Digital TV

[SamSpade]

This weekend, the TV guide in the Post addressed something I'd only vaguely heard about -

Somewhere around Feb 17 2009, all TV broadcast will go digital. It's for a lot of reasons, but some of it involved freeing up lots of unnecessary bandwidth while at the same time guaranteeing a better quality signal.

What it also means is, some TV's out there will get nothing but static.

How do you know if you're ok or not? I have no idea - all our stuff comes from DirecTV, and I just assume they take care of that for me. Do they?

 

[smoothmarine187]

If you have directv you should be fine, I think it only affects the people that get TV through a standard antenna.

 

[itsbob]

This weekend, the TV guide in the Post addressed something I'd only vaguely heard about -

Somewhere around Feb 17 2009, all TV broadcast will go digital. It's for a lot of reasons, but some of it involved freeing up lots of unnecessary bandwidth while at the same time guaranteeing a better quality signal.

What it also means is, some TV's out there will get nothing but static.

How do you know if you're ok or not? I have no idea - all our stuff comes from DirecTV, and I just assume they take care of that for me. Do they?

I would think unless you have an old Ford Philco from the 70's you'd be ok..

Thinking if ou need an RF Modulator to hook up the cable you might want to think about buying a new TV..

 

[itsbob]

If you have directv you should be fine, I think it only affects the people that get TV through a standard antenna.

Aren't most (if not all) of the channels on D-TV digital? So id D-TV works now, you're good to go.. like those with cable, if you have expanded cable you're already getting digital channels.

 

[SamSpade]

Aren't most (if not all) of the channels on D-TV digital? So id D-TV works now, you're good to go.. like those with cable, if you have expanded cable you're already getting digital channels.

I figured they probably were - I just know that it'd be just like a satellite service to spring on me in Jan '09 and say OH BY THE WAY - you may want to upgrade your box to get TV.

Plus, most of the TV's in my house are rather old - the main TV is at least ten years old.

 

[vanbells]

Are all other cable services providers like Comcast, Cox, MetroCast, Time Warner all digital?

 

[duzzey1a]

It's for a lot of reasons, but some of it involved freeing up lots of unnecessary bandwidth while at the same time guaranteeing a better quality signal.

I'm not sure its the bandwidth. I think they are trying to free up frequencies in the ranges of the UHF/VHF bands, i.e. channels 2-50. I think they want to use these frequencies for other uses like homeland security and other applications. Also, its much cheaper to run digital programming because of the lack of equipment involved. The goverment will have to provide set-top converters for the hold-outs that are not ready to buy HD-TV's.

 

[forestal]

I think they've already pushed back that date once already. This date is very flexible, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it pushed back yet again.

Just because you can walk into Washington area stores and see a plethora of HDTV's, doesn't mean that the rest of America enjoys such a display. TV depends on advertising. If a sizable segment of the community can no longer be exposed to commercials, mucho dinero will be lost.

This weekend, the TV guide in the Post addressed something I'd only vaguely heard about -

Somewhere around Feb 17 2009, all TV broadcast will go digital. It's for a lot of reasons, but some of it involved freeing up lots of unnecessary bandwidth while at the same time guaranteeing a better quality signal.

What it also means is, some TV's out there will get nothing but static.

How do you know if you're ok or not? I have no idea - all our stuff comes from DirecTV, and I just assume they take care of that for me. Do they?

 

[forestal]

Comcast digital is mostly analogue. If you really want all digital you have to go with satellite TV, or Verizon FIOS.

Aren't most (if not all) of the channels on D-TV digital? So id D-TV works now, you're good to go.. like those with cable, if you have expanded cable you're already getting digital channels.