When the UHF Band was opened in the early 1950's the cost of a Television with a UHF tuner was outrageously expensive when compared to a TV with VHF only. Many of the first UHF Stations that went on the air went out of business because not enough consumers purchased TV Sets with UHF tuners. The Feds finally fixed the problem when they made it mandatory that all TV Sets sold after a certain date include a UHF Tuner.
The Feds and the FCC knew there would be a problem with the transition to DTV and failed to mandate that all TV Sets include ATSC Tuners as well as NTSC Tuners shortly after the transition to digital was scheduled. This is another example of Government malfeasance and incompetence. American Taxpayers are paying the price for this failure to plan for a smooth transition to digital service.
There may have been a sinister motive for not mandating inclusion of ATSC tuners in all TV Sets. During early tests of DTV testers observed that the digital signal did not produce the same results as an analog signal. When an NTSC signal fades the picture gets snowy. When an ATSC signal fades below a certain level the picture goes black like a satellite signal during rain fade.
I at one time lived in an area in the fringe area of New York City. At that location while I was able to receive VHF Signals I could not receive UHF Signals. Many homeowners that do not have cable or satellite service will loose access to over the air television permanently once the transition is completed.
The Feds and the FCC knew there would be a problem with the transition to DTV and failed to mandate that all TV Sets include ATSC Tuners as well as NTSC Tuners shortly after the transition to digital was scheduled.
The schedule and mandate that I was referring to was established in April of 1997 and set the dates for the transition from NTSC to ATSC. I would think that the phase in of televisions with ATSC Tuners should have began by January of 1998 or at the latest January of 1999.
I at one time lived in an area in the fringe area of New York City. At that location while I was able to receive VHF Signals I could not receive UHF Signals. Many homeowners that do not have cable or satellite service will loose access to over the air television permanently once the transition is completed.
So true. Same thing when analog cellphone service was shut down 2 months ago.
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When the UHF Band was opened in the early 1950's the cost of a Television with a UHF tuner was outrageously expensive when compared to a TV with VHF only. Many of the first UHF Stations that went on the air went out of business because not enough consumers purchased TV Sets with UHF tuners. The Feds finally fixed the problem when they made it mandatory that all TV Sets sold after a certain date include a UHF Tuner.