Queue up for a digital set top box coupon for CT-100, etc...

[bgadow]

My wife spotted this news release on one of the local stations websites:

http://www.wmdt.com/DTV/index.htm

They will be ending analog transmission early, in September instead of February. The main reason given is that they can't broadcast full power digital until they make the switch. Interesting. That explains why their current digital signal is pretty much worthless at my house.

[peverett]

I had heard that the transition was going to occur early in some areas of the northeast in order to work out bugs. Be sure and note how well DTV works in bad weather. This is where I think it will be most likely to die-just when you need it most. I also think that the issue is not just signal strength-it is an inherant weakness in the DTV system(One that analog NTSC does not have).

If I am correct, possibly this will educate some people in time to change some things(i. e. leave some analog broadcasting in place as some other countries are doing). (I just noticed that a bill has just passed in the senate allowing analog NTSC broadcasting to continue for four more years withing 50 miles of the Mexican border)

I actually wish that the trial was in the midwest where the most severe thunderstorms occur.

[kfbkfb]

My ATSC STB Reception Ranking:

I live in suburban Kansas City, I use a $5
indoor VHF/UHF antenna (RCA ANT108)

1. Zenith DTT901/DTT900
3. Magnavox TB100MW9/TB100MG9
5. GE 22729
6. RCA DTA800
7. USDTV DB2010

There are picture problems with both my GE
my RCA STBs.

The GE seems to have an MPEG-2 video decoding
problem, the picture detail varies noticeably.

The RCA seems to have a downconversion video
problem, on the 1080i HDTV Tonight Show, the
picture shimmers when the camera moves up or
down a little.

Kirk Bayne
http://www.geocities.com/lislislislis/avdtv.htm

[Pete Deksnis]

September 8, 2008 -- Wilmington, North Carolina will switch off its analog TV transmitters at noon today to test the scheduled transition to all-digital TV this February.

A poll conducted last month in Wilmington by the NAB found 23 percent of residents unable to name today as the transition date.

Many residents have already complained that the digital converters fail to pick up all local channels.

Pete

[kx250rider]

I have 2 sets hooked up (exclusively) to the digital boxes; one Wal-Mart RCA cheapie to my Zenith 25EC58, and the other is a Samsung 1080 (non-coupon) box with our Sony 40" tube WEGA set. Both get more channels than NTSC with rabbit ears, even out here in the boondocks!!!! We get about 10 channels from Los Angeles, and 2 or 3 from Santa Barbara. Also, I think I caught one from either San Diego, or possibly Tijuana. I can't wait 'til I put up a roof-mounted UHF antenna


***Our daily watcher; Sony Profeel 19" in the kitchen, is on DirecTV. Kay watches stuff on the non-air channels, otherwise I'd get rid of the DirecTV right now.

Charles

[peverett]

I have tried several converters, both coupon compatible and non-coupon compatible. All except the coupon compatible (sold by Wal-Mart) RCA have worked the same-fine in good weather, crappy in bad.

The RCA seems to have poorer reception and has crashed twice, requireing power cycles. (The other brand sold by Wal-Mart, Magnavox, seems ok.).

I wish that some of these trials would occur during windy/rainy/stormy weather. This would be a good test of how things will actually be next year.

[Pete Deksnis]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/technology...ople-call.html

Pete

[Pete Deksnis]

Democrats have urged a delay in the transition, but Republicans have balked, saying it would further confuse consumers. Late last week, the Dems reached a compromise with Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson that calls for the transition to take place on June 12, 2009.

Hutchinson says the bill would allow local stations to switch to digital before June 12, if they wish.

I say, just do it! Let's get it over with. This last minute delay won't change the fact that a handful of technically challenged or disinterested OTA TV viewers will get caught without NTSC broadcasts. Plus, surveys have indicated that millions of TV viewers will choose to not convert and simply allow their NTSC installations to expire.

BTW, I have bought two of the Walmart 'Magnavox' converters. One when they first came out and another a few days ago. Both do the job, but an automatic volume control feature on converter boxes would have been nice as it would save me from making volume adjustments after channel changes or during high-volume commercials.

[richms]

If it wasn't for the crazy subsidy scheme, the boxes would probably be a hell of a lot cheaper. Noone will sell a box below the subsidy value while they are still operating.

[andy]

---

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by andy

I agree. The $40 coupons have probably added at least $30 to the price of the boxes. If they can sell them in the UK for as little as $25-$30 (even with their higher sales tax), then they shouldn't be $50-$70 here. The coupons are also forcing them to dumb down the boxes by eliminating features like QAM tuning, component video, digital audio, and HD output. For $60 they should be able to output full HD. The chips used in these boxes are already capable of many of those features, but they are turned off in software.

That may be due more to patent royalties than the subsidy.

Supposedly, one Chinese manufacturer complained that the royalty for an American ATSC set was about $20 USD, versus about $2 USD for digital sets sold in the EU.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by andy

The chips used in these boxes are already capable of many of those features, but they are turned off in software.

Some of the boxes may be flash memory updatable, and many boxes have marked internal circuit board traces and holes that may be the input port. Be interesting if someone figures out a hack to modify the software...


Look at the lower left corner of the above picture (Which is the board in the Channel Master CM 7000, this picture was from a thread where I mentioned how to make this box be B&W only, for vintage B&W TV sets, http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=174290 )

[Pete Deksnis]

I have been asked what I will be doing for the end of NTSC.
Here's what I wrote to fellow AKer and TV nut Dave Sica.

My plan for tomorrow is to: run the two hi-def sets in picture-in-picture analog
mode for four different channels, the 'modern' 14-in RCA in analog mode (the
fifth channel), the CT-100 (that's six), and finally the Hauppauge card in this
computer running the seventh analog channel, for a glorious ending to NTSC....

Long live NTSC!
Pete

[cbenham]

Congress delays digital transition until June 12, but I don't think it means that LOTS of stations are going to wait and continue to pay to power two sets of transmitters
for ~ 4 more months.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/...ostponed_N.htm

[Dave S]

Well, that means we'll have to postpone our "farewell to NTSC" viewing party too. Dang, and the beer was cooling so nicely! Hmmm, June... Maybe we'll have a picnic.

We were looking forward to watching Jay Leno go to snow in the middle of his program; guess we'll end up watching Conan now.