spaceace12 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I know on Feb. 17th, 2009, all analog signals will go off air. I can tell you that once you have a HDTV (as in a widescreen tv with digital tuner), you won't want to go back to normal tv. I took a antenna out to my Grandparents today and watched the AFC Championship game on HDTV. Now the skinny. If you have Satellite or Cable, you will be okay and not have to get a converter box. If you get your television through a antenna, either indoor or outdoor, you will have to have a converter box by the time the switch happens. A good website to help on this is www.dtvanswers.com, this is a site where you can sign up to get a 40 dollar rebate towards the purchase of a converter box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeliriumTrigger Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 This is kind of misleading...HDTV isn't coming any more than it already is. All they're doing is switching over from an analog signal to a digital signal. This will allow for each channel to have enough bandwidth for one HD signal or several SD "sub-channels"...but they'll still have the choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 But, come Feb. 17th, 2009, if you still haven't gotten a converter box if you get your signal via antenna, you won't be getting any signal anymore on the analog side. Up till this point everyone has been broadcasting both analog and digital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exit english Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 People still watch analog TV? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 But, come Feb. 17th, 2009, if you still haven't gotten a converter box if you get your signal via antenna, you won't be getting any signal anymore on the analog side. Up till this point everyone has been broadcasting both analog and digital. The date has been pushed back numerous times, it might get pushed back again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 I think this date if safe this time. With the wide availablity of HDTV's and the 40 dollar converter box credit the gov't is giving away. I think this one will stay. Also, the gov't is running a psa on stations, atleast my station, and that says to me this one is good to stay put. Even the least rich person can afford a tv that afford a sdtv, which gets a digital signal but displays in 4:3 format. A sdtv at walmart runs 100 dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillMontu Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 The only reason you would need to get a converter box would be if you still use rabbit ears. If you have cable or satellite, your existing service will, continue, though your cable service may start scaling back on analog channels so that you would have to get a digital box anyway if you want to continue to get decent channels. The cable company here includes HD service with standard digital cable, so I took advantage of it and hooked up my 22" PC display to watch 720p HD broadcasts (I can't afford to buy a 1080 display at the moment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 My local cable company is offering hd, but I only have a hd ready tv. I watched 1080i at my grandparents today and loved it. And I addressed the needs for a converter box in my first post. I watched cable hdtv at my friends house. Loved Discovery channel hd and a few others I seen, just can't bring myself to pay close to 70 dollars or more for cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Correct me if I'm wrong... but its more of "digital is coming" rather than "HDTV is coming"... correct? As in the relation between a square and a rectangle... HDTV is Digital but Digital doesn't necessarily mean HD. Correct? I just think the title is misleading much like the whole situation is. They are making a much bigger deal out of it than it needs to be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 ^Correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 ^You are 100% correct, Joe. It's a digital switch over, not to HDTV. This is only something to worry about if you only watch TV over the air. The lack of actual useful information from some parties on this topic is astounding. As always, I recommend visiting the AVS Forum for any TV-related topic, as it's populated by television and video professionals that track these and other important broadcasting news stories: AVS Forum dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 I edited the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenA07 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 What I'm really wondering is how long before HDTV is the standard? It will happen, it already is, but I think it still has a ways to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebl Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 We're getting Verizon FiOS TV to replace our Time Warner cable. We'll be ready. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exit english Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 ^ Lucky you. I have no other option but Time Warner, and I hate them. -Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaylightDies Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Yes i am, DirecTV and a 50'' Panny plasma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 What I'm really wondering is how long before HDTV is the standard? It will happen, it already is, but I think it still has a ways to go. I personally don't know, but at my station, we already broadcast a true 1080i signal in full strength. The other two stations have a low power transmitter with no hd. As for standard, when the FCC mandates it. That is why the original transition date for this was 2001, but got pushed back to 2004, I think and finally, this date. I figure when we go full digital, we will be broadcasting either the full hdtv signal or a 1080i signal and a sd signal. I honestly don't know what my station is planning on doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenaline_Rush Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I think this date if safe this time. With the wide availablity of HDTV's and the 40 dollar converter box credit the gov't is giving away. I think this one will stay. Also, the gov't is running a psa on stations, atleast my station, and that says to me this one is good to stay put. Even the least rich person can afford a tv that afford a sdtv, which gets a digital signal but displays in 4:3 format. A sdtv at walmart runs 100 dollars. That is so not true dude, the least rich person couldnt afford a thing, my family cant afford this fancy shmancy dog garn hollibee woobidy flabnabbit junk even if we wanted to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primogen18 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 People who aren't hooked on TV most of the day and get really good signals still watch analog TV. I couldn't go back to analog but I know a few friends living on their own who could care less because they download what they want from the net or own what they want on DVD. I agree though they are making this seem like more then it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 OK, I have to admit I am confused as to what will not work come a year from now (give or take). Right now, I have cable, but not digital cable, will i need to upgrade? Why haven't I already upgraded? I don't have a HDTV, and the extra channels I'd get from teh switch to digital just are not worth the added cost. Granted I'd love BBCamerica, but really that's the only new channel I'd watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillMontu Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 ^ You will only need a converter box if you still use rabbit ears. Your cable service will continue as it has been Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 My area in South England will be switching off the old signal and switching over to Digital signal in 2012. I have "Freeview" and "Sky" digital tv, but not HD TV. I leave HD things to PS3 and 360. I have heard that UK Digital channels can display up to 1080i and not "true" HD 1080P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 From my understanding, 720p is somewhat smaller at origination than 1080i, but tv's will stretch 720p to make it fill up the screen. From my understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunder001 Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Australia was meant to be switching to Digital Free to Air service this year, but they have put it back to 2012 to allow for more homes to be ready. The reason is due to the government wanting about 80% of homes to have a Digital Set Top converter, but will all the LCD and Plasma screens now having a DST converter built in, there should be no need of the STB soon. At least all the pay channels here are already digital signal....should suit the 42" Plasma we are getting soon....I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Funny thing about the tv's. There is two types. HD Ready and HD Capable. HD ready means the tuner is built in. HD capable means a external tuner is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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