Digital broadcast TV is a catastrophic failure

[begin_within]

in my opinion. We bought the converter box. We bought a new "digital-ready" indoor antenna at Radio Shack. We went through all the steps for setting it up and scanning for channels. At first it seemed OK, although the picture is smaller. But over time, it becomes obvious that digital broadcast TV is vastly inferior to analog broadcast TV. Not superior as all the claims stated. The picture freezes frequently, dissolves into squares frequently, or gets stuck on one bit of sound, like one word being repeated endlessly, or just goes black frequently. Adjustments to the antenna sometimes help, but how is that any different than adjusting your analong antenna in years past? There is absolutely no improvement to the end user. I believe it is a colossal conspiracy to sell new TV sets, newfangled antennae and especially to expand the cable and satellite TV markets. This has got to be the worst thought-out and worst-handled technology transition I have seen in my lifetime. If the transition from black-and-white TV to color TV had been handled as badly as this transition from analog to digital, television would have died on January 1, 1954, the date of the first nationwide color TV broadcast.

[Oeditpus Rex]

1. Where do you live?

I'd bet it's your antenna. Indoor antennae rarely perform very well unless you're within about 20 miles of the transmitter for the station you're trying to receive.

[begin_within]

4. San Diego

and in one of the "heights" neighborhoods which was known for good TV reception up until now. Hardly anyone had those tall antenna poles with the guy wires holding them. I live 12 to 13 miles from the mountain where most of the transmitters are. However, some of the transmitters are in Tijuana, approximately 20 to 25 miles to the south - but oddly, those stations come in without these problems. Weird.

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. Yeah, that's a little odd

Pokerfan already posted my next thing: A lot of digital signals are being broadcast at as little as 1/3 power, from what I've found. (You can research the shit out of this at the FCC site, but if you're not a teevee-radio geek, it'd probably be boring as hell.) I'm guessing that's to save money until June 6 (?), when they have to broadcast at full power. (It also assumes they're required to broadcast digital signals at the same strength as analog. I'm not aware of any rule regarding this one way or the other.)

[begin_within]

11. I don't understand why

they are broadcasting the digital signals at 1/3 power. KFMB and KGTV have already turned off their analog transmitters, so if it's a matter of interference with the analog signal, that's not an issue for them, because they are not transmitting an analog signal any more. KNSD is transmitting both, so maybe that's the reason for a low-power digital signal. Oh well, I'm just going to suffer through it until June 12 and see if the increase in power fixes the problem. Thanks for your suggestions though.

[Oeditpus Rex]

24. My guess would be money

Especially if they're still broadcasting in analog as well. It costs a helluva lotta money to power two transmitters, so if you can dial one back...

I think those stations that have shut down analog are broadcasting their digital signal at full power. Then again, maybe not. Like I said, I dunno what the regs are regarding that.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

2. Mine works flawlessly.

It's an HDTV, though, so that may have an effect.

EDIT: I also live in NYC, so that helps.

[pokerfan]

3. sounds like poor signal strength

Until June 12, 2009, some stations will be operating at reduced power levels. If you are not receiving certain digital TV stations, this does not necessarily mean there is a problem with your antenna or digital-to-analog converter box or digital television. Check with the TV station to find out whether they are planning changes that will improve reception.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/troubleshootguide.html

[begin_within]

5. thanks, I'll check it out.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Mine works fine. Good picture, no problems.

It's a nice, sharp picture even on my little bitty, 10-year-old TV. Maybe it's the signals in your area that's the problem.

[lbrtbell]

8. We have cable, but digital TV still sucks

Often get the blue "no signal" screen, video glitches turn into a pixelized mess, etc. If the cable company can't even get a decent picture, I don't know what it's going to take.

IMHO, digital TV isn't ready to go live yet, by a long shot.

[CreekDog]

9. It's not bad here actually (and SF is hell on reception of anything!)

I have an HDTV, but I hooked the antenna below (Radio Shack) and scanned and 70 channels were picked up (a lot of junk and some not so hot signals, but for the most part pretty good).

I think the HD picture on over the air are incredible (better than cable HDTV).

One local station, KRON 4 is broadcasting at 50% and I can never pull that in :wtf:

I'm 15 miles south of SF and I pick up channels transmitted from San Francisco a local mountain in my own city and San Jose stations transmitted from Fremont.



(by the way, i tried one of Radio Shack's other antennas and it was a big flop so i traded up for this above one $50). The one that didn't work is below:

[madinmaryland]

23. I think all the roiders there may be blocking your signals!!

[quakerboy]

10. Pretty sure it had nothing to do with better picture

and I think the chance to sell new hardware was also just a byproduct.

I think a realistic look would show the real reason was freeing up certain communication bandwidths. As I understand it the cell companies are eating bandwidth like crazy.

[backtoblue]

12. I had an antenna for years

and I just said "screw it" when they changed over to digital. It's not too bad not having TV - more time to do other things, ya know.

[begin_within]

13. I almost did that

KFMB and KGTV (the CBS and ABC affiliates in San Diego) turned off their analog transmitters on February 17, so for 2 months we got no programming from those 2 networks. And frankly I didn't miss any of it.

[backtoblue]

16. I did have to go buy a weather radio, though

to get storm and tornado warnings. Other than that I think television is unnecessary, especially if you have the internet. Plus, it's too expensive for this ol' country gal.

(admitting to owning old doris day and rock hudson movies):-)

[Sequoia]

17. Pillow Talk.

I just adore that movie! Ah, Rocky. What a handsome man.

[backtoblue]

18. Send me no flowers

Lover Come Back and Pillow Talk all came in one collection...But Pillow Talk is my favorite! :party: I'm so glad we don't have to mess with party lines nowadays.

[Sequoia]

19. I remember those.

As kids, we'd play phone tricks on the little old ladies gossiping to one another. Now, instead of party lines we have wire tapping and can't listen to people listening to us.

[backtoblue]

21. no kidding!

We can't be nosy neighbors anymore, yet our government (and its contractors) can listen to us anytime. Geesh, I long for those good ole days!!

[surrealAmerican]

14. The problem is, it's impossible to know until June just what you'll get.

Some stations are broadcasting at lower power, and most are at different frequencies. There's no telling until the changeover is complete.

[begin_within]

15. ok thanks

I guess for now I'll just have to put up with someone on the Jerry Springer show going DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN endlessly until I pull the plug out of the converter box...

[leeroysphitz]

20. If you want to keep using a standard indoor antenna to receive digital signals you will most likely

need to remove all the tin-foil from your walls and ceilings (the windows should still be ok though.)

[begin_within]

27. want to come watch sports with me?

and enjoy it blacking out just as the golf ball is approaching the hole?

[Mugu]

22. They should have changed over years ago.

You noted the change over to color, that is the exactly the sort of thinking has kept television crappy all these years. It was mandated that the change over to color couldn't make the B&W sets obsolete so the color information was inserted into the signal in a most bizarre manner. That has been the story ever since. Keep compromising so 1940 era TVs will still work in the 21st century. What if we still had 1940 vintage cars, telephones, airplanes, etc? No thank you.

That said, it sounds like your problem is you got "taken" by Radio Shit on the "digital" antenna. If you had an antenna that worked for analog then it should work even better with the digital signal. The antenna on my house is over 20 years old. I hadn't used it in over 15 years because the picture just wasn't worth the trouble. When they offered the converters for only $10 I decided to give one a try just for grins. I couldn't believe the difference. Stations that were snowy and had ghosts are now clean, sharp, and noise-free. I still don't watch it because I have a satellite receiver, but if I was to lose my satellite signal it's nice to know that the old antenna has a has watchable picture.

[Forkboy]

25. With nearly every show and sporting event available free online I don't know why anyone has cable.

I suppose there's a few shows one couldn't find online, but overall just about everything is out there, sooner rather than later most often. I'm watching the Sharks/Ducks game now and I have no cable at all.

[Inchworm]

26. The whole idea sucks hawg bawls

When it goes into effect. I'll have no TV.

I'm bullheaded now about paying for cable/satellite.

I really hate the fact that those who aren't near a big city and have no internet will be cut off from "global" society. Watch out for those redneck types when they start drawing their own conclusions to the state of the world.

:grr:

[guitar man]

28. It isn't finished yet

June 12, when the last of the analog transmitters go offline is as much of a beginning as it is an end. Transmitters will have to be brought up to power and re-tuned to their final frequencies, translator/repeater stations will have to be brought online, some stations will be moving to different antennas and so on and so forth. It may take a while to bring all the infrastructure for digital up to spec.

The NTSC analog standard was with us for almost 70 years, so ATSC digital may not be everywhere overnight, but it will get there.

[bullwinkle428]

29. Viewers in my area can't even pick up the NBC affiliate!!

The NBC affiliate is broadcasting out of a town around 50 miles away, and no one can explain at the moment why viewers in my town can't pick up the signal at all. I pay out the ass for my cable bill, but it's almost like you have no choice when shenanigans like this are taking place...

[guitar man]

34. Probably not at full power yet

If they are sharing a common with their digital and analog transmitters and haven't shut down analog service yet, they won't be able to bring the digital transmitter up to full power until they shut the analog transmitter down. After June 12 is when we are going to actually see what digital television will do. Until then, it's operating with one hand tied behind its back so to speak.

[gmoney]

30. Yeah, Harry Shearer has been warning about this for years...

Last couple hotels I stayed in had flat panel "HD" tvs, and the picture was AWFUL. Looks like a Youtube video blown up to full screen. It's bearable if you're watching from 15 feet away, as your eye/mind correct for the fuzzy picture, but nothing close to an improvement over analog.

I think it also has something to do with being able to broadcast multiple channels with the same gear as it takes to do one analog channel.

HD Radio is much the same way... I have it in my car, and it's nearly useless for all but the biggest 2 or 3 stations in town, the ones that play the worst stuff, of course.

[CBGLuthier]

31. The only antennae you will ever need.

As stated above, Radio Shack sells shit

This is better and cheaper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

[jmowreader]

33. Oh come on now...

when was the last time you saw a wire coat hanger?

If you CAN'T get one, go to a welding supply store and spend five dollars for a pound of oxyacetylene rod. You'll need a hacksaw to cut it because you're not cutting 1/8" steel rod with a pair of dikes, and you'll need a hammer and chisel to bend the shit, but you can definitely get this and coat hangers are a little hard to come by.

OTOH, that's a good antenna design.

[CBGLuthier]

35. I agree about the wire coat hangers

Although I do have a closet full of them I used some very heavy gauge wire I had on hand.

[backtoblue]

32. Wait, wait, dontcha know

that there are cameras in those converter boxes!!!:tinfoilhat: