tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Floral Park, NY
| Should I buy a digital tv?
I still have an analogue traditional standard definition tv.
Should I buy a digital tv? I plan on keeping it until it dies. then get a digital one.
The OBVIOUS thing is you wouldn't buy an analogue tv above 13 inches. They will be soon discontinued so the only tv's that will be left in the market MUST at a minimum be DIGITAL, ANALOGUE hybrids, capable of DIGITAL tv signal conversion under the ASTC label.. what would have helped the consumer is some better EDUCATION with a "ATSC" Digital television logo. |
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Boricua65
join:2002-01-26
Puerto Rico | I'm keeping mine, I don't care what they say. |
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93254336
Weapons Of Masturbation
Premium
join:2001-10-20
| My prediction
As the analog TV drop-dead date approaches, I bet people will start whining to their Congresscritters, ultimately resulting in the date getting pushed further into the future. Just wait and see...
- Dan
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"That which does not kill us makes us stranger."
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benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL | reply to tmc8080
Re: Should I buy a digital tv?
Can you just buy an adapter, so you can connect digital to analog?
So you wouldn't get HD, but you can still use the TV for awhile longer. |
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Cjaiceman
Premium,MVM
join:2004-10-12
Parker, CO
 ·Comcast Workplace
·Comcast
| reply to 93254336
Re: My prediction
I hope not, that would suck. Digital TV is the way to go. I hope that everyone knows that this ONLY applies to Broadcast Over-The-Air tv signals, not cable or satellite. If you have analog cable you are fine for a little longer till the cable providers no longer have to provide analog TV.
Personally I am ALL for digital TV. When the cable operators can regain all the lost bandwidth on analog TV they can provide more HD channels, more SD channels and more internet bandwidth, but we have to rid ourselves of this 50+ year old technology.
As far as Over-The-Air going to all digital, this will also allow for more broadcast channels for those who do not subscribe to cable or satellite. I feel this is also a good thing. |
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MooJohn
join:2005-12-18
Milledgeville, GA
 ·Windstream
| 100% FUD
They're wasting their time on the whole issue. Hardly anyone watches over-the-air television and that's the only market that will see any difference with the end of the analog spectrum. Those that watch HD over the air already have the new equipment.
99.9% of TV viewers will still get the same signal over the same cable or dish they've been using and they'll notice no difference whatsoever. They'll be piping an external source through the TV's video in (RCA/composite/S-Video), or at worst, re-modulated to channel 3 or 4, so why do they care how the signal is leaving the TV station?
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John M - Cranky network guy |
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N3OGH
Bear patrol must be working like a charm
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs | Pretty much.
Just about every one I know has cable or a dish.
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Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power… |
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russotto
join:2000-10-05
Collegeville, PA | reply to Cjaiceman
Re: My prediction
More like "more religious channels, more home shopping channels, and more government-access channels". |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
·CableOne
| Why are people freaking out?
What is the big deal about analog televisions? Ninety-nine percent of TV-watching people in this country get their TV from Cable, IPTV, or Satellite, all of which have converter boxes with ANALOG outputs on them. The ONLY people that will be affected by the killing of NTSC OTA broadcasts are the 1% of the TV-watching population that still pick up their TV with bunny ears, and that can be fixed with one of these bad boys.
For the sake of argument, let's assume that this $209 27" analog tube TV does not have a digital tuner. That $209 TV plus the $80 tuner I referenced above comes to $289.
On the contrary, the cheapest 26" LCD TV on Walmart.com is this bad boy for $448.
So it's not like anyone would get ripped off by buying a TV withOUT an ATSC tuner in it; they'd essentially be getting the picture quality they paid for (standard definition for $289, as opposed to high definition for $448), with possibly the inconvenience of having to make another trip to town to buy a separate ATSC tuner box because the jack-ass at Walmart was too ignorant to tell the customer that they would need the tuner box to use their precious bunny ears, because hey, after blowing $209, they just couldn't afford basic cable or the $29.99 DirecTV package.
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There comes a point in your life when you get tired of fixing everything and wiping everyone's ass. But it’s not giving up. It’s realizing that you don’t need certain people and the bullshit and drama they bring to your life. |
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB | reply to Cjaiceman
Re: My prediction
Over-the-air digital TV? Never heard of it. Guess I have to read up on it.
Is it just like over-the-air analog where you can receive free channels with an antenna but instead the information is digital? |
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NJxxxJon
something good. or your mom.
Premium
join:2005-10-22
00000
| so FOR BASIC basic cable
So for basic cable like my basic self going to live in my own basic apartment in a few years. (post 2009) Ill need a magic box to pick up signal. Hmm....whats this magic box going to run in price?? ?
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\\"I don't have a girlfriend, I just know a girl that would get mad if I said that." \\Mitch Hedberg |
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sansri88
Go digtal you analog laggards
Premium
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY
clubs:  | No, basic cable is not affected by the switchover. Only OTA analog signals (aka bunny-ear antennas) are affected.
It's up to your cable provider when they dump all the analog signals. |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
·CableOne
| reply to Cjaiceman
Re: My prediction
said by Cjaiceman  :I hope that everyone knows that this ONLY applies to Broadcast Over-The-Air tv signals, not cable or satellite. If you have analog cable you are fine for a little longer till the cable providers no longer have to provide analog TV. Actually, that statement is somewhat misleading. If cable companies stop providing analog cable and force you to switch to digital cable, the only way to provide you with digital cable is to give you a digital cable converter which has - you guess it - analog outputs on it. Thus, as long as you have cable or satellite (and I assume IPTV, although I have never seen any IPTV equipment), your analog TV will continue to work just fine for years to come.
It is statements like this that are causing the mass hysteria over the analog to digital OTA change. People are freaking out claiming "OMG, NO analog TV's will work at all period ever again after xx date in 200X!!" Like there is some magic switch that the FCC is gonna throw that will kill all tube TVs.
The truth is, the FCC is banning all OTA NTSC broadcasts. Nothing more. They aren't making any changes to cable or satellite, ONLY the signals that go over the air that are pick up by an antenna. So as I said below, the only people that this change will affect are the 1% (or less) of TV watchers that get their TV from bunny ears.
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There comes a point in your life when you get tired of fixing everything and wiping everyone's ass. But it’s not giving up. It’s realizing that you don’t need certain people and the bullshit and drama they bring to your life. |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
·CableOne
| reply to TheMG
Yes, and your TV (or other reception equipment) must have a digital tuner to receive the channels. |
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NJxxxJon
something good. or your mom.
Premium
join:2005-10-22
00000
| reply to sansri88
Re: so FOR BASIC basic cable
said by sansri88 :No, basic cable is not affected by the switchover. Only OTA analog signals (aka bunny-ear antennas) are affected. It's up to your cable provider when they dump all the analog signals.  Thanks for explaining!. Its frickin hard to pick up free singals anymore so screw that then - Just want basic cable thats all.
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\\"I don't have a girlfriend, I just know a girl that would get mad if I said that." \\Mitch Hedberg |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03 | reply to MooJohn
Re: 100% FUD
Thank you, MooJohn. I though I was the only person immune to the "OMG, My analog TV is going to DIE!" FUD. |
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PolarBear
The bear formerly known as aaron8301
Premium
join:2005-01-03
·CableOne
| reply to NJxxxJon
Re: so FOR BASIC basic cable
Why is it so hard for people to see that OTA, CABLE, and SATELLITE are three very different sources of television?
For the umpteenth time, this change in no way affects ANY cable or satellite transmissions. This ONLY effects signals picked up by your TV VIA ANTENNA.
This is like if the NHTSA said that all mopeds were deemed too unsafe to operate on public roads, and everyone in full-size pickup trucks freaked out claiming "OMG, I can't drive my truck anymore, it's NOT SAFE!!!" |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to TheMG
Re: My prediction
said by TheMG :Over-the-air digital TV? Never heard of it. Guess I have to read up on it. Is it just like over-the-air analog where you can receive free channels with an antenna but instead the information is digital? Yes except the picture is BETTER. Either you get it clear or not at all. No more snowflakyness. |
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xirian
Premium
join:2003-01-26
Beacon, NY | Digital TV != LCD
I see lots of people thinking this means they have to get an LCD TV. This has nothing to do with the tv type, just the tuner You can still get a tube tv, just get one with a digital tuner. |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to PolarBear
Re: My prediction
Which the government is going to give you a $40 coupon for. |
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