Countdown to Digital TV.

After Feb 17, 2009. TV stations will no longer use analog signals.


Make sure your Cable Company is upgrading your service or buy one of those converter boxes to get the signal


Personally I think it is a big scam by the government just Like Y2K was!


I can't even tell the difference between digital or analog!


Looks the same to me!

They say you only really see the difference on digital ready sets only. The Cable and Sat companies are converting the signal to analog for all of us who have not purchased a new SD or HD digital TV set. If you are getting cable or sat service, you will be ok. If you use an attenna, you will ned a new TV or a Digital converter box to get a picture. You can get two cards from the government that are good for $40 each to use in purchasing two digital converter boxes.

See the following site for info on getting the boxes or coupons.

Digital TV Converter Program

I have WOW Cable and they said everything will work the same


I am not the most Technology Person in the world.


If I had my way; We be still watching movies on VHS and listening to music on records and cassettes

And taking pictures with regular film



Too much change has happened in this decade


Don't like it a bit

I should write a book; Why things were better than they are now!

We be better off without technology

Give me my records, my VHS tapes and film

PLEASE!

I'm with you gs!

Thank You

gs78 wrote:

I have WOW Cable and they said everything will work the same


I am not the most Technology Person in the world.


If I had my way; We be still watching movies on VHS and listening to music on records and cassettes

how about 8-track tapes!

A bit before my time! But My grandpa has an eight Track stereo in his basement.

How about TVs that look like TV"S

Not Picture Frames!


Hate Flat screen TV"S I don't think they make bulky, boxy shaped Televisions anymore

gs78 wrote:

How about TVs that look like TV"S

Not Picture Frames!


Hate Flat screen TV"S I don't think they make bulky, boxy shaped Televisions anymore

it ain't the style currently!

Quote the Raven: Never More! { Either]

gs78 wrote:

How about TVs that look like TV"S

Not Picture Frames!


Hate Flat screen TV"S I don't think they make bulky, boxy shaped Televisions anymore

Yes they do, we just bought a 32 inch about 4 months ago. They are pretty cheap now.

Probably because they are phasing them out!



Just like they did with records, cassette tapes, VHS TAPES and regular film!


Just make sure you are ready for Feburary 17!


TV won't ever be the same again

I already have HD, I'm good

Sucks for people who don't though, I bet they are gonna be pissed.

I don't have HD but as long as you have cable or sat dish service there will be no problems. Once our TVs die, I will go HD, but since I have lived with our current system my whole life, I am not in a hurry to pay more per month for HD service. The cable companies will supply the analog signal to our old sets even if we are hooked to digital boxes (like I am)!

I was doing some research on the subject; According to Wikipedia; Some people may lose local stations, VCR's may not work on some TV's and neither will remote controls on some TV's

Stores like K Mart, Target and Walmart were recently fined by the government for selling analog TV's as digital.

The Government has only required Digital TV sales since last year;

Yet Analog becomes obsolete next Feburary!

That is why you have to look for the SDTV (Standard Definition digital) or HDTV (high Definition digital) designation on the TV.

Quote :

If I want a new TV, will I have to buy a High Definition TV (HDTV) to watch digital broadcast television after the transition?
No. It is important to understand that the DTV transition is
a transition from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting. It is not a
transition from analog broadcasting to High Definition broadcasting. Digital
broadcasting allows for High Definition broadcasts, but High Definition is not
required, and you do not need to buy a HDTV to watch digital TV. A Standard
Definition DTV (which is simply a TV with an internal digital tuner), or a
digital-to-analog converter box hooked to an analog TV, is all that is required
to continue watching over-the-air broadcast television. Digital broadcast
television includes Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) formats.
You can watch High Definition programming on a Standard Definition DTV (or on an
analog TV hooked to a digital-to-analog converter box), but it won’t be in full
High Definition quality. It is also important to know that Standard Definition
DTVs are comparably priced to similar sized analog TVs.

I recently purchased a dvd recorder with tv tuner at Walmart for $49. It had a label indicating that the tuner is NOT digital. I did not care since I am hooking it up to cable service and the cable company will convert the signal to all TVs in the house, even those that are not hooked to a digital box of theirs. It just will not pick up any stations hooked to a regular antenna when they turn off the old analog signal. If I want to use it on an antenna, I will have to use a converter box.

This switch was delayed.

I'm so sick of hearing about this. Every other commercial is about digital TV. Just switch already. If you're too stupid to have figured it out by now too bad. They've been advertising it for 2 years. Research shows that more than 95% of people are ready. If you are in that less than 5% that's too bad - when you lose your picture you'll figure it out. Until then you probably aren't going to do anything anyways.

Unless you get your picture from an antenna (now really, who does that?) you're fine.

I wish I had an HD TV...

bobrob2004 wrote:

I wish I had an HD TV...

You don't need HD to have digital though. The only non-digital TV is people that get TV from antennas and what not.

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

I wish I had an HD TV...

You don't need HD to have digital though. The only non-digital TV is people that get TV from antennas and what not.

I know. But the HD quality is so much better.

A DVR would also be nice.

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

I wish I had an HD TV...

You don't need HD to have digital though. The only non-digital TV is people that get TV from antennas and what not.

I know. But the HD quality is so much better.

A DVR would also be nice.

Oh, yeah, it is. I don't have one either
Everyone has one but me

I don't have a DVR either. We have 2 but none in my room

catbox_9 wrote:

This switch was delayed.

I'm so sick of hearing about this. Every other commercial is about digital TV. Just switch already. If you're too stupid to have figured it out by now too bad. They've been advertising it for 2 years. Research shows that more than 95% of people are ready. If you are in that less than 5% that's too bad - when you lose your picture you'll figure it out. Until then you probably aren't going to do anything anyways.

Unless you get your picture from an antenna (now really, who does that?) you're fine.

And I bet billions will be wasted in government coupon programs

And landfills overloaded with analog TV sets

gs78 wrote:

And landfills overloaded with analog TV sets

wonder if our government has given much thought to that.
There's an electronics recycler here in Michigan somewhere--I remember Channel 4 or Channel 7 doing a story on them...they have a warehouse and recycle TVs, computers, and stereo equipment

They should be able to put digital tuners in the analog tuner tvs. Someone could make money doing conversions on 4-5 year old tvs.

Thursday, January 29, 2009
Digital TV delay falters
House rebuffs bill to put off Feb. 17 switch to June; Republicans cite confusion, cost to broadcasters.
By Kim Hart Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The House on Wednesday defeated a bill to delay the nation's switch to all-digital television by four months. The action comes fewer than two days after the Senate unanimously passed a plan to postpone the Feb. 17 switch to June 12.

The defeat was a setback for the Obama administration and Hill Democrats, who are concerned that too many Americans are not ready to get digital programming. House Republicans have argued that postponing the date would cause confusion for consumers and cost millions for broadcasters who have planned to make the transition.

Congress three years ago mandated that all television broadcasters shut off analog signals and air only digital programming. As a result, viewers who rely on older analog TV sets and antennas to receive broadcasts will need to upgrade to a digital TV or install a converter box to continue watching television.

The Nielsen Co. estimates more than 6.5 million U.S. households that rely on over-the-air broadcast signals are not prepared for the transition and could see their TV sets go dark.

Jonathan Collegio, vice president for the digital television transition at the National Association of Broadcasters, argues the Nielsen estimate may overstate the number of viewers who are not ready.

The Obama administration had urged Congress to postpone the transition to give consumers more time to get ready. In a letter to Capitol Hill, Obama aides cited consumer confusion and budget shortfalls as two key reasons for a delay.

This month the Commerce Department hit a $1.34 billion funding limit for $40 coupons that help consumers pay for digital TV converter boxes, which cost between $50 and $80. Consumers who need coupons are now being placed on a waiting list until already-issued coupons reach their 90-day expiration date, making money available for additional coupons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.