Analog TV May Survive Until Summer?

by Rich Menga on Jan 13, 2009 | 22 comments

As everyone (and I mean everyone) has been hearing for about, oh, a year’s time is that analog television will cease transmissions on February 19, 2009 and switch to digital – so if you receive TV via rabbit ears (pictured) you’ll have to throw those out and buy a new set that can receive digital.

But now the soon-to-be CINC is suggesting that this date should be pushed back until summer. The FCC chair disagrees and says the Feb 19 date should go forth as planned to avoid confusing the crap out of people. And to be honest I agree.

Why is the date at this point being suggested to be pushed back?

One reason, money.

The deal is that there was supposed to be some funding provided by the US government in the form of coupons to help people buy new digital antennas (which some of you out there may have received – but many didn’t), and the consensus from the powers the be is that money could be better spent elsewhere at the present time.

Furthermore the plan to bring everyone over to digital has been anything but smooth. Said honestly, it’s all botched up. You can stamp a big ol’ FAIL on the US gov for this one.

Personally I feel the plan should go forward regardless. There isn’t a single person I know who isn’t aware of the switchover date. And in every major department and electronics store there are signs both big and small explaining to people that yes, if you receive via antenna you have to get digital. These signs have been up for over six months.

Concerning the coupons, yeah they’re a nice idea and all that, but digital antennas are as cheap as 15 bucks!

What will the decision be come February? Nobody knows yet. But hopefully we’ll either get a solid YES or NO concerning the switchover to avoid further confusing everybody.

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Martin Schooley
You don’t need to change the antenna. The only thing that is changing is the type of modulation. You still will be able to receive the carrier on the same antenna. You do need to have a digital tuner to demodulate the TV channel.Just hook your existing antenna to the new digital tuner.
Steve Stone
> so if you receive TV via rabbit ears (pictured) you’ll have to throw those out and buy a new set that can receive digital<
This is so incorrect I don’t know where to start.
Many but not all TV stations are using higher UHF TV frequencies for digital transmissions. If your antenna (badged HD or not) can receive the new digital signals strong enough you do not need to purchase a new antenna. You will need a way to view the digital signal, either a new TV with a digital ATSC OTA tuner or a converter box attached to your old school TV (which will let you view off the air digital signals, but the picture will be SD and the 16:9 format may be distorted on a 4:30 aspect ratio screen.) If you get your TV from the internet, cable, or satellite you need to do nothing. Please don’t confuse more little old ladies.
Again: there is no difference in a HD badged antenna and an old school antenna, as long as they are designed to pickup the same radio spectrum.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
I said absolutely nothing about HD. Not a thing. Obviously there is no such thing as an “HDTV Antenna”:
http://www.antennasdirect.com/uhf.html
There is absolutely no chance that older non-amplified rabbit ears can even hold a candle to newer (and cheap) amplified ones. The vast majority of set-top antennas for sale are all amplified for better decimetre band reception. Older set-top antennas must be changed out unless the existing one is amplified already – which most aren’t.

Steve Stone
>Older set-top antennas must be changed out unless the existing one is amplified already – which most aren’t.<
You are assuming something, that the end users ability to capture a useable digital signal is within or outside of certain parameters. There are people, within a 10 mile radius of the transmitter antenna site, without multipath issues, that will not need a new amplified set top receiving antenna, in fact a preamp may overload the front end of the receiver resulting in the signal not being able to be decoded.
I’d also be real careful about the purchase of a stand alone preamp, especially in a fringe reception area. There is some real crap out there with poor signal to noise ratios. Since we are getting down to brass tacks, there is nothing really different from a “digital’ badged antenna
and a traditional antenna used for analog reception. The “digital” label is marketing hype.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
“A preamp may overload”? That’s a crock. There’s not a single consumer grade rabbit ear antenna amplifier that will get anywhere near overload of any type.

Jake
The mention rabbit ears as an indicator of an off-air analog TV viewer, who needs the Digital Tuner box selling for between $40 and $60, these digital adapters are what the $40 coupon is for. Yea I hear the coupon program has run out of money. I use one of these, a dtv-Pal with some old cheap amplified rabbit ears. There’s a channel or 2 not quite coming in, for them I can switch the tuner box to pass through analog (At least for another month)My early model dtv-Pal was always a bit flakey, and has now pack it in, ideally I would trade it up for the dtv-Pal-Plus which is more sensitive.
http://www.twitter.com/AndrewPearce Drew
Here’s my 2c worth -
1. The transition date is actually February 17, 2009, *NOT* February 19, 2009.
2. To put it into simple English, for those that want to argue the point (this is straight from the http://www.dtv2009.gov website so if you have an issue with it, take it up with them):
Link: https://www.dtv2009.gov/Options.aspx
Will the transition affect me?
You will need to take action before February 17, 2009 if you currently watch TV on an analog TV set that is not connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service. If you own a television with a digital tuner or subscribe to a pay TV service, you will likely continue to receive TV programming as usual after the transition.
Question 1.
Do you have a TV set in your household receiving broadcasts using an antenna, such as “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna?
*Yes*
Question 2.
Do you have a television with a built-in digital tuner?
*No*
Answer
You need a TV converter box. Since you receive your TV over-the-air, and do not have a digital ready television, you will need a converter box to receive television after February 17th, 2009.
Oldtimetech
And even with an amplified antenna you may no longer be able to get the TV station’s you could before because now you are too far away from the tower. From 57 stations to 10…don’t know if this is a good move or not, but I refuse to pay for TV in this economy.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
Considering in many areas it costs $50 monthly for a standard cable subscription and with satellite you are subject to a yearly contractual agreement (which turns a lot of people off), there are many who share your opinion.

http://www.twitter.com/AndrewPearce Drew
Brighthouse Networks are running a promotion (and in case you were wondering, no, I don’t work for them) for basic cable @ $9.99/month. Gives you better, consistent reception for the first 25 or so channels. For $9.99/mth with no contract, it’s a great deal IMO.
Joseph Sasgen
“analog television will cease transmissions on February 19, 2009 and switch to digital – so if you receive TV via rabbit ears (pictured) you’ll have to throw those out and buy a new set that can receive digital.”
Well, Rich, I just joined this group and you are already losing credibility. First of all, the date is February 17, not February 19. Secondly, the coupons are for digital to analog converter boxes, not for amplified antennas. So you don’t necessarily have to throw anything out and you don’t have to get a new tv if you get the converter box. Some (low power) translators in our area have already switched to digital and my old tv works great on my old (unamplified) rabbit ears with the converter box. The old rabbit ears don’t have to hold a candle to the amplified ones if they work and mine do. Of course not everyone’s will, but your blanket statements are bordering on absurd. And Mr. Stone is absolutely 100% correct on all counts including overloading the input with some of the crap preamps on the market. Sounds like you don’t know much about the subject.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
Thank you for your wonderful comment. When I grow up I want to be just like you. Don’t forget to subscribe! Have a nice day!

Joseph
Rich, sorry if I offended you, but your “crock” statement was somewhat offensive, if not incorrect also. You have a nice day as well!

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
Thanks! You rock! Hopefully one day I can be just as cool and awesome as you are. (One can dream!)

http://newegg.com Dave Stanley
The later guys are correctomundoo. The coupons are for $40 and only good for 90 days. The issue is a switch from analog to digital signals. This is supposed to clear up some space(spectrum) and help the fire,police, and medics get more space to conduct their operations.More data can be packed on digital than analog and subgroup channels will work in digital too. I signed my 78 yr.old mom and younger brother in Tenn. up a month or so back as well as myself. The best converter boxes I could find are at Best Buy. I bought six of the INSIGNIA boxes. They will give an old crt set near HD on the picture. It is amazing what this box will do. If you get a chance look on Best Buys site and check the customer reviews on them. The government allows 2 coupons per household for the coupons. You are not supposed to resale them either for more than $40. I put $24 more with each of my two boxes so I think legally I might be able to ask for a small profit off my $24 on each box. They run $59.99 for the Insignia box. They also sell the Apex box for around $40. Walmart has a Magnavox box for around $40. On the DTV2009 site there are about 40 dealers with different deals that are selling converter boxes too. One place is offering half off on antennas. I use the RCA 1246 Amplified antenna. It has about 50db gain and is a gem. It goes for about $40. It has several options on it for different set ups. I also have 2 real small Chinese sets of rabbit ears in vhf/uhf configuration. I got a deal at the SC state redistribution office near here on them. They were 2 for $5. I need one of them for my Hauppauge 950Q tuner card I use in my laptop and desktop computers. I can take my laptop with me when I am waiting on my wife at the Drs.office and get about 30 different channels while sitting in my car in the parking lot. I just screw the lil rabbit ear antenna coax to the F connector on the 950 card and plug it in the USB port. It is nice. They are great for college kids too that live in college dorms. TV theft is bad at the local USC dorms and these lil USB tuner cards allow one to put their TV in their shirt pocket and take it with them to class or the library.According to a write up I saw in PC magazine Zenith builds the Insignia box and puts the Insig. sticker on them. They will get extra channels for you too.The article in PC magazine explains how they do that. The Dept of Homeland Security is suggesting that people get a converter box in case of Emergencies. I guess they are figuring if the tv cble goes out they might have to send emergency signals outover the air.The signals would probably still be in digital,but having the preamp setup in some of the boxes would help reach more prople than a plain antenna I guess.

http://www.twitter.com/AndrewPearce Drew
I work for BBY and it sounds like your trying to sell them for us! Works for me!

Larry
You are a tech writer for a tech forum?? :confused:
I suggest that you do some research, before writing an article like this…like maybe “www.fcc.gov” would be a good place to start.
I have a 25 yr old antenna that works fine, & pulls channels that I could never recieve with my old analog set (about 18 opposed to 4 with analog)

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
Thanks for your comment. And boy do I sure feel bad. Seriously, I totally do. That thing you said about http://www.whatever.gov.egg.muffin.. what tech is that? Never heard of it. I’ve been using a Smith Corona all these years.

http://www.twitter.com/AndrewPearce Drew
Rich, I’m not sure what I did wrong? I clicked on that link and got this:
Address Not Found
Firefox can’t find the server at http://www.whatever.gov.egg.muffin..
Did you give me a virus? LOL

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
I got the rockin’ pneumonia and the boogie-woogie flu!

Larry
Attack the messenger…not the message…that’s really good!
You made TWO glaring errors in this article…yet you fail to correct those errors, but you attack anyone who RIGHTFULLY points out you mistake(S).
You are funny though…maybe you should try a comic career.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
I thought about correcting the errors but said “nah” because it keeps bringing in traffic, and the fact people keep taking personal jabs at me which is great for laughs.