DTV Screw Job

[Caretaker]

So, I come home from work today and what do I find????? My two local PBS stations have decided NOT to broadcast over cable lines (analog signal) to any TV that does not have a QAM tuner. What I thought was going to be a seamless transition, has now turned out to be a nut roll. My cable provider informed me (after being on hold for over 30 minutes) that it was the local PBS station's choice not to offer the signal to analog cable customers. I now have to go out an buy a new TV with a QAM tuner just to receive these two stations. My worthless cable provider then informed me that they (along with every other cable provider) would "soon" drop their analog signal over cable lines, forcing me to replace all of my TVs. They also did not rule out another program reshuffle. I have slowly been losing stations over the years with my limited basic cable service. I don't watch much TV. When I retire, I'll treat myself to satellite TV, but for now, I just want some basic channels. The price of limited basic (which is never offered nor advertised by cable companies) has steadily trickled upward, as my cable provider takes away stations one by one. The reason I am venting here is this: can any of you tell me how many stations you are receiving over the "air" with your DTV converter box and rabbit ears? I have heard that there are many more channels available to you over the digital airwaves via roof antenna or rabbit ears. I currently am only getting 16 channels of value via my limited basic cable. If a comperable amount of stations are coming in over the digital air, I would tell my cable company to kiss off and go and get government converter boxes for all my TVs and switch to rabbit ears. Can anyone let me know how many stations (especially new ones) you are experiencing with your DTV converter box with rabbit ears?

[scherry2]

I put a converter box on 1 t.v. and get1. ABC 2. ABC weather radar 3. CBS 4.CBS weather radar 5. NBC 6. NBC weather radar 7. CW 8. 4 or 5 PBS channels

[ColonelPanic]

DTV is working great for us. The transmitters are all on the hills behind us, 6 miles to the NW. It's given us enough variety to cut the cable (save for phone/internets.) There's still nothing on BUT at least we're not paying to have nothing on. Here's the stuff we get on our SDTV we have in the living room with an amplified set of rabbit ears (Philips, $36 at mal*wart.)- 1: NBC affiliate- 2: This (movie channel)- 3: Weather Plus- 4: ABC- 5: ABC Weather- 6-10: Kentucky Educational Television (PBS) - 11-16: Christian programming / music / stuff local to Southern Indiana - 17: CBS- 18: FOX- 19: My network TV- 20: Another PBS (essentially a duplicate of one of the above KET channels.)We have an analog TV in the bedroom with a Zenith converter box and it receives all of the above plus one more station that's further away (~20 mi southish) and nets another 6 channels: ION, QUBO, Ion Life, and the remainder various Christian programming. Why the big TV with the bult-in digital tuner and a better antenna won't pick those up, i have no clue. This channel currently broadcasts a looping bilingual informercial about the transition on their analog channel. The CW is still analog, long story but it amounts to their digital transmitter being too far away to be received in this area, even though the station serves this market. They operate a low power analog repeater here, that's still on. Caretaker, I'm sorry to hear about the PBS stations... I wouldn't know what to do without my PBS. Get a converter coupon and an antenna. We got a second converter box for $15 at Radio Crap the other day (after sale and DTV coupon.)

[jake75]

Time Warner in Columbus, OH is offering basic cable at $9.95 a month for a year - offer supposedly ends Sunday. A good idea to get people hooked. I have a good deal with WOW combining medium speed reliable internet and a medium tier cable service for $70 a month through Jan. 2011. It includes local HD feeds. (Our choices in my neighborhood are WOW or Insight - also now AT&T Uverse or whatever they call it - too high tech for me.)

[psiu]

Here in Detroit Metro area here's what we get OTA:Fox (HD & SD)NBC (HD + "This" movie channel)ABC (HD + "Retro" channel + weather)MyTV20 (HD & SD -- used to be a WB I think but now movies, reruns, syndicated stuff)Ch. 38 (2 SD channels, some Bible thumping and "urban" programming)CW (HD)PBS (HD, SD--though it is often 16x9 and looks good--also a separate set of shows, and "Create" channel.CBS (HD)We only had internet though Comcast here, this winter a salesman added basic (like the bottom 20 channels) to our package for a lower rate--I haven't plugged them in.

[Sublimewind]

Wow, you all have it good.... I'm in central Mi and I get a WHOPPING 3 digital channels, one of which is weak enough that my TV finds it, but won't display it... I get PBS and the Create channel... I want to say something here, but i'm not allowed under the swear rules..

[Blueridge9]

You can watch pbs online at http://www.pbs.org/video/Here in VirginiaI put a converter box on my 2 old t.v.s and get over the air (no cable box). Same thing for my parents a mile away.1. ABC2. ABC weather radar3. CBS4.CBS weather radar5. NBC6. NBC weather radar7. CW8. 3 solid PBS channels from our city. One of them is called MHZ and has international programming which can be interesting.9. 3 occasional PBS channels from a city further away but it breaks up when it's rainy or windy.10. FoxAnother tip: Lots of stuff to watch for free on the computer at YouTube or Hulu and we download "video on demand" movies from Amazon.Try it you'll like saving the money $$$ doing this instead of cable.

[psiu]

Agreed on the Hulu recommendation. You can find lots of TV to watch online for free (& legal).

[Caretaker]

Thanks, and agree. I was watching Adam-12 last night on Hulu. Two government converter boxes are on their way to the Delta Quadrant. It will be nice getting MHZ again. We haven't had that in two years since Cox decided to drop their station.I was told that I needed a QAM tuner in a new TV to pick up our two local PBS stations that were knocked off the air due to the transition. I read that QAM receives both digital and over the air stations. Can anyone fill me in?? Since I have analog cable, if I got a QAM tuner, would the TV magically receive over the air signals as well as what Cox was delivering me via analog cable?

[djkeev]

Hi,As I understand the new broadcast spectrum ALL analog signals are now gone, Not just your local PBS stations. The spectrum they previously used will be reassigned (sold) for other uses that are much more efficient.I assume you don't lease any boxes from your cable provider for if you did you wouldn't have this problem.Your choices are actually quite simple,Get a newer digital TV (you will find the picture WAY better and brighter than the antique you are currently viewing, the prices have also really come down)Lease a cable box from your provider (small monthly fee)Purchase a converter box and pull the new digital signals from the air. You also may need a new antenna or an adjustment of the old.Analog is dead. Welcome to 2009.PS, if you've seen any TV at all in the past year they have been telling this story of the imminent death of analog TV over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over yet again. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. My wife and I were so excited that Friday came so that the digital spots would go away. Almost as excited as we are on election day when all of the obnoxious political ads end!Good Luck to youDaveDave

[Sublimewind]

I gotta brand spankin new RCA 42" LCD... I've tried 3 different antennas.. 2 of which were powered.. The one I have now rated at the high end of the scale in terms of the manufactures "quality" scale.. there was another that looked as large as a snowboard, and was powered.. lol.. Mine is a 12" square about 3/4" thick, right now.. 2 channels..

[Herb]

Just curious, what is happening to the frequencies that the analog aired broadcasts were on before?

[djkeev]

Quote, originally posted by Herb »Just curious, what is happening to the frequencies that the analog aired broadcasts were on before?The old frequency is freed up for other uses.I understand that the federal government raked in $20 billion in auctions by selling licenses for the old television stations frequencies for various commercial uses. Some of the frequencies also have been reserved for emergency agencies to use for communications.I'm guessing today's Cell Phone technology with all of the wireless internet and such may (just a guess) have gobbled up a good chunk of it.Dave

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by djkeev »The old frequency is freed up for other uses.I understand that the federal government raked in $20 billion in auctions by selling licenses for the old television stations frequencies for various commercial uses. Some of the frequencies also have been reserved for emergency agencies to use for communications.I'm guessing today's Cell Phone technology with all of the wireless internet and such may (just a guess) have gobbled up a good chunk of it.DaveSo now you can entertain yourself by listening in on other peoples' phone conversations on your old tv?

[Caretaker]

Dave, as you understand it is wrong. It may be 2009, but analog is not dead by any stretch of the imagination. Analog over the air is now reassigned to first responders. Analog over cable lines is VERY much alive. I have cable TV. I don't get digital anything. My picture is just fine. I receive it all analog. Unfortunately, some stations opted to not delliver their signal over cable via analog. That is why some stations are now missing from millions of cable TV viewers. Many people are mad because this fact was not made known to the public, especially those who support PBS with financial contributions. They have a lot of nerve pulling that trick. I'll wait for my converter box to come and get the two stations back. It would be pointless at this time to throw away all the analog TV sets in my home. Besides, there are millions of people who just gotta have the latest and greatest now. I thank you for driving the costs down so I can pick up these "must have technologies" at a later date for 1/3rd of what you paid.

[ColonelPanic]

I would be ticked about your situation too -- I had not heard of any stations that were getting their feed pulled off of analog cable. Not sure about in your market but here all of those commercials (like the ones the poster above was complaining about) said "if you have cable or satellite, you don't have to do anything." If you hear all that crap non-stop for months and still lost a channel off of cable, that's misleading the consumer. This is probably just the beginning -- next on the order of business is forcing analog cable subscribers to upgrade their hardware too. I would not be surprised to see that happen, I'm sure the cable companies would rather just push it all out digitally -- likely can carry the same crap in less bandwidth that way.

[Caretaker]

thanks correct CP. I was told by my cable provider that a decision would be made "soon" to discontinue carrying analog signals at all, but that it might be 2 years away. They also instructed me to get a QAM tuner TV because, in their words "we may decide to scramble the line-up" making it difficult on DTV box holders having to constantly do rescans to find their channels.I wish I could go with rabbit ears and a box, but I tried the high end Radio Shack antenna many years ago and I could not get any signals down inside the wormhole on the far end of the Delta Quadrant.

[Herb]

Quote, originally posted by djkeev »The old frequency is freed up for other uses.I'm guessing today's Cell Phone technology with all of the wireless internet and such may (just a guess) have gobbled up a good chunk of it.DaveOK, but here's what I don't understand. Why weren't the new frequencies now assigned to DTV originally sold to the cell and wireless internet companies? Sounds like these technologies will still be digital anyways.Seems to me it would have been more cost effective and efficient for TV stations to keep their original frequencies and just broadcast in digital instead of analog.

[Kari]

I'm guessing that the digital signal takes up less "space" than the analog signal did, so it's more efficient to serve it that way.We still have 6 analog channels available, including the repeater CP mentioned above.

[tribalman]

wow, 2 or 6 channels over the air? i have 26. although 1/2 of them seem to be spanish. and this is on a $9 unpowered antenna. i don't really watch it as i have my tv connected to analog cable. if you decide to get a new tv, you don't have to get an expensive LDC/Plasma/LED. you can get a 32" CRT at way cheaper than a 22" LCD. i bought my CRT a few years back at just over 100 new. i just bought above 22" for my mother and payed 230. pretty much anything made in the last ~10 years is digital ready.and yes, the digital signal takes up less channels, and it allows for multicasting.

[zionzr2]

http://www.hulu.com rocks!!7.1 Fox18.1, .2, .3 PBS24.1 ABC24.2 ABC Weather Radar36.1 NBC42.1 CBS42.2 RTN 54.1 WB

[Kari]

We're getting a lot more than just 6 channels on DTV...I was just commenting that there are still 6 analog stations on the air here.

[psiu]

As far as the "digital is better yay" propaganda goes...it's better in that they can cram more into less space, thus opening up space for more revenue streams. It's better in that "when it's working" you can get a great HD picture or crystal clear SD viewing.Not so great when you're at a marginal distance and the audio cuts out (which seems backwards to me--couldn't they have designed it to keep audio intact instead of the video when the signal drops?) or when the "digital cliff" effect strikes and you get "No Signal..."Digital cliff effect--a digital signal either has good signal (perfect picture), slightly weak signal (some errors creep in, the boxes, stuttering, etc) or a weak signal which will you get you nothing (too much data loss for the inherent error correction to compensate for).Whereas the old analog signal, you might get a fuzzy picture but it would still be watchable if you needed it.