit station (both HDTV). The CBC station (through cable) was another two or three seconds ahead of the Lansing station. There’s certainly some encoding/decoding time, but you can’t really judge how much it is based on the digital Vs. analog delay. I had not thought of that. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/24 "2009-06-18T14:22:42Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Most recently, watching the NHL finals “live”, the Lansing station was a couple seconds ahead of the Detroit station (both HDTV). The CBC station (through cable) was another two or three seconds ahead of the Lansing station. There’s certainly some encoding/decoding time, but you can’t really judge how much it is based on the digital Vs. analog delay. Gosh, this was the case in the bar that we were watching the emotional, final game at. Our TV was about 3 seconds behind the dining area of the bar, so we heard everyone else’s emotional outbursts before we even know what was going on. Three seconds in hockey is a long time! ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/25 "2009-06-18T17:37:31Z")
If you are using a DVR, there is some delay there also. I have two TVs, one with a DVR, and the other with the standard digital tuner. If I turn them both on, the set with the DVR is noticeably behind the set with the regular digital tuner. It’s just a fraction of a second, but noticeable. It sounds like an echo. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/26 "2009-06-19T00:52:46Z")
> [@J\_Cubed](#): > > What TiVo **should** do is partner with Comcast and others to provide a seamless top-tier DVR bundle. [Yeah, they should.](http://www.comcast.com/Tivo/) Now available in New England, set to roll out in the rest of the country eventually. As I understand it, you can keep your existing DVR and Comcast can push the TiVo software onto your box. They’ll also send you a new remote control designed to work with the TiVo menu. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/27 "2009-06-19T02:35:08Z")
> [@J\_Cubed](#): > > went for a year with Comcast’s free DVR. What is this free DVR from Comcast? I am paying $15.95/month. I only went with Comcast because at the time Tivo didn’t support HDTV. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/28 "2009-06-19T14:59:08Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > What is this free DVR from Comcast? I am paying $15.95/month. I only went with Comcast because at the time Tivo didn’t support HDTV. FYI, Tivo does support HDTV now, in case you didn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/29 "2009-06-19T15:04:21Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > FYI, Tivo does support HDTV now, in case you didn’t know. Thanks - yes I did. I have had Tivo before and did prefer it to Comcast, but I like having the DVR integrated with the cable box, so I will stick with Comcast. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/30 "2009-06-19T15:10:36Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Thanks - yes I did. I have had Tivo before and did prefer it to Comcast, but I like having the DVR integrated with the cable box, so I will stick with Comcast. TivoHD replaces the cable box and uses cable cards to tune the channel. Really much much better than I’d do with a Bright House DVR. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977/31 "2009-06-19T16:27:12Z")
I remember walking in Madrid on a hot summer night when all the windows were open. The final of the soccer Eurocup was being played and the streets were empty. Spain was playing Italy and the match went into overtime and penalty kicks. Out of the windows would come cries of “GOL!!!”… and a few seconds later, from those who had digital TVs, again, “GOL!!!” Every score and every fail was repeated twice as I walked the empty streets. I have had a digital tuner for some years now and I have no need to follow a soccer game closely because I can hear the neighbors roaring when anyone scores and I have time to look up to the TV and see it a few seconds later. I will miss that when they finally shuit down all analog broadcasts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-controls-on-modern-digital-electronics-have-such-a-looong-lagtime/499977.md?page=1)