[mythtv-users] The end of analog - Digital Converter Vaporware?

[Brian Wood]

Curtis Porter wrote:
> On Fri, 2008-01-25 at 16:49 -0700, Brian Wood wrote:
>> Kevin Bailey wrote:
>>> On Thu, Jan 24, 2008 at 09:16:40AM -0700, Brian Wood wrote:
>>>>> Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't digital channels 7-13
>>>                                         ^^^^^^^
>>>>> going to move back to hi-VHF next Feb ? So are these going
>>>>> to become bricks then ?
>>>> Channels 7-13 ARE High-band VHF (174-216 Mhz.)
>>> DIGITAL channels 7-13. My channels.conf file says that
>>> channel 7 is at 707MHz.
>> A channel frequency is a channel frequency, digital or analog.
> 
> In my area, the TV station that broadcasts on channel 7 (174-180 MHz) in
> analog is also broadcasting a digital signal on channel 42 (638-644
> MHz).  Next February the analog VHF channel will stop broadcasting
> altogether, and the digital broadcast on channel 42 will continue.  That
> frees up the VHF bandwidth to be auctioned, which is one of the driving
> reasons behind the whole analog -> digital conversion in the first
> place.

I guess I didn't make my point clear. I'm complaining about the 
broadcasters using their VHF channel number to identify their UHF 
digital channel.

There might be some merit in the practice, probably many, if not most 
viewers identify a station by channel number, and they want to keep that 
"goodwill".

But it can make it difficult to find the UHF digital channel, as who 
would think to look for "channel 5" (for example) on channel 51 or 37?

Add to that the fact that cable systems often move stations to a 
different channel than their off-air assignments and you can understand 
viewer confusion.

I guess the problem is that viewers identify TV stations by channel 
number, though they usually identify radio stations by call-sign, except 
where the radio stations use "cutsey" names like "Q" and "Z", which have 
nothing to do with their call-signs.

beww