Digital Tv Broadcasting Coming Soon Options

[John Blue]

We all need to think about this change that will take place on February 17, 2009. All TV stations will stop broadcast in analog and only use digital system. You think no big deal, 85% of all TV sets in USA are analog only. Most all RV equipment have analog sets. TV sets we have were build into nice oak cabinets and to change it could be a problem. Try to find one that would fit into your cabinets.

You can add a digital to analog converter box to keep the old TV set. You will need room or space to add this equipment plus AC power. Next problem is your bat-wing style antenna on roof. If you have the silver wings you will need to change that also. If you have the painted wings you are OK. Winegard has the new wings and you only need to change that part, rest of Winegard gear is OK.

Our Congress mandated this change in 2006. Now I understand tons of people do not have the dollars to buy new TV's or buy converter box. Government is now talked they may pay cost on digital to analog equipment so people can see TV again. Our government at work!

We in RV life have around 14 months to think about the best way to get ready to fix this problem.
What will we do next?

[Texasrvers]

JJ,

Your situation sounds similar to ours. Here's what I know (I think). We subscribe to a cable service. It provides channels from 2 all the way up to 900+. Our newest TV is 5-6 years old (I think it is digital ready, but I'm not sure). We also have a couple that are so ancient that they have to be analog. All but one of them are connected directly to a cable outlet in the house, and they all receive channels 2-99 without any kind of cable box. The one remaining TV does have a digital cable box. It could receive all the channels, but we do not pay for all that are available. Your information got me to thinking about our service so I called our provider and asked these questions.

1. With the service I currently subscribe to will I need to get additional digital converter boxes for my older TV's before 2009. They said no.

2. If I have a digital ready TV will it still need a box to get channels above 99. Yes, because that is how they control what service we pay for.

3. If we put the box on the older TV's will we also get the higher channels. Yes, but only those we pay for.

Now of course this is for our cable company, and others may be different. But based on the information I got today I do not plan to change anything at our house. Also right now I am thinking I will not need to do anything in the RV either. That TV is about 4 years old. When we travel we almost always choose parks that have cable so that TV should work just fine under those circumstances. If it won't work with just the antennae, then I'll probably get a box, but that is down the road.

Right now we think we are all set for 2009, but time will tell.

By the way, you said the coupons would be available through March of this year. Aren't they available through March of 2009?