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?

[BJMA]

WalMart is selling Digital to NTSC converters... somewhere around $90.00. The gov't in their infinite "wisdom" is going to give everyone a $40.00 coupon... this ought to be real interesting on how that project/program is going to run....

An antenna is an antenna, it does not give two hoots if it is pulling in a digital signal or an analog signal, the antenna just does not care. The ONLY reason why the MARGINAL AT BEST (Piece Of Stuff) bat wing antenna is or may be a problem is only because the digital TV broadcasts are "way up" the TV band. This may change, as analog transmitters die off and the band empties, it will soon fill up with digital signals, so the maginal at best POS batwing will be back in its element. EXCEPT on 700MHz, this bands fate has already been predetermined. Many of the old analog broadcast bands may meet the similar fate as public service users decide they need more spectrum.

The whole idea to kill off analog bandeating broadcasts was inevitable. It is only that it took the congress to mandate the move since if it were left up to the industry, the move would never have happened.

As a TV watcher, I would not be in a tizzy over this. The DBS systems will still be both "HD" and NTSC, same with cable. As long as camp grounds offer cable TV, our old TVs will still work, and if you subscribe to a DBS service, there is no huge hurry to switch. The only user that needs to upgrade to digital are those that only use off the air signals, the only reason to replace the antenna is for one with higher gain on the higher frequencies. But, as I said, as things settle down, and the bands are either repopulated or refarmed, then the existing antenna will be fine.