DIGITAL TV : MIND CONTROL BY THE SOUND OF SILENCE

>Why is the government so anxious to spend 8 billion dollars on her citizens to improve the clarity of a TV picture?

So they don't get eye strain while watching us.

Where to start? Well let's start with the fact that the change isn't to HD TV but to digital. HD has to do with the number of lines per inch scanned on your TV screen, digital is how the signal actually reaches your TV, as opposed to an analog signal, which is usually in the form of a sine wave. Digital waves have only two states.

The boxes are for converting the digital signal coming into your set into analog so your TV can display them. If you have a new TV it handles digital without an extra box, ditto if you have cable or satellite, the box converts for you.

HD is something you can get extra with your cable or satellite service if you wish to pay the bucks for it, you can get it for free if you get an outside antenna and your TV is a new set capable of handling HD. While HD is certainly digital the two are not joined at the hip and HD is NOT mandated, only digital.

If you are still terrified of digital TV, I would suggest you turn yours off and not watch it, get your news off the net and don't put a TV card into your computer.

I just got a new plasma TV and some free HD. Is my mind being controlled?

It must be! All you had to do was get a converter box. /s

I'll help protect your mind from further control. Just trade me your plasma TV for my TV AND the converter box. It is a 2 for 1 deal!

All joking aside, I would love to be able to watch Planet Earth in HD!

My digital TV and the one with the converter work so poorly that I seldom watch. It’s so frustrating. I miss analog and I’m NOT going to go out and get an antenna.

What kind of antenna do you presently have, and how far away are the TV stations?

You don't have to get an antenna that is "made for digital TV". In fact many are small antennas with built in amplifiers. If the signal is weak, it will amplify the weak signal (interference and all) and still give bad reception.

Antenna "surface area", distance to the TV station's transmitter, and the direction your antenna is pointed seem to be the main three factors.

Here is a page that will let you see where the TV stations are near you, how large of an antenna you'll need, and which way to point it. http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx
You only need to enter your zip code to get a general idea, but to be specific put your (or your next door neighbor's) address in.

For an explanation of antenna type you would need, click on the link inside the color(s) shown on the results page.

Obviously you would need an antenna large enough to receive the weakest channel you would want to watch (if my wording makes any sense, it's late).

Okay kids, that's my take on TV antenna 101, feel free to pick apart my mistakes, but please be gentle.

Try a cheap UHF antenna.

Good advice.
There will actually be two stations in my area still transmitting in VHF after the transition.
It may be the exception, but some people may still benefit from a VHF antenna.
There are way too many overpriced "digital TV" antennas out there.

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