Dtv

[jer446]

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone could clear up some questions I have.

In 2009, all stations will be required to broadcast a digital signal. I know older tv's will need a converter box if they receive over the air broadcasting.

What I am confused about is whether the old tubes that are hooked up through cable, without any sort of cable or satellite box, will those sets need the converter box? I know sets with the antennas will need them, but most people who do not have cable boxes go straight from the wall with coax. Do all those older tv's need these converter boxes?

I read the government's website on this, just thought some of you could clarify.

Additionally, which companies are going to make the boxes? I know LG will. Is that the one the government will be giving out $40 rebates for?

 

[LethalWolfe]

If you use satellite or cable you don't need to worry about a converter box 'cause you aren't receiving OTA signals, and I'm not sure which boxes the $40 voucher will be valid for.


Lethal

 

[JNB]

A year & a half ago (August '06), cable and/or satellite accounted for 88% of US households (29% sat, 58% cable, 1% both). I'm sure that all of those numbers are up since then, likely over 90% total by now. Of the cable, 41% represented digital (leaving 17% analog cable), but the conversion of those will likely be a minor issue.

Source: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/cable_satellite.html

 

[MisterMe]

...

In 2009, all stations will be required to broadcast a digital signal. I know older tv's will need a converter box if they receive over the air broadcasting.

What I am confused about is whether the old tubes that are hooked up through cable, without any sort of cable or satellite box, will those sets need the converter box? I know sets with the antennas will need them, but most people who do not have cable boxes go straight from the wall with coax. Do all those older tv's need these converter boxes?

...

Every news report covering this issue has been abundantly clear. Cable customers do not need the "converters" because the cable companies will take care of the "conversion." Furthermore, cable companies are required to provide analog signals to their customers until 2012.

IMHO, the need for "conversion" boxes is B.S. First off, they are not converter boxes, they are digital tuners. I paid something like $400 for one back in 2004, but I gave it away less than a year later. A year ago, I went to several national chains and local consumer electronic stores to buy a replacement for the tuner that I had given away. Not a single store carried them because "all HDTVs have built-in tuners." T

Today, you can buy a brand new digital set at the same price as many analog sets back in 2004. Many people are doing just that. My advice to you is to join the crowd. DTV sets are so much better than the analog sets that preceded them that you will wonder what took you so long. Features, picture quality, everything is better. If you get your TV exclusively over the air, then there is programming available in digital form that is not available in analog form.

 

[HDproducer]

I disagree with your idea of just go get a digital TV just to join the crowd. I have a Sony CRT that blows the doors off just about any HDTV when it comes to SD programming. I wish I could just go out and buy a new TV just because everyone else does.

As far as the digital conversion question, what news casts? Just because it seems clear to you, it is not clear to many people.

I have an HDTV at home with DirecTV so I know I am covered. At work I have the Sony CRT with Time Warner Cable. The cable comes straight into the TV and I get all the analog channels, but I would need the set top box to get the digital channels. This I can rent for $4.95 month. Before I had DirecTV I had one TV with the cable box so we could get the premium channels and two other TVs without boxes. I think the OP's question is: with the switch to all digital, would those TVs still work? My understanding, but I don't know for sure, is that is where the digital converter box would come in.

 

[LethalWolfe]

IMHO, the need for "conversion" boxes is B.S. First off, they are not converter boxes, they are digital tuners.

The box takes a digital signal and converts it into an analog one. It's a converter box.

Today, you can buy a brand new digital set at the same price as many analog sets back in 2004. Many people are doing just that. My advice to you is to join the crowd. DTV sets are so much better than the analog sets that preceded them that you will wonder what took you so long. Features, picture quality, everything is better. If you get your TV exclusively over the air, then there is programming available in digital form that is not available in analog form.

If your budget doesn't allow for cable or satellite I really doubt it allows for a brand new TV when you can keep using your current TV w/the purchase of a converter box.


Lethal

 

[MisterMe]

I disagree with your idea of just go get a digital TV just to join the crowd.

If you had read my previous post, then you should know that my point is completely different. Buy a DTV to get a far superior piece of hardware. These sets have features that will not be provided by "converters."

... The cable comes straight into the TV and I get all the analog channels, but I would need the set top box to get the digital channels. ...

It is my understanding that this will not work. Over-the-air DTV uses the ATSC standard. Cable providers use the QAM standard to distribute digital signals. Many DTVs have built-in QAM tuners, but many others do not. I have DTV sets on both sides of this divide. Because the "converters" are intended for over-the-air viewing, it is unlikely that they will feature QAM tuners.

 

[HDproducer]

I did not think that you meant to get a TV just to join the crowd. That was a typo and should have been "to just join the crowd" I simply disagree with your advice "to join the crowd"

LethalWolfe stated it better than I did. If you cant afford cable, you probably can't a a new Digital TV. (I do have a very good friend with an HD set and an antenna on his roof, so for some it is by choice and not economics)

I think the confusion is coming from the older Digital TVs without tuners that required a tuner in order to get over the air digital signals on a digital TV. The OP is asking about digital signals for an analogue TV.

Thanks for your input on the cable tv question. That is how I understand it as well. So only the newer TVs with built in QAM tuners will work without some sort of box. (But not to worry until 2012) But it would be a different converter box than the over the air signal.

I saw this article today that might help.

http://tech.msn.com/guides/ces/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5956295

 

[bimmzy]

Going digital (terrestrial) is no big deal.

In Europe the change-over is storming ahead, and in parts of the UK the PAL analogue signal has been turned off already.

I'm sure there'll be loads of digi-boxes that will be available to you soon, and the pricing of the cheapest boxes will come in at about $40 i suspect.

The issue is whether the pictures are actually better.