All the press coverage seems to be about how to get a converter or how folks are going to be left behind because they're too poor and stupid to plug coax into a box.
Where I'm at, about 100 miles East of Dallas, I can receive most of the Dallas analog stations. Sometimes I can pick up Shreveport and Waco at night.
When I use the digital converter - I get spotty reception from only one station about twenty miles away in Tyler. Its analog equivalent is clear as a bell.
Another issue is inclement weather. Whenever there's any precipitation the digital signal is FUBAR.
If the present signal strength is any indication, there's going to be a serious re-adjustment for folks used to analog broadcasting - and they're not going to be happy. Given what I've seen so far it looks like a disaster waiting to happen. Can't wait to watch the FCC explain themselves.
Disclaimer: I don't watch much television at all - but I do need it for local weather and news.
I’ve found that digital signals are VERY sensitive to antenna position. I have my antenna on a motor and if you aren’t within a couple degrees of the proper orientation, the signal drops out totally. In my area I can get only 3 digital stations reliably, even though there are 13 stations broadcasting both analog and digital. On days with good weather, I can maybe pick up another 3 with some futzing with the antenna.
This whole thing annoys me.
Where I live, (western MA/central Berkshires) I can get one channel, CBS, from Hartford, CT, 60 miles from here. I subscribe to DirecTV, and because of silly market crap, I have to ask local affiliate *permission* to get “local” networks via DTV.. (local being NYC).
And the thing is that the elevation, line-of-sight stuff, whatever.. I have a feeling the new digital signal will be a wash too. (And yeah, bad weather kills it.)
The Albany ABC doesn’t come in here, nor does Fox or NBC. ABC and Fox both gave me waivers, but NBC in Albany won’t. I’ve called, I’ve written, they won’t even return my calls.
DirecTV says I won’t have to do a thing after the change because my signal’s been digital all along, but I have had the feeling the digital broadcasts will be a wash here too.
Can’t get cable service in here. (I am on a satellite internet that sucks too, That’s a completely different rant!)
I ‘spose the trade-off is being able to live up here in the woods with no traffic, no neighbors 10 feet away, and no obnoxious subwoofers banging away outside at 2am. The occasional bear steals the garbage can.
But I guess my point is, if they’re gonna make this a mandatory sweep, then make it available to everyone, or give ‘em a waiver, or access so we can pay for it another way.
/rant. (whew)
Good post and true. Some fringe stations were staticy but watchable. With digital, they are gone.
Digital is also very sensitive to the connectors used. A corroded or loose connector is fatal for some digital at some frequencies.
Broadcast signal strength is only of concern to the minority of viewers who don’t have cable/satellite service. And getting a better antenna will usually solve the problem.
Stinkin GOV'T can't find it's @ss with both hands
It however is VERY good at finding and draining OUR wallets!
My experience is different. I get top-of-the-scale signal strength from digital transmitters 20 miles away. I get kind of lousy reception (could lock on or not) from a station 78 miles away, but it is not line-of-site and is below an obscuring hill. The only time I lose the 20 mile stations is sometimes when my antenna gets knocked off the stand, but usually most of the stations still work. Weather has never been a factor with the 20 mile stations.
The silly thing here is this: Any EE who knows something about comm systems and isn’t in the pocket of the broadcast companies and the FCC knew this was going to be the case. The promises from the TV industry and FCC just didn’t add up in comm system terms.
But there are huge amounts of money circling this situation like buzzards over a herd of dead cattle: those UHF channels that will eventually be “re-allocated” are going to be sold off to the highest bidder(s) and as it stands now, most any available frequencies above 500Mc are going for big, big bucks in spectrum auctions. The FCC can almost smell that money from here, and so they’re not going to be particularly attentive to complaints from consumers as a result.
This is sort of like broadband over power lines (BPL). People who know a thing or two about power and comm systems could see that it wasn’t going to meet the wild promises being made. Didn’t stop the FCC from shoving it through.
http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/common/opinions/200804/06-1343-1112979.pdf
I've got a good high speed internet service that suits me for $16.95 (total) a month.
I currently receive 5 analog broadcast channels on my rabbit ears and I'm not paying an additional $40 or more (plus the infernal fees and taxes) for basic cable.
I've got two of those stupid $40 gov't cards and they expire in July. I WILL NOT pay more than $40 for a 'converter box' so I may or may not 'upgrade'.
This whole thing is a crock of sh*t.
Get DIRECTV and be done with it. Best move you will ever make.
What I want to know is, if the box is for people without cable or sat TV, why do I always see commercials for the rebates for the boxes on cable channels?
I have found that there are small differneces between models as far as sensitivity goes too... no specs on any of these things.
Aren't all the new channel designations in the UHF band? I thought the VHF freqs were the ones sold off. Anyway, a good UHF antenna and amp will help out, if people want to go to the trouble.
Just out of curiosity, have you checked the FCC license site for the various stations you’re discussing? A large number of stations going digital are running lower power on the digital side at the moment to save power costs, but planning to ramp it up once they can shut off the analog transmitter. You’ll find the TV lookup info here:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html
How’s your reception on Channel 39? The Digital stations will all be broadcasting on the UHF band, so if you’re not using an all-band antenna, you won’t be getting much of a signal from them. 39 at the moment is broadcasting 5 million watts on the analog side, and one million on the digital side on channel 40. If you’re not getting 39 in analog, you’re probably not going to get 40, and you’re also probably not going to get much else in the way of UHF digital stations. The problem there isn’t an analog versus digital problem the problem is a VHF versus UHF problem.
If the Tyler station you’re talking about is KLTV, they’re running the legal maximum analog on channel 7 at the moment, and they’ll be one of the few digital stations still operating in the VHF band (on channel 10). They’re currently only using 15 thousand watts on the digital side, which could explain your spotty reception.
I only watch TV for news and weather, especially severe weather warnings.
With analog, I get over 20 stations, 15 quite clear. With the digital junk, I get 6 on a good day.
My main problem is during wind and rain, all I get is “no signal” displayed on the tv.
This is totally unacceptable, and serves to endanger the public as it undermines weather warning systems.
We’ve had a set-top box for a few months now....it sucks.