Nitromater
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New TV requirements???
- Thread starter Alan
- Start date
Kati
Nitro Member
Here ya go....should tell ya everything you need to know!
ALL-DIGITAL TELEVISION IS COMING (AND SOONER THAN YOU THINK!)
ALL-DIGITAL TELEVISION IS COMING (AND SOONER THAN YOU THINK!)
My Mother and sister got a digital converter for $1 more a month! Only deal is it only works on one TV, if you want a DVR that's another $30 a month.
Jenn
Nitro Member
They told me I had to upgrade my plan and then buy a box for every TV. I pay 55 a month right now and they said the new monthly charge would be 75 to 85 depending on if I wanted to buy the box or lease it.
willy
Nitro Member
From the link Jackee provided:
Q: Is it true if I subscribe to cable or satellite TV service, I can continue using that hand-me-down TV set from a few decades ago after the switchover?
A: That's right. Because if you're not even using your TV set's over-the-air tuner, there's no problem. You'll continue to receive all the channels you'd expect--including local broadcast offerings, assuming the service carried them in the first place and will continue to do so--without any need to buy new equipment. And naturally, those who receive Internet Protocol or IPTV--that is, channels shuttled over the Internet--through telephone carriers like AT&T and Verizon, won't have to make any changes either.
There's a lot of hoopla over a non-issue.
Q: Is it true if I subscribe to cable or satellite TV service, I can continue using that hand-me-down TV set from a few decades ago after the switchover?
A: That's right. Because if you're not even using your TV set's over-the-air tuner, there's no problem. You'll continue to receive all the channels you'd expect--including local broadcast offerings, assuming the service carried them in the first place and will continue to do so--without any need to buy new equipment. And naturally, those who receive Internet Protocol or IPTV--that is, channels shuttled over the Internet--through telephone carriers like AT&T and Verizon, won't have to make any changes either.
There's a lot of hoopla over a non-issue.
About the only pain I'll feel is if I try to receive over-the-air signals in my motorhome, either I'll have to replace the TV (hard to do since it's built-in) or buy a digital interface for the "batwing" antenna (expensive, only feeds one TV set). Or buy the network channels from DirecTV (probably the cheapest alternative).
ProStockJunkie
Nitro Member
Thanks for picking up on that one David.
I guess, as will everything else, we'll see what happens once the change takes place. My TV is pretty old.... could have to replace it anyway sooner rather then later. Of course, I'd prefer later.
I don't know if the cable systems will change to all-digital, but I would expect them to do so since they can get more channels in the same bandwidth. In any event, the cable box will undoubtedly have an analog output to feed the older sets. Since the box does all the tuning and conversion, you won't need a new set - but you won't get the picture quality of a digital set and you won't get the full picture on stuff that's in the wider formats.
The digital choices are very confusing - and "digital" doesn't necessarily mean it's "High-Definition," either. HD receivers are digital receivers, but the reverse isn't always the case. There are even digital receivers that are wide format, but not HD. The only way to tell is by the list of formats the receiver can display, so do your research before you go shopping for a new TV. Fortunately, the prices of the full-featured HD receivers keeps dropping, so the low-end stuff keeps getting better and you are less likely to be talked into buying a digital receiver that has limited or no HD capability.
The digital choices are very confusing - and "digital" doesn't necessarily mean it's "High-Definition," either. HD receivers are digital receivers, but the reverse isn't always the case. There are even digital receivers that are wide format, but not HD. The only way to tell is by the list of formats the receiver can display, so do your research before you go shopping for a new TV. Fortunately, the prices of the full-featured HD receivers keeps dropping, so the low-end stuff keeps getting better and you are less likely to be talked into buying a digital receiver that has limited or no HD capability.
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
The ONLY people this "format upgrade" will affect are people who still use rabbit-ears to watch TV, that is to say those people that do not have a satellite or cable provider.
The FCC is requiring all OVER-THE-AIR broadcast networks to switch their broadcast signal to be a digital signal, rather than the current analog signal to recover then lease out that spectrum for privatized use. Once that switch occurs, your rabbit ears will no longer receive the signal for display on your TV. At that point you can sign-up for cable or satellite and CONTINUE TO USE YOUR EXISTING TV as the cable/satellite box will handle the digital-analog conversion or purchase a digital converter box or purchase a TV with a digital tuner built in.
There are some crybabies out there whining that they will have to spend some money to watch the same thing they have been receiving for free, but I have no sympathy for those people that are living in the stone age with TVs that were obsoleted long ago. It is like the people that won't spend $10 to buy a touch-tone phone and persist in using rotary dial. YOU ARE OBSOLETE AND YOU ARE HOLDING THE REST OF US BACK. STOP WHINING.[/end rant]
In summation, if you are a cable or satellite subscriber, this format upgrade will be 100% invisible to you, your bill will not go up, there will be no additional equipment for you to buy.
The FCC is requiring all OVER-THE-AIR broadcast networks to switch their broadcast signal to be a digital signal, rather than the current analog signal to recover then lease out that spectrum for privatized use. Once that switch occurs, your rabbit ears will no longer receive the signal for display on your TV. At that point you can sign-up for cable or satellite and CONTINUE TO USE YOUR EXISTING TV as the cable/satellite box will handle the digital-analog conversion or purchase a digital converter box or purchase a TV with a digital tuner built in.
There are some crybabies out there whining that they will have to spend some money to watch the same thing they have been receiving for free, but I have no sympathy for those people that are living in the stone age with TVs that were obsoleted long ago. It is like the people that won't spend $10 to buy a touch-tone phone and persist in using rotary dial. YOU ARE OBSOLETE AND YOU ARE HOLDING THE REST OF US BACK. STOP WHINING.[/end rant]
In summation, if you are a cable or satellite subscriber, this format upgrade will be 100% invisible to you, your bill will not go up, there will be no additional equipment for you to buy.
Yeah, I like the part about "your cable bill won't go up." I''ll take the over on that one...
The cable systems are already complaining about the additional bandwidth they claim they will have to use to carry all the additional over-the-air local signals expected with an all-digital system. More channels equals more money. Of course, they conveniently overlook the fact that they can carry more digital channels in the same bandwidth they currently use for analog signals.
The cable systems are already complaining about the additional bandwidth they claim they will have to use to carry all the additional over-the-air local signals expected with an all-digital system. More channels equals more money. Of course, they conveniently overlook the fact that they can carry more digital channels in the same bandwidth they currently use for analog signals.
"Dr. Dirt"
Nitro Member
Ditto here Chris. Very well explained except I'm sorry to say that Dish Network will be going up in price if only for the reason that I'm a multiple subscriber. It's just my luck.
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I was an RF Engineer for Cox Communications for 10 years in Las Vegas until April of this year. In Las Vegas (and I imagine other Cox markets), we were already carrying the standard broadcast analog, broadcast digital and HD channels. You would of course need a digital box to get the digital channels and/or an HD box to get the HD channels, but those would be the only attendant charges. If you are a basic cable subscriber, there are absolutely no additional charges nor is any additional equipment required. When the broadcasters shut off the analog broadcast signal, cable providers will downgrade the digital signal for broadcast over existing cable plant. In Las Vegas, the channel lineup will not even change. As I stated previously, if you are a cable or satellite subscriber, the format upgrade will be 100% transparent AND YOUR BILL REMAIN AT ITS PRESENT LEVEL.
Now to address your last comment, we are years away from a 100% digital cable system. It will be a long time before cable operators shut off their basic package (which will be analog for a long time to come). I still don't think I have explained this well enough, I still think you folks are confusing the over-the-air digital format upgrade with your digital cable and/or HD packages. I can assure you they are mutually exclusive.
I can tell you this having been privy to some negotiations with channels, more channels is always going to equal more money on your bill, makes no difference if the channel is digital or analog. It has nothing to do with equipment upgrades or bandwidth. TV Networks are greedy. The NFL tried to get $2 per subscriber from Cox Communications for the NFL Network, which would have made it the second most expensive cable channel, and presently they only broadcast 8 NFL games per season!!! Cox withheld carrying NFL Network for a long time, until the NFL got realistic with their pricing so Cox would not have to raise their rates.
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