everybody ready for the switch to DTV?

[DirtFarmer]

We're all set.

We've never had cable/dish but have been well served with a little TV with rabbit ears to watch the morning weather. Better half and I are all set to tune into the local TV station tomorrow night at 11:30 to see us exit the analog era. She's promising to make popcorn and brownies!

When the screen turns to snow, it'll officially be time to toss that little TV in the dumpster. We'll retain one other TV for viewing DVDs.

Speaking of DTV, I wrote before (stimulus watch) about the ridiculous program by the federal government to purchase TV converter boxes for us helpless citizens. That program ran out of funds, but, fear not, more $$$ have been printed and added to the program. Whew!

There is also a new program to help you hook up the converter box if you're too dumb to do so on your own. If you've watched so much mind-numbing TV that you are not capable of inserting cable A into jack B, you can call and have the feds dispatch a local technician to your house to do it for you, free of charge! Well, "free" as in, we'll bill you for this later. Oh yes, the bill will come later and it'll include interest. Lots and lots of interest. What the heck, we'll just wait and send the bill to your kids.

Helping Americans sit on their fat butts and watch TV. That's just what we need!

[Super_Dave]

Where's the popcorn...

[Larry S.]

There is more to the switch than just digital. Most if not all VHF channels will be transmitting on UHF frequencies and the propagation characteristics of VHF and UHF are very different. At my home I have a high gain UHF antenna and a medium gain VHF antenna. Both antennas are combined into a booster amp and distributed around the house. Most local stations are in the same location so antenna rotation is not necessary. A few stations switched to digital early while others have been simulcasting both digital and analog. Two of the stations that switched early are gone for me. They both had good analog signals but now there is no detectable signal. That is even though another channel that is transmitting digital from the same tower is being received with good signal.

At my cabin I am able to get two analog stations both of which are simulcasting in digital and analog. One of the those channels is a low band VHF channel but is transmitting its digital on UHF channel 31. Again, I get zero signal on digital but a good signal on analog.

I think we have been hornswoggled and getting real technical info on the switch seems nigh onto impossible.

[Believer45]

I have been watching digital channels since January. No issues here.

Nice to get more selection and still no cost other than an antenna and a converter box that the feds sent me 80% of the cost of.

I am using a Winegard MS2000 Metrostar antenna set up on a stand in our loft bedroom, not even outside. Gets Cincinnati, Dayton, Richmond IN with no directional problems, no rotator needed. Works very well. I am also using an Insignia converter box I got from Best Buy (store brand make by Zenith). I did a fair amount of research looking for a cheap way to go, bought my antenna from SolidSignal online for $80 shipped, the converter cost me $10 after the federal coupon. We now get 20 stations where we were getting 9.

Lots of good information at Hi-Def Forum HERE.

Dave / Believer45

[chuckster57]

Direct TV here since 2004. I even carry one of the recievers on the road so I can watch mythbusters and such while sitting in my trailer at the campground.

Helping Americans sit on their fat butts and watch TV. That's just what we need!

Video games have been doing a pretty good job of that for a while. And yes I will take my Wii on my road trip. We are both retired and enjoy sitting in a chair under the awning reading a book. When it gets too infested for the repellent to work we migrate inside.

[drcampbell]

Why shouldn't broadcasters get their share of the corporate welfare trough?

I lost all but three local and two Canadian channels, but I figure it's as good an excuse to cut down as any. I don't plan to spend anything for a DTV converter box; I figure Craig's List will be bloated with them after Xmas. (and nicer TVs than I currently have, too)

[Texrob1]

I have been ready for over 9 years (I have always had cable) There was an article on yesterdays Houston Chronicle website (that seems to have dissapeared) about how many calls the local TV stations were getting asking why there was no signal.The government has only been warning us about this for over a YEAR! Those must be the same people who spend 10-12 Hrs a day in front of the bOOb tOOb and their brain has turned to mush.

[Super_Dave]

Originally Posted by drcampbell

Why shouldn't broadcasters get their share of the corporate welfare trough?

There should be no corporate welfare. Keep it simple. Success is from making a good product, not from getting money taken by force from others. What happened to liberty?

[drcampbell]

Originally Posted by Super_Dave

There should be no corporate welfare. ...

I haven't heard anybody else make this argument, and I think it's kind of silly in light of everything else that Washington needs to do, but is it reasonable to use the money collected from auctioning off rights to the spectrum to offset the "loss" suffered by the public on a revenue-neutral basis?
(I'm not saying that's what happened, but the two did go into and come out of the same big pile of money/debt)

[Super_Dave]

Originally Posted by drcampbell

I haven't heard anybody else make this argument, and I think it's kind of silly in light of everything else that Washington needs to do, but is it reasonable to use the money collected from auctioning off rights to the spectrum to offset the "loss" suffered by the public on a revenue-neutral basis?
(I'm not saying that's what happened, but the two did go into and come out of the same big pile of money/debt)

It's not silly. Government has no money of its own. Taking money by force from citizens to give it to "chosen" corporations or even individuals based on need and ability is immoral. It's theft. It's progressivism leading to the loss of more individual rights as guaranteed by those that fought for those rights.

And individual can buy into a corporation all they want with their own money, not mine.

[klhansen]

From what I understand, there wasn't a lot of assistance to stations for the MANDATED switch to digital broadcast from the govt. So what's the big deal in assisting the end user a bit. It's kind of like a tax rebate for the $40 coupon for converter boxes. It was the broadcasters who took it in the wallet.

As for being ready for the switch, I saw a news bit on the internet that the govt digital hotline got 700,000 calls the day of/after the switch. It's not like anyone who hasn't been under a rock for the last 6-8 months hasn't heard about the conversion that was first scheduled for Feb, then delayed till June 12.

I think their minds have already gone soft. Or thieir brains have been sucked out by Alec Baldwin (ala Hulu commercials).