racer601
join:2008-06-13
| Your battery-powered TV won't survive digital conversion
Portable analog TVs fading to black
Barry Spadoni first bought a battery-powered TV after the Northridge earthquake in 1994, when his home in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley was without electricity for 10 days.
He later upgraded to a color model to stay on top of news during power outages — and follow local college football games from high in the stands.
“Having that little TV stuck in the drawer, where you just have to put in batteries ... that’s very important if it’s a prolonged outage,” said Spadoni, a Wachovia financial adviser.
[b[But come February, Spadoni’s hand-held TV and the millions of others in U.S. homes will face their own permanent outage.[/b]
Almost all the battery-powered televisions stashed in drawers, closets and garages in case of emergency will be rendered useless when broadcasters switch to digital-only signals. And right now there aren’t many options for replacing them.
Congress has mandated that all broadcast TV stations transmit only in digital beginning Feb. 18, making old analog sets obsolete. The federal government is offering each household two $40 coupons to buy converter boxes so those sets can pick up the new signals.
But nobody manufactures a battery-powered converter box. And the few battery-powered digital TV models on the market start at about $200 — a costly option for replacing portable sets that have become relatively inexpensive in recent years.
One less information outlet
The loss of all those analog portable TVs removes an important way to communicate with the public during an emergency, said Keith ==================================
»www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/tec···936.html |
|
Bink63
Cubs NL Central Division Champs
Premium
join:2002-10-06
Everywhere
| Not quite true.
I have 2 CECBs (Digital to Analog TV converters) that accept 9v DC input and my handheld Casio color LCDs work just fine with them.
They are the Venturer STB7766G, available at Target.
--
»www.otadigitaltv.com
Frank Shoemaker would call this noise |
|
dadkins
Land of Confusion
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
 ·Comcast
| reply to racer601
I have 2 latops with NTSC(analog) tuners... BUT, I also have a ATSC(digital & OTA HD) USB tuner that will work on any PC.
I'm ok... aside from being in a valley. 
Thanks racer!
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera |
|
Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to racer601
i wonder since many broadcasters keep old hardware around, if in a dire emergency would the FCC fine them if they fired up their analog transmitters?
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
|
Straphanger
Express is Back
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-08
Jackson Heights, NY
clubs: | I doubt they'll mothball their analog hardware for too long. It's probably too expensive to keep it around in working condition.
--
Please use all available doors...you have 33 to choose from. |
|
Bink63
Cubs NL Central Division Champs
Premium
join:2002-10-06
Everywhere
| said by Straphanger  :I doubt they'll mothball their analog hardware for too long. It's probably too expensive to keep it around in working condition. There won't be a secondary market for NTSC-standard equipment, other than the scrap value.
--
»www.otadigitaltv.com
Frank Shoemaker would call this noise |
|
racer601
join:2008-06-13 | There won't be a secondary market for NTSC-standard equipment, other than the scrap value.
or to overseas-out of FCC control area. broadcasters |
|
Bink63
Cubs NL Central Division Champs
Premium
join:2002-10-06
Everywhere
| said by racer601 :There won't be a secondary market for NTSC-standard equipment, other than the scrap value. or to overseas-out of FCC control area. broadcasters Name another country that uses *US* NTSC as their broadcast standard?
--
»www.otadigitaltv.com
Frank Shoemaker would call this noise |
|
b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA
·Comcast Formerly ..
edit:
July 14th, @11:43AM
| said by Bink63 :Name another country that uses *US* NTSC as their broadcast standard? Canada and Mexico right off the top of my head 
EDIT: Here's more  »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTSC
Countries and territories using NTSC
North America
* Canada, NTSC broadcast to be abandoned by August 2011, simulcast in ATSC
* Mexico, NTSC broadcast to be abandoned by 2022, simulcast in ATSC
* United States, NTSC broadcast to be abandoned in February 2009, simulcast in ATSC
Central America and the Caribbean
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Aruba
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Bermuda
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Grenada
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Leeward Islands
* Montserrat
* Netherlands Antilles
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Puerto Rico (U.S.)
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Trinidad and Tobago
* U.S. Virgin Islands
South America
* Bolivia
* Chile
* Haiti
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Paraguay (until 2006 Paraguay used PAL)
* Peru
* Suriname
* Venezuela
Asia
* Japan
* Philippines
* South Korea
* Republic of China (Taiwan)
* Burma Union of Myanmar (Burma)
* North Korea (Propaganda station aimed at South Korea; domestic broadcasts use PAL)
Pacific
US Territories
* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Midway Atoll (a US military base)
Other Pacific island nations
* Marshall Islands (in Compact of Free Association with US; US aid funded NTSC adoption)
* Micronesia (in Compact of Free Association with US)
* Palau (in Compact of Free Association with US; adopted NTSC before independence)
* Samoa (closely tied to American Samoa; US aid funded NTSC adoption)
* Tonga (US aid funded NTSC adoption) |
|
Bink63
Cubs NL Central Division Champs
Premium
join:2002-10-06
Everywhere
| LOL
Yep, I shot from the lip on that one.
Basically, The Americas, Micronesia and Yemen.
Off for more coffee!
--
»www.otadigitaltv.com
Frank Shoemaker would call this noise |
|
wings10
I Am Legend
Premium
join:2004-06-09
South Elgin, IL
clubs: | reply to racer601
I guess it's time to buy a radio for those power outages. |
|
Boogeyman
Drive it like you stole it
Premium
join:2002-12-17
Huntsville, AL
·Comcast
| That was my thought too. Why use a portable tv for news in an emergency? The tv would need more batteries to stay on than a radio would, so if your power is out for days, you'll have to keep switching batteries in the tv, while the radio is still going strong.
And do you really need to see the talking heads in an emergency?
It sounds to me more like its a "Waaaa, my power is out and I'm bored, I want to watch tv, waaa" kind of thing than an actual issue.
--
Im Your Boogeyman, Thats What I Am |
|
Bink63
Cubs NL Central Division Champs
Premium
join:2002-10-06
Everywhere
| said by Boogeyman :That was my thought too. Why use a portable tv for news in an emergency? The tv would need more batteries to stay on than a radio would, so if your power is out for days, you'll have to keep switching batteries in the tv, while the radio is still going strong. And do you really need to see the talking heads in an emergency? It sounds to me more like its a "Waaaa, my power is out and I'm bored, I want to watch tv, waaa" kind of thing than an actual issue. Living in the Midwest, I'm more concerned with keeping an eye on the weather radar. Storms pop up sudden-like around here.
--
»www.otadigitaltv.com
Frank Shoemaker would call this noise |
|
Boogeyman
Drive it like you stole it
Premium
join:2002-12-17
Huntsville, AL
·Comcast
| Ahh, thats something I didnt think of.
I think an easy fix would be to allow the use of analog for the Emergency Broadcast System, NOAA, etc.
I dont know about the midwest, but here in Panama City, we get much faster reports over the radio about tornado touchdowns and direction of travel. Our tv stations normally dont report it untill the tornado has already messed something up.
--
Im Your Boogeyman, Thats What I Am |
|
JoelC707
join:2002-07-09
Tucson, AZ
clubs:
| reply to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd :i wonder since many broadcasters keep old hardware around, if in a dire emergency would the FCC fine them if they fired up their analog transmitters? Considering the FCC sold the frequencies they use I'd say yes the FCC will be very pissed off it the broadcasters were to fire up the old equipment. I don't think all of the frequencies were sold off but yes regardless, the FCC will not be happy. That said one of the blocks of frequencies was sold (or supposed to, I don't think it went anywhere) with the stipulation that it be released for emergency use if needed. |
|
Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to racer601
yea i figured they would be unhappy but in a Katrina like emergency i think information to the people matters more then Myspace on an Iphone v5
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
|
dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd :i wonder since many broadcasters keep old hardware around, if in a dire emergency would the FCC fine them if they fired up their analog transmitters? probably not but the cellphone companies would have a shit caniption over it since this is what going off analog is all about.
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee |
|
Da Man
join:2008-05-08
Hanover, PA | reply to racer601
Low power and translators stations can still use analog so it won't be completely useless. |
|
