[mythtv-users] Obama Recommends Delay in Digital TV Switch

Allen Edwards allen.p.edwards at gmail.com
Mon Jan 12 01:56:32 UTC 2009


Anyone remember the conversion to metric?  All the gas stations around
here changed to metric then Nixon killed the whole thing and we are
now odd country out.  Terrible.

All TV stations have converted and are now transmitting two signals,
playing two electric bills, maintaining two of everything.  They
probably already have installers scheduled to make the switch.

As you may know, many but not all stations will switch their DTV
transmission to their analog frequency at the transition.

I can't speak for all stations, but for KQED in SF, they will actually
move their antenna down the tower and we will have a period of
reduced coverage as they work on the top of the tower and put up the
new antennas.  I assume this holds for all stations as has been
pointed out the workers can't work near live antennas.  Several months
after February, we should have much better coverage than we do now.

The entire DTV transition overall should save consumers money as many
people who could not get a watchable signal over the air can get a
perfect signal now.  At the same time, the analog signals have gotten
worse and worse with increased levels of interference.  Around my
house, they have become unwatchable.  I have no idea why and have
switched to DTV with a HDHR so don't care, but it is interesting.

As an interesting historical note, the push to DTV was made by PBS and
FOX because they were late to the game and had poor channel
assignments.  They wanted digital so that their signals would be of
high quality so they could compete.  The signal format, ATSC was
picked because it made the transition easier because ATSC can co-exist
with NTSC.  The other side wanted QAM, which could not co-exist with
NTSC.  Zenith won the format battle but lost the compression battle to
General Instruments who wanted MPEG.  In the end it is a very good
solution and works great.

In terms of converter boxes, there were plenty.  There are two
problems now that the max number have been given out.  They can give
more out, but only after some they have given out expire.  Tons expire
every week so many people on the waiting list will get theirs
eventually.  The other problem is that many people with cable got
boxes because of ignorance of what they needed.  They allocated enough
coupons for everyone who gets their TV OTA could get 2 coupons.

IMHO, this should be fixed by estimating the number of outstanding
coupons that will expire and issuing more now.

Suggesting changing the plans for this transition is the first really
stupid thing I have seen Obama do.  I hope it doesn't happen.

Write your congressmen.

Allen


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