KTLA has a live countdown timer to DTV
 

I just found this page at KTLA's website in Los angeles... Kind of interesting, like the Millennium countdown clocks which were put in post offices in 1999.

http://www.ktla.com/about/dtv/

I guess we're set for the real thing this time. I'm going to try to find out what KTLA's plans are for the last broadcast, and if they're going to bring in any faces which appeared in '47 when they started. Host/reporter/anchor Stan Chambers has been there since then, and I believe organist Korla Pandit is still living. I'll post if I find out anything.

Charles

Our local ABC Affiliate, KAIT, has the same thing on the homepage.

Love watching KTLA here in South Carolina via Dish. Would love to see them do something regarding their history.

There's a Documentary out there called KTLA's 50 Golden Years, it's not easy to find because I don't think it was ever released on video.

There is this 4 minute short recap on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U80kp...C681D8&index=0

I found this PDF of their history too, haven't read it yet so I don't know how good it is.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...irtpkXri00fQBw

In watching today's KTLA morning news (on DirecTV), they mentioned that they're running a caption at the bottom of the screen for all of the analog viewers... It says some kind of warning/reminder about Friday. I'll go hook up an antenna and see what it says, and try to get a picture of it. KTLA is weak here in Ventura County via rabbit ears, but I'll try my best, unless someone else in metro LA can get it on first?

Charles

Channel 4 here in Milwaukee has a countdown timer too, like this is is something exciting (whoop-de-do). Most people won't even notice.

I got a reply yesterday from KTLA: They said that the NTSC signal will be shut off during the News At Ten program (between 10 and 11 PM). And to my great pleasure, Stan Chambers will be hosting the ceremony!!!!!! I'm toying with the idea of getting my wife & me invited down to the studio, but that's a bit late to plan, most likely.

Charles

The scroll on WLNS channel 6 in Lansing, MI has a warning telling people not to call 9-1-1 when they lose analog reception at 11:59 PM.

John

I'm now watching the KTLA Morning News on Channel 5 in Los Angeles, for the last time ever on 76-82 Mhz :(...... I got out a 1975 Sony 8" Trinitron (KV-8000U), and set it up on it's rabbit ear. Horrible signal out here in Ventura County, but this little Sony will at least pull it in. I guess I'll have to pack up a few old TVs in the truck, and go to Chatsworth and hook them up for tonight's KTLA grand finale. Signal too poor here to appreciate it. I'm not going to haul a bunch of big consoles over there, but maybe a couple portables. OR, if I get time this morning, I'll run a wire antenna up the flag pole and see if I can get anything better here in Ventura County.

Charles

At least you have some time; here it is finished.

Yes, in fact I had a scare last night when KNX (our CBS radio station on AM) said the analog signal was to end at midnight last night... I guess they actually had any time up until all day today, as long as it's off by 11:59 PM tonight (the 12th). KTLA will be quitting sometime between 10:00 and 11:00 PM.

What are you seeing on former analog channels??????????? (please excuse if covered in earlier thread)

Charles

As of 10AM channels 8 and 13 switched off, period. Channel 3 threw the switch just about 2 minutes later, going from programming to a static display about the changeover.

Currently in LA 2 and 4 are in "Night Light Mode", 7 and 9 are gone both moved back to their VHF slots. 18 and 28 have also moved to their old slots, channel 56 just has a slate up and it looks like 30 is off air. KTLA is going at 10:45. KTTV and KCOP about 11:30 and KMEX at the bitter end. I don't know when some of the UHF's are hitting "Plate off" for the last time but it will be around midnight.

Well, KTLA news at 10 is making a big deal about the switch off, so that's kind of nice.

David

I caught the last 30 seconds of KTLA's sign off and recorded it with my digital camera.

Stan Chambers threw the switch (I suspect it was just a prop switch or else they have some really primitive equipment at KTLA!)

http://www.vintagetvsets.com/temp/arf/ktla.mov

:pity:

The NTSC to which we bid final farewell was a spectacularly successful thing. Think of it. The reverse engineering of compatible color to an existing black & white standard, which itself had been a compromise between the maximum resolution which contemporary technology was capable of in 1941 and the maximum change existing receivers of the time could adapt to.

In that sense it was an evolved standard whose roots go back 70 years.

Yesterday a TRK-12 could receive television signals off the air just as it did in 1939. It was not obsolete.

That was yesterday.

The only thing obsolete on our old sets is the tuner, or more specifically the use of the tuner for channel selection. The tuner as a component must still work to receive, so it as a component is not obsolete.

Realistically, in our everyday high-tech/junk, lazymans society, our old black and white, single speaker, NON REMOTE (dare I say it) televisions are, and have long been obsolete. God forbid having to use something like that. I have actually seen a welfare mom turn down a free 19", perfectly working, color, NON-REMOTE set because their teen son was going to be using it. OH, POOR KID!! Lets not torment him with extra physical movement! Actually, I think the mom was lazier than the boy. He likely would have adapted, as opposed to doing without. While mom knew that she could hold out a few days and flirt some poor, dumb guy right out of his "extra" set, or perhaps his ONLY set, depending on her looks. Single mothers seem to have special powers over free stuff, courtrooms, and DOCTORS.....Whats up?

Excellent! Thank you for providing this! :)

That's okay, those "poor kids" just go take what they want in New Orleans. And it isn't unusual for "single moms" to flirt/hook-up/go-home with someone just to case their place out and send brother/cousin/son/boyfriend to rob the place soon thereafter.

Of course, you wouldn't think something like a B&W set would be in danger, but the only thing I've had stolen out of my house was, of all things, an AM-only Panasonic portable radio from the 70's. :wtf: