Mactron
el camino Real
Premium
join:2001-12-16
CM94sv
| Gotta love them...
The Congress and the FCC can be proud they bungled this one completely. Here the local PBS is LPTV and a analog pass-through box is necessary. Thanks guys... 
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If only the Verizon CSRs worked this well.  |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA | Is there something prevent low power transmitters from converting to digital? |
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jlsamsel
join:2006-08-26
Stixville
| Ungood
Grandma and aunt bought their boxes last Saturday but the only digital station they are picking up (both live pretty close together) is PBS. Over analog, they can pick up 1 PBS, 1 CBS, 2 NBC, and 1 ABC, but when using the box: nada. And yeah, these stations are already broadcasting in digital.
Are there amps out there that may help bring it in? If they miss their weatherman, we'll be burying them come February.
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
| reply to openbox9
Re: Gotta love them...
said by openbox9  :Is there something prevent low power transmitters from converting to digital? Only the fact that most of these low power stations make no money at all and can't afford the new equipment.
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trparky
Bite My Shiny Metal Ass
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-24
Cleveland, OH
clubs: | If it ain't broke...
Fix it til' it is!
That should be the government motto, they seem to screw everything up.
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Tom |
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Packeteers
Premium
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY
1 edit | FCC's Pure FUD
All boxes have analog passthru already designed into them - their bios simply has that feature set on disable. so the "shortage" is artificially created by box makers who don't want to increase their overhead costs by BIOS reflashing all those boxes already manufactured and sealed in their packaging.
so the FCC is lying to consumers to buy the boxes anyway, to burn through the backlog of analog passthru disabled bios boxes, till fresh bios enabled boxes can come to market. It's kind of like being forced by your local 7-11 to buy the nearly expired milk, by hiding the fresh milk way in the back of the fridge. Only it's not some inept local store manager doing it, it's your own government doing it - to cover their own bureaucratic asses for telling the poor store manager to stock up on the wrong milk to begin with.
I was just in Radio Shack today where the manager admitted to me he expects to see analog passthru enabled versions of the exact same boxes he's already selling now, by mid to late July'09. He said very few people are informed about this analog passthru issue, so they are buying the boxes regardless.
Kudo's to KathrynV for finally reporting the issues on this subject correctly. |
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DataDoc
My avatar looks like me, if I was 2D.
Premium
join:2000-05-14
Greenville, NC | I'm on DirecTV with a 5 year old TiVo
I'll wait. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
 ·AT&T Southeast
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Gotta love them...
Money availability is an obvious limitation for even some of the full power transmitters. I remember reading several articles a couple of years ago about how some broadcasters couldn't afford the equipment upgrade costs. Outside of public supported broadcasters, what other types of broadcasters can afford frequency licensing fees, tower rental, and equipment purchase/maintenance costs if they aren't generating revenue? |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA | reply to DataDoc
Re: I'm on DirecTV with a 5 year old TiVo
Obviously you aren't affected unless you're watching locals OTA. |
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n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY
·Optimum Online
| reply to Mactron
Re: Gotta love them...
said by Mactron :The Congress and the FCC can be proud they bungled this one completely. Here the local PBS is LPTV and a analog pass-through box is necessary. Thanks guys... Granted it is not an ideal solution but an A/B switch works fine for me. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA | reply to trparky
Re: If it ain't broke...
What's screwed up besides the fact that this should have been done years ago? |
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ke4pym
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC
·Verizon BroadbandA..
 ·Packet8
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Gotta love them...
said by TKJunkMail :said by openbox9 :Is there something prevent low power transmitters from converting to digital? Only the fact that most of these low power stations make no money at all and can't afford the new equipment. Time also isn't on their side. Even if you had the cash right now, this weekend, you wouldn't get your transmitter converted to digital before the transition.
There's a HUGE lead time on antenna production (each antenna is custom made, 1 at a time). Never mind the crew availability to mount the thing on the tower (assuming the tower is strong and sound enough to support the addtional load of the antenna). If you've got to replace the tower that'll take even more time.
Don't forget you've got to get the transmitter made as well as getting the crews to install and test it and maintain it.
If you're not ready to flip the switch now, it is questionable to whether or not you'll make it by next Feb.
Most high power stations (if not all) should already have a partial digital signal at the very least. They'll be required in the next couple of months to ramp up to full power and provide the same foot print that their analog signal had. |
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Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO | ke4pym
They have known about this for years. So time should really not be an issue. It is a little like saying you are late with your taxes (IRS) becuase you did not have the time. We all know when taxes are due. |
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supergirl
join:2007-03-20
Pensacola, FL
·Cox VOIP
·Skype
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southeast
·magicjack.com
| reply to Packeteers
Re: FCC's Pure FUD
Yep, and the cable companies want to rip us off even more thanks to the FCC's stupidity.
I have this to say about cable and the FCC:
"YEs, THEY DESERVE TO DIE...AND I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL!" -Samuel L. Jackson (Dave Chappelle)
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkngwQmJybU
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Saving the world keeps me busy. However, I find Earth very primitive from my home planet of Krypton.
-Supergirl |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to jlsamsel
Re: Ungood
said by jlsamsel :Grandma and aunt bought their boxes last Saturday but the only digital station they are picking up (both live pretty close together) is PBS. Over analog, they can pick up 1 PBS, 1 CBS, 2 NBC, and 1 ABC, but when using the box: nada. And yeah, these stations are already broadcasting in digital. Are there amps out there that may help bring it in? If they miss their weatherman, we'll be burying them come February. Ok stations have thier digital signals on a secondary channel. Once their analog signal is shut off they will be moving their digital station to wher their analog station curently is. Thus granny will get all those stations. by law you must be able to get in what you get now. |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | reply to openbox9
Re: If it ain't broke...
The original cut of date was Dec 31 2006, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Old Farts protested and it got put back. |
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EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Gotta love them...
said by TKJunkMail :said by openbox9 :Is there something prevent low power transmitters from converting to digital? Only the fact that most of these low power stations make no money at all and can't afford the new equipment. We have a low power station here, WHDN-LD, which broadcasts entirely in digital and not in analog. I've never watched it, though, so I don't know what it carries (low-powers aren't on FiOS, and my OTA TVs are analog, and don't have any way to be upgraded) |
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EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA
| reply to BF69
Re: Ungood
Not necessarily. A lot of channels will keep their current digital channels, because the old channels are seen as unsuitable for DTV or are in the 700Mhz band that was sold off.
Some channels will be moving back, though- most likely to make a difference in terms of propagation are the high-VHF, channels 7-13. |
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alg
Just a shot away
Premium
join:2001-04-10
Houston, TX
clubs:
·Earthlink Cable Mo..
| Broadcasting power?
I remember seeing a page a couple of years ago that showed that the local digital channels were broadcasting at significantly lower wattage than their analog counterparts. With concerns about the all or nothing aspect of digital, are there plans to bump up the wattage next February or did those sites just have wrong info?
BTW I am already all digital.
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Put's and End's too english Abuse's!!! | It's vs. its' vs. its??? | I Give up's!!! |
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EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA | Initially most digital stations had to start out on lower power, and have gradually been granted the right to increase their power once any potential interference is cleared up. This should all be settled by February. |
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