| DevilRy
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Being the most important can't be seen in the eyes |
So most North Americans will be switching to ATSC digital signals next year and Canadians in 2011. What does everyone think about this? Personally I'm going to miss the analog days.
I don't know much about PAL formats. Aren't you guys switching to something called 576i?
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Logged DevilRy has 435 Posts (+23/-0 Karma) |
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So, what are the changes we might see? Can you give me an example?
Signature under construction 'cause the last one died.
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Logged Emilio Morales has 1133 Posts (+25/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
This should've been done years ago. Much better reception and more channels/high definition, what is there to miss?
I picked up two digital converters with 80$ worth of government coupons. So far I can only pickup 4 AETN channels (more or less local PBS)
I never watch the network channels (local affiliates) but Dish Network which I couldn't live long without doesn't carry them for most areas, including out here, so company might be happy to see them.
The biggest benefit should be, no more fuzzy pictures. You either get a digital signal or you don't. The highly amplified digital signals will carry much further.
PS: This is just for the airwaves. Basic cable won't likely change for a while. Though it probably should.
edited: Never know, some of the new channels might even be interesting. Hopefully there will be plenty of room for public interest programming. Many basic cable channels might go out over the air. We'll see.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2008, 08:42:38 PM by yksehtniycul »
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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Well, then sounds like a good move. 
Signature under construction 'cause the last one died.
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Logged Emilio Morales has 1133 Posts (+25/-0 Karma) |
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| DevilRy
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Being the most important can't be seen in the eyes |
I've been putting off getting a converter for no real reason. All my games are in NTSC format so I'm not in a particular rush. I watch most of my television on the internet anyway. 
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Logged DevilRy has 435 Posts (+23/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Your games being NTSC won't be affected at all 
Basically if you like to watch broadcasted television (via an antenna) you'll want to invest in a converter box. If you'd payed attention the government would've payed for two per person for you. But it may be too late for you at this point. The government certified boxes had a retail price of 50$. That left 10$ for the citizen to pick up the tab on.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2008, 10:41:45 PM by yksehtniycul »
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| DevilRy
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Being the most important can't be seen in the eyes |
That's what I'm saying, I'm not in a rush to pick up a converter because I watch virtually no broadcast television. Well, PBS but only a handful of shows and only when I somehow manage to be around when they're actually being shown.
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Logged DevilRy has 435 Posts (+23/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Yeah, I can't DVR the PBS, so I pretty much don't even try to. No PBS over satellite anymore either.
Didn't occur to me till now, I could just run PBS into a tv I don't use much more. It's more feasible now with the four digital channels, whereas before I only got the all-in-one feed. Which was ok in the middle of the night, as it was mostly really ancient BBC programming, but was hit and miss the rest of the time.
In NYC there were a lot of great channels/programs over the air. Don't know so much about Portland.
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
While reading about these standards on Wikipedia I learned the only difference with NTSC-J (Japan) is it's black level is same as it's blanking level. So a black screen appears the same as an off screen. Whereas the NTSC standard has a slightly higher black level, so that a black screen still appears to emit some light. Therefore NTSC-J signals are slightly darker. So a Japanese game console should emit a darker image than it's NA counter part when using an analog interface.
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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I'm going to wait until last minute to do this, seeing as how TV means little to me except for NBC on thursdays and white noise so I can go to sleep. Although, I wonder if my sleep will actually suffer if I forgo the transition entirely. 
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Logged Stan_Marino has 7 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| DevilRy
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Being the most important can't be seen in the eyes |
I was kind of wondering about the wider implications of this...
Like, will private citizens be able to buy out the old broadcast channels? I really really really like the idea of analogue piracy. I'm sure TBN and the like will still broadcast in analogue.
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Logged DevilRy has 435 Posts (+23/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Yeah, you can still override a digital signal, but I'm not sure what it will look like snow wise, and it'll really break thru your transmission unless you can beat it down good. I wonder if this might be irritating for people broadcasting their own tv thru out their homes. I do that, but just FM radio.
My guess is if you broadcasted in digital the receiving equipment could probably distinguish between the more dominant carrier if it was designed to.
As for "TBN", don't know if you mean the Turner Broadcasting Network, or some pirate tv activity. If it's a legitimate network it will have to change to digital. And if it isn't, it might stand a better chance changing to digital anyways. Especially because the only people looking for analog signals would be pirate sniffers, so there would no longer be the incentive to reach unexpecting watchers (if people really actually do that anywhere in this country)
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| DevilRy
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Being the most important can't be seen in the eyes |
TBN is the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the insane Christian propaganda channel.
I meant will people still broadcast analog stations for reception on tvs that don't have converter boxes and if so it could usher in a new era of pirate broadcasting, something along the lines of HAM radio I guess.
The more I read about digital signals I don't know if I'm entirely sold on the idea. Technically this means all the broadcast television you watch would be monitored in some way. I mean I don't even trust broadcast networks to report accurate or intelligent news...
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Logged DevilRy has 435 Posts (+23/-0 Karma) |
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| yksehtniycul
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don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire |
Digital or analog it all uses the same airwaves. I don't know if some spectrum of the airwaves will be kept pristine for analog broadcasting.
I have heard of a form of rural wifi using airwaves which is presumably faster than dial-up but still relatively impotent. I can't imagine a mechanism for "monitoring" what you watch -- if I understand your concerns correctly. Equipment will have to be relatively more complicated, though it never was something you could just string together like macgyver.
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Logged yksehtniycul has 2094 Posts (+0/-0 Karma) |
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| DevilRy
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Being the most important can't be seen in the eyes |
I just don't understand why the change is necessary. If they can be operated at the same time I don't see what's the problem. I mean that's what they're doing now, right...? No one has really explained to me why this benefits us, is what I'm trying to say.
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Logged DevilRy has 435 Posts (+23/-0 Karma) |
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