US analogue TV switch-off in 2009

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,962
140
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Text


The US Congress has approved plans to force broadcasters to switch off their analogue television signals by 2009.
Setting a date of 17 February 2009 was called a "great technical revolution" by Republican politician Joe Barton, a main advocate for the change.


Moves to bring about the end of analogue broadcasting in the US have been under way for years.

Under existing law, broadcasters would be required to cease analogue transmissions when digital TV reaches 85% of the population, but this is a threshold which is not expected to be reached.

About 16% of US viewers rely on over-the-air transmissions, while more TV sets use only an aerial to watch TV programmes.




 

DVK916

Banned
Dec 12, 2005
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Originally posted by: IGBT
Text


The US Congress has approved plans to force broadcasters to switch off their analogue television signals by 2009.
Setting a date of 17 February 2009 was called a "great technical revolution" by Republican politician Joe Barton, a main advocate for the change.


Moves to bring about the end of analogue broadcasting in the US have been under way for years.

Under existing law, broadcasters would be required to cease analogue transmissions when digital TV reaches 85% of the population, but this is a threshold which is not expected to be reached.

About 16% of US viewers rely on over-the-air transmissions, while more TV sets use only an aerial to watch TV programmes.

Great for cable providers. This will allow them to add close to 100 additional HD channels.
 

acemcmac

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
13,712
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Unless I build a HT designed for massive capture and archival of HD programming for my projector, I'll stop watching tv permanently when ariel goes out.
 

MX2

Lifer
Apr 11, 2004
18,651
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Perfect! Thats when I will buy an HDTV;) I bet by then, HDTV prices will have dropped considerably and the tech behind them will have improved dramatically:)
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
14
81
fobot.com
sure

like they won't just change this again if they feel like it


any law that has a future date/occurance like this is vaporware
 
Mar 19, 2003
18,289
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Originally posted by: purbeast0
:thumbsup:

means it'll only put us closer to having everything in HD :)

:thumbsup: (hopefully, anyway)

I welcome the change because I've had an HDTV tuner for a year now...now I've only got to worry about getting my mom a new TV in the next few years :p
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
digital != HD

And would this affect people who have cable at all? They can still be analog, they're not over the air transmissions.
 

Alkaline5

Senior member
Jun 21, 2001
801
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't beleive the FCC has any jurisdiction over how (or what) cable channels choose to broadcast. Other than the local HD channels already available via cable, I don't see this being all that meaningul for anyone other than over-the-air 480i TV watchers.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,376
6,199
126
Originally posted by: mugs
digital != HD

And would this affect people who have cable at all? They can still be analog, they're not over the air transmissions.

no you will just need digital cable, which I'm sure by then, will be the only type the companies will be offering.
 
Mar 19, 2003
18,289
2
71
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: mugs
digital != HD

And would this affect people who have cable at all? They can still be analog, they're not over the air transmissions.

no you will just need digital cable, which I'm sure by then, will be the only type the companies will be offering.

I'm not so sure that you'll "need" digital cable - the switch to digital is only mandatory for OTA, or at least that was my understanding. However you could be right about cable companies moving to digital cable only...that would free up a lot of bandwidth for them (just from channel scans I've done on cable, it looks like they can fit as many as 10-11 480i digital channels in the same bandwidth that would have been used for one analog channel...)
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
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Originally posted by: Alkaline5
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't beleive the FCC has any jurisdiction over how (or what) cable channels choose to broadcast. Other than the local HD channels already available via cable, I don't see this being all that meaningul for anyone other than over-the-air 480i TV watchers.

They will almost certainly attempt to gain that jurisdiction.
 

rml

Lifer
Jul 6, 2000
15,836
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there will be converter that transform the digital back to analog, right?
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,205
165
106
Originally posted by: purbeast0
:thumbsup:

means it'll only put us closer to having everything in HD :)

more HD = better.

obviously I'd feel different if I didnt have a HD TV
 

DVK916

Banned
Dec 12, 2005
2,765
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Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: mugs
digital != HD

And would this affect people who have cable at all? They can still be analog, they're not over the air transmissions.

no you will just need digital cable, which I'm sure by then, will be the only type the companies will be offering.

I'm not so sure that you'll "need" digital cable - the switch to digital is only mandatory for OTA, or at least that was my understanding. However you could be right about cable companies moving to digital cable only...that would free up a lot of bandwidth for them (just from channel scans I've done on cable, it looks like they can fit as many as 10-11 480i digital channels in the same bandwidth that would have been used for one analog channel...)


Cable proverds don't want to broadcast Analog the do because too many of their customers have Analog TVs. In some markets Comcast is already testing all digital networks, with STB rentals. Being forcing a move to all digital TVs it will give them a better chance at finally droping analog.
 

Sensai

Senior member
Nov 30, 2002
932
0
76
ahhhhhh..... im still using rabbit ears for reception!!!! there goes free local broadcasting....
 

DVK916

Banned
Dec 12, 2005
2,765
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Originally posted by: Alkaline5
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't beleive the FCC has any jurisdiction over how (or what) cable channels choose to broadcast. Other than the local HD channels already available via cable, I don't see this being all that meaningul for anyone other than over-the-air 480i TV watchers.


Also the FCC Does have jursidiction over how and what cable companies broadcast. Forexample it is illegal for a cable company to charge someone extra to recieve HD Locals, this is a law that FCC created.
 

woowoo

Platinum Member
Feb 17, 2003
2,092
1
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Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: woowoo
Originally posted by: rml
there will be converter that transform the digital back to analog, right?

There are several now


$300 a pop

WHAT IS THE POINT IN THAT?!?!?


The point is to supply SD programming to existing displays
Contrary to popular belief DTV = SD programming most of the time
 

MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
9,911
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Originally posted by: woowoo
Originally posted by: rml
there will be converter that transform the digital back to analog, right?

There are several now


$300 a pop
Hopefully they will drop in price - I'm sure they will. My parents have at least 7 TV's in their house, it'd be pretty terrible if they had to shell out $2100 to get them all working.

You'd need the box for any TV, except those with built in digital tuners, right? The whole thing is very confusing - mostly because there's so much misinformation out there (ie: people think this means they must go out and buy HDTV's and that all content will be in HD).

I suspect this will be a boon to electronics salesmen, who can look forward to tricking the elderly into blowing their Social Security checks on a fancy new HDTV so they can still watch Lawerence Welk when OTA broadcasts stop being analog.
 

woowoo

Platinum Member
Feb 17, 2003
2,092
1
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Originally posted by: MrBond
Originally posted by: woowoo
Originally posted by: rml
there will be converter that transform the digital back to analog, right?

There are several now


$300 a pop
Hopefully they will drop in price - I'm sure they will. My parents have at least 7 TV's in their house, it'd be pretty terrible if they had to shell out $2100 to get them all working.

You'd need the box for any TV, except those with built in digital tuners, right? The whole thing is very confusing - mostly because there's so much misinformation out there (ie: people think this means they must go out and buy HDTV's and that all content will be in HD).
Exactly
The set top box just replaces the analog reciever
It also scales programming to fit on your display