[mythtv-users] US to postpone analog TV death

[Simon Hobson]

Allen Edwards wrote:
>If they got analog they can certainly get digital with the right
>antenna.  That antenna may cost more than they can afford, but I don't
>buy the argument that they are on the other side of the digital cliff
>unless they previously had a 50 foot mast with a high gain antenna on
>it.  Get a big antenna, a tall mast, and a low noise amplifier and
>then the only question is "how high".  Am I wrong?

You are wrong. My old grandmother used to get a lousy signal where 
she lived, in a deep (by our standards over in the UK !) river 
valley. The best signal was achieved by pointing the aerial at the 
cliff across the valley and picking up a reflection of the signal 
from the local fill-in which was over the hill behind the house.

She got a signal - just. Watching snooker (which she loved) was 
'interesting' as it was a) always snowing and b) there were about 6 
sets of balls on a table with about 6 sets of cushions ! I very much 
doubt that any usable terrestrial digital signal could be got there 
by practical means.

It is for situations like that that over here they've launched 
"freesat" which is to satellite what Freeview is to terrestrial - the 
"buy a box, pay no subscriptions, get digital telly" proposition. In 
reality, freesat doesn't add much that wasn't already there (many of 
the channels were already on satellite in the clear if you were tech 
savvy enough to find them), but it adds a brand, an EPG, and a set of 
standards - so you can buy a "freesat" branded box and know what you 
are getting.

>Telling them no TV is incorrect, imho.

I agree, but that's what you get when bean counters are in control. 
You can't really blame the TV companies though if it's something 
mandated by government.


-- 
Simon Hobson

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