Friday marks final signoff for analog TV service

[Old Coot]

Source: Modesto Bee

NEW YORK -- Television stations across the U.S. began cutting their analog signals Friday, marking the final signoff for a 60-year-old technology and likely stranding more than 1 million unprepared homes without TV service.

The Federal Communications Commission put 4,000 operators on standby for calls from confused viewers, and set up demonstration centers in several cities. Volunteer groups and local government agencies were helping elderly people set up digital converter boxes that keep older TVs functioning. Any set hooked up to cable or a satellite dish is unaffected.

"When you're alone like me, that's my partner," Patricia Bruchalski, 82, said about her TV.

Bruchalski, a pianist and former opera singer in Brooklyn Park, Md., got assistance Thursday from Anne Arundel County's Department of Aging and Disabilities and a community organization called Partners in Care. After her converter box was installed, Bruchalski marveled that digital broadcasts seemed clearer and gave her more channels - about 15 instead of the three she was used to.

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/technology/story/741458.html

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My TV just "froze" on one channel only. It has one frame of one of the doctors on "The Doctors" and nothing else. The other channels come in just fine. I wonder if the TV station is making the change. I am on cable. Then again, maybe the cable company screwed up again. If it has to freeze up, I wish it would happen on someone I find more attractive.

[Captain Hilts]

1. My apt. faces the wrong direction, so I'm out of luck. Translator and mega antenna in my apt.

don't help. NO signal is strong enough to tune the thing.

[aquart]

5. Mega antenna?

I can't get anything with an amplified antenna. I'm using a $23 Terk unamplified antenna.

[Captain Hilts]

7. I've got the AWACs-looking thing. It costs about $50. nt

[Codeine]

2. That's your cable company.

Unrelated to the changeover, as they've been sending your signal digitally over the line for years.

[aquart]

3. The Doctors is a CBS show? I've lost my CBS signal on the converter box TV.

But it's still coming in on the TV that didn't change over. And 2 pm was supposed to be the cut off time, so I don't know WTF CBS is doing. I've rescanned the rest of my channels and they all seem to be fine.

[meow2u3]

10. You'll need to rescan your TV channels

Go to the Menu and find your channel menu. Press autoscan and see how that works.

That's what I saw on the news this noon.

[konnichi wa]

4. It will take a few days to shake it all out. Dish Network took a few hours to get the right

frequency on a couple local channels but they're working now (even the satellite people have to adapt just like individuals getting over-the-air signals)

My partner is a Dish and Directv installer, and has already gotten a dozen calls from people who can't follow simple instructions that have been broadcast daily for 6 months.
:shrug:

[aquart]

6. Simple, my ass.

Most of us have some sort of recording device hooked up to our TVs. What seems simple to you is a mess of wires to the rest of us.

[ejpoeta]

8. well, if you would just go out and buy a new tv and other things... it would be simple.

we have directv, so... no worries. Just now we are stuck with SOMETHING unless we get a converter box AND an antenna.

[konnichi wa]

9. The converter box goes between the antenna and whatever device it was originally connected to.

Nothing at all besides that one wire needs to be changed.


Most of them have instructions in English, maybe you got one manufactured for Zimbabwe
:shrug:

[junior college]

11. I'm going to miss the analog snow n/t

[Indydem]

14. Keep an old tv around...

You'll be able to see it on every channel from now on.

[The_Commonist]

12. Goodbye, Television...

And Good Riddance!

[Jkid]

13. Most, if not all broadcasters in the DC area have already switched over to digital.

Most did the transition between 11am to 1pm.

[Captain Hilts]

16. A lot of us in DC are out of luck. Hell, if there is a tree in the way you don't get a signal.

Many of us apartment dwellers whose windows face the wrong direction are SOL.

[Zorra]

15. Question: Is it technically possible for us to use the analog system to broadcast

"pirate" TV now?

Could we start an entirely new TV media free from corporate control?

After all, they are, our public airwaves, aren't they?

[Indydem]

18. No. The spectrum is now under lease for other things.

Part for emergency responder radios and part for a new cell phone system.

Any broadcasts on those frequencies are in violation of the FCC rules and will result in stiff fines and likely jail time.

Sorry :(

[Zorra]

19. Thanks, Indydem. n/t

[zbdent]

17. beeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep ...

[dweller]

20. any advice?

I have an indoor digital antenna hooked up to a new digital ready TV. I also have an outdoor rooftop antenna hooked to a converter box to my old (3yr) analog TV.
Up until friday noon, i was able to pick up all stations in my area fine. Analog and digital.
for example: PBS, channel 4, 4.1, 4.2, & 4.3. 4 was the analog, .1-3 the digitals.

Now have lost PBS. And the kicker is, i'm within 5 miles of the broadcast tower here in Chapel Hill, but neither of my antennas bring it in. I've rescanned a dozen times and it's gone.

My outdoor picks up most of the channels i had before (but not 4) and my indoor is picking up diddly, maybe 2 or 3 channels (which in digital = ~9 channels) but have lost ABC. Had it yesterday in digital,HD, analog etc.

I know the analog is gone, but are stations broadcasting digital w/ less power/signal also?
It doesn't make sense that i was picking up digital transmissions fine before yesterday, and today they are less channels, or none of a station w/in 5 miles of me.

:shrug:
dp