Is it only the sat/cableless that have to buy the box? (sorry, haven't had my 3rd cup of coffee and gov't tech writting makes my head hurt
) Must everyone esle convert directly to HDTV?Digital TV (US) coming 2-17-09 What do we need to know?
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danlo
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Digital TV (US) coming 2-17-09 What do we need to know?
Digital This is straight from the cat's mouth, or the FCC to be exact. From what little I can gather it would, probably, be cheaper, and better on the eyes if I buy an HDTV with the converter already set up, than keep my 10 year old Zenith and buy a seperate box while hooked to Direct TV. But maybe it says that if you have satelitte you have to covert anyway.
Is it only the sat/cableless that have to buy the box? (sorry, haven't had my 3rd cup of coffee and gov't tech writting makes my head hurt ) Must everyone esle convert directly to HDTV?
Is it only the sat/cableless that have to buy the box? (sorry, haven't had my 3rd cup of coffee and gov't tech writting makes my head hurt
) Must everyone esle convert directly to HDTV?fall far and well Pilots!
www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html
My understanding is that if you have either cable or satellite service, you don't need to do anything. The converter boxes are only for over-the-air transmissions.
My understanding is that if you have either cable or satellite service, you don't need to do anything. The converter boxes are only for over-the-air transmissions.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
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The Laughing Man
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good post Zapp, but some people may have to upgrade their cable equipment from the cable co too, it all depends on how old it is. danlo, basically as I understand it they are going to stop broadcasting analog (analog=not digital) television signals, so people with the old style antenna won't be getting a signal anymore, they will need to get a digital converter in order to watch tv with just an antenna. I think. 
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danlo
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In order to receive over-the-air digital programming (as opposed to digital programming provided by a paid provider such as cable or satellite TV service), you will need: (1) a DTV (a TV with a digital tuner) or an analog TV connected to a digital-to-analog converter box and (2) a broadcast antenna (either a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears” connected to your set). In general, an antenna that provides quality reception of over-the-air analog TV broadcasting will work for digital TV broadcasting.
OK so buying an HDTV will only improve your visual quality? If you have sattelite and a 10 year old TV without the ditgital turner there's nothing to worry about?
fall far and well Pilots!
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The Laughing Man
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danlo
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My Direct TV/DVR are less than two years old so I don't think I have to worry (about to buy an HDTV, anyway). It does seem a little bit discriminatory to those still using rabbit ears and watching only PBS. I take it it will improve those people's quality, or is it merely a different signal?
Last edited by danlo on Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
fall far and well Pilots!
An HDTV will allow you to view an HDTV signal, either cable, satellite, or over-the-air. There's (to my eyes) a dramatic difference in picture quality between standard TV and HDTV.danlo wrote:In order to receive over-the-air digital programming (as opposed to digital programming provided by a paid provider such as cable or satellite TV service), you will need: (1) a DTV (a TV with a digital tuner) or an analog TV connected to a digital-to-analog converter box and (2) a broadcast antenna (either a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears” connected to your set). In general, an antenna that provides quality reception of over-the-air analog TV broadcasting will work for digital TV broadcasting.
OK so buying an HDTV will only improve your visual quality? If you have sattelite and a 10 year old TV without the ditgital turner there's nothing to worry about?
I believe all cable and satellite boxes will convert the digital (not HD) signal to an older TV. You must have an HDTV and converter box (either cable or satellite, some HDTVs have an OTA HDTV tuner onboard) to view HDTV.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
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DukkhaWaynhim
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My understading is that even if you have cable, you will then need a cable box for each TV you wish to watch cable programs on.
For example, we have cable on two TVs in our house currently:
The downstairs TV uses a set-top cable box, and allows us to get on-demand movies etc. We won't need to change this setup, as the cable box already converts the signal to one that the TV can understand.
But upstairs, we have the cable hooking straight to the back of our TV, an older (but not OLD) CRT set with built-in tuner.
For this TV, we will need to get a cable box if we wish to continue viewing television after the switch to DTV?
dw
For example, we have cable on two TVs in our house currently:
The downstairs TV uses a set-top cable box, and allows us to get on-demand movies etc. We won't need to change this setup, as the cable box already converts the signal to one that the TV can understand.
But upstairs, we have the cable hooking straight to the back of our TV, an older (but not OLD) CRT set with built-in tuner.
For this TV, we will need to get a cable box if we wish to continue viewing television after the switch to DTV?
dw
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I'm Murrin
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Interesting that they're switching off all the signals on the same day over there. Here in the UK, the analogue switchoff is staggered by region, starting this year and with the last one (my local mast) turning off in 2012. Though I'm pretty sure the majority are already watching digital TV by now anyway (the analogue satellite and cable services stopped years back).
Yeah DW, ya gotta have a box.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________