Analog people in a digital world come 2/17/09.

[tron3]

You know the type. Usually the older and/or poorer generation. They still use records, 8-tracks, cassettes, and VHS. Their TV is at least 10-15 years old, and was probably bought used from a repair shop.

While there is a government discount coupon program to give these kinds of people a digital tuner converter box, that coupon doesn't give them a proper antenna. In fact, the box may not even contain information regarding the use of a proper antenna to get digital transmission. In short, thousands of people are paying for converter boxes which will not do anything for them on conventional rabbit ears, or roof antenna. A UHF "bowtie" or "loop" antenna won't get them many channels.

I expect there will be a certain degree of "lost and bewildered" OTA only users come 2/17/09. This is the "Y2K" bug for digital TV age. The pay TV services are chomping at the bit to exploit these people.

I may know at least a few people who could be impacted by this transition and completely lose their picture. Anyone else think this problem is bigger than we think?

[jw]

If you use Cable or satellite you wont be affected.
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...hlight=coupons

[Marquoz]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

If you use Cable or satellite you wont be affected.
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...hlight=coupons

The other thread you mention doesn't discuss the need for an antenna, just really the coupon. I think the original poster is bringing up information about how you need more then just the box for what it is intended to do. It is intended to convert the (digital) signal from an antenna into what the TV can handle (analog). I wonder how many people will think the box they are getting with the coupon will replace the antenna they currently have and throw it away (people who don't have satellite or cable), or they will think they will all of a sudden get more channels then they currently are able to recieve.

[WickyWoo]

I get more channels than I could get on analog. None of them are worth my time, but I do (main channels, not subchannels)

[tron3]

Originally Posted by Marquoz

... I think the original poster is bringing up information about how you need more then just the box for what it is intended to do. ....

Bingo. Some people will convert at the last minute, still others will wait a few days to see if there is a sale on overstock of LCD's. Either way, it's going to be a killer Christmas season in spite of economic slow down.

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

I get more channels than I could get on analog. None of them are worth my time, but I do (main channels, not subchannels)

Yeah, sub channels suck simply for being 480p, at best. However, I do like the FOX subchannel for The Simpsons so I can watch it streched 16:9 and not 4:3.

[jw]

Originally Posted by Marquoz

The other thread you mention doesn't discuss the need for an antenna, just really the coupon. I think the original poster is bringing up information about how you need more then just the box for what it is intended to do. It is intended to convert the (digital) signal from an antenna into what the TV can handle (analog). I wonder how many people will think the box they are getting with the coupon will replace the antenna they currently have and throw it away (people who don't have satellite or cable), or they will think they will all of a sudden get more channels then they currently are able to recieve.

did I say, use the search function, no I just threw the coupon thread in there as its related. Next question is how many people here actually use an antenna or rabbit ears?

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

i personally think this change isnt fair. like stated before, older or lower class people don't want to spend money or dont have money for this. also, they don't want to waste time on it.

[owa]

It shouldn't be unfair to the poor since the gov't is paying for it.

[owa]

Actually, looking at the instructions for it, you don't need a different antenna. The same antenna you use for analog TV should work. I guess that makes sense. If you check a lot of the HDTV sites, most will even recommend regular rabbit ears for receiving HDTV (although, in my case, rabbit ears worked but I had much better results with a specific type).

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts...verterbox.html

Supplies: You will need your analog TV, the antenna you have been using (indoor or outdoor), and the coaxial wire that currently connects your antenna to your TV (as pictured on the right). Your new converter box will come with a coaxial wire and a remote control. Before you begin the installation of the converter box, you should unplug your TV.

[mightypen]

Originally Posted by tron3

You know the type. Usually the older and/or poorer generation. They still use records, 8-tracks, cassettes, and VHS. Their TV is at least 10-15 years old, and was probably bought used from a repair shop.

While there is a government discount coupon program to give these kinds of people a digital tuner converter box, that coupon doesn't give them a proper antenna. A UHF "bowtie" or "loop" antenna won't get them many channels.

Why wouldn't an antenna that works with a TV that is less than 15 years old not work with a digital converter? Do you have any links?

Unless you are meaning that instead of getting a fuzzy picture with an antenna,they'll get nothing?

[tron3]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

...Next question is how many people here actually use an antenna or rabbit ears?

This is my poll on how people get HDTV. While it doesn't indicated any analog reception, It still shows a fairly high percentage of people who rely on OTA for a picture.
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...t=receive+HDTV

Originally Posted by mightypen

Why wouldn't an antenna that works with a TV that is less than 15 years old not work with a digital converter? Do you have any links?

Unless you are meaning that instead of getting a fuzzy picture with an antenna,they'll get nothing?

Rabbit ears, and most roof top antenna's only pick up the VHF band of the TV signal, which is traditional analog. The digital UHF band requires a UHF antenna. Simple as that. While they MIGHT get SOME of the lower band UHF with existing VHF antenna, you want an UHF antenna for best results.

[Chocolatejas]

Got my cards today. What box do I want to pick up from the eligible list?

[jw]

Wal-Mart has a Magnavox box for 49.99, 10.00 with coupon

Remember if you are using an antenna on your house you will need to get a new HDTV antenna as well, they are 38.76 at WM

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

i personally think this change isnt fair. like stated before, older or lower class people don't want to spend money or dont have money for this. also, they don't want to waste time on it.

They didn't want touch tone phones, either.

Originally Posted by jwbbud

Remember if you are using an antenna on your house you will need to get a new HDTV antenna as well, they are 38.76 at WM

What type and how large of an antenna depends on where you live. An "HDTV" antenna from WM won't always work. I can receive all of the analog signals OTA (not necessarily high quality) with my attic antenna, but I had to place a BIG UHF antenna on the roof to get digital signals.


Our local media have been fairly aggressive in getting word out about the transition. I think there are more educated and wealthier people (non-television watchers) that I know who are unaware.

[Footloose301]

Originally Posted by melsbluespecv

i personally think this change isnt fair. like stated before, older or lower class people don't want to spend money or dont have money for this. also, they don't want to waste time on it.

I think its a great idea. Considering there will not be any more "snowy pic" since its a digital transmission. Also its the way technology is moving. If you go to the store to buy VHS and you're living in a dead age, and DVD is moving that way very soon, Blu-ray has taken over. Well analog is the dead age and digital is here, time to move to 2008.

[camper]

Originally Posted by tron3

You know the type. Usually the older and/or poorer generation. They still use records, 8-tracks, cassettes, and VHS. Their TV is at least 10-15 years old, and was probably bought used from a repair shop.

While you probably won't find them here, there are quite a few people in America who's lives *gasp* don't revolve around TV and technology. These are the fools who would rather watch a sunrise live and in person, rather than DVR Sunrise Earth. Or, would rather work in their gardens instead of watching someone else talk about it on HGTV.

And I've known more people who CAN'T afford a 5k setup in their living room max out thier credit cards just to do so. So in other words, if you didn't pay cash for all your A/V equipment or if you're still paying on your Sony Visa card for the stuff you have now, consider yourself the poorer generation who simply qualified for a credit card

A UHF "bowtie" or "loop" antenna won't get them many channels.

I'd refamiliarize yourself with what's really happening, because you NEED a UHF antenna. If you don't have an antenna that can get a UHF signal (VHF only--highly unlikely) than you're going to need to replace it.

If they're getting a signal now, they will still get the signal with the converter box.

Anyone else think this problem is bigger than we think?

No. This is not Y2K, this is not a video apocolypse, and the worst that can happen is someone might miss their 'stories'. The illuminati will not use this event to take over the world, and things will be the day after the same as they were the day before.

Originally Posted by jwbbud

did I say, use the search function, no I just threw the coupon thread in there as its related. Next question is how many people here actually use an antenna or rabbit ears?

At our old house we got NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, UPN, PBS, WB, some spanish channel, QUBO, and something else. And the quality was MUCH better than what we get through Dish right now for these same stations, and we don't get Qubo.

Remember if you are using an antenna on your house you will need to get a new HDTV antenna as well, they are 38.76 at WM

The powered antenna I bought 10 years ago for $19.99 at radio shack is EXACTLY the same as the one they are selling today for $49.99. The difference? The new antenna is silver, and has "HDTV" slapped on it.

HDTV antennas are like Monster Cables: Sold for a premium to people who don't know any better, but think they do.

~Camper

[tron3]

Camper, I would have to try it out, but I really doubt a bowtie or loop UHF antenna would have the same reception as the Delta shaped Silver Sensor UHF antenna by Phillips.

If I recall correctly, the Silver Sensor picked up some analog stations, and did a better job of it, than either the bowtie or loop antenna. Not to mention the number digital stations I now get which were traditionally in the UHF band as analog stations which I could never receive before now.

[camper]

Originally Posted by tron3

If I recall correctly, the Silver Sensor picked up some analog stations, and did a better job of it, than either the bowtie or loop antenna. Not to mention the number digital stations I now get which were traditionally in the UHF band as analog stations which I could never receive before now.

If you're going unpowered to powered, then yes--you will see a difference. However most people who have rabbit ears are already using powered antennas anyway, since even the initial purchase is much less than a month of cable.

What I'm saying, is that I have an old powered antenna from 10 years ago, and I do not see any difference or added channel from the exact model antenna you mentioned (38.96 at walmart) that I got for a different TV.

Why? Because a signal is a signal, and your reception is what determines whether you can recieve it. A powered antenna will help you get it in more clear, so if you're relying on the rabbit ears that stick in a hole on top of your TV you will only get what they can pick up. In which case a new antenna will help you, because most on the market are powered and that helps with the gain.

For instance, at my last house we got about a dozen channels (including the networks) FREE and all came in clear. This was with an indoor powered antenna on the first floor. For an old crappy TV we had in the detached garage, I only used the rabbit ears that stuck in the hole on the TV and it got equal reception to our living room since there was less intereference.

Where we are now, the indoor antennas are pointless since we're not in the valley anymore and are further away from the towers. Not to mention we've put a mountain or two between us, so an outdoor antenna is our only option--and we've opted against it.

The fact is an antenna is an antenna, and while some are better than others, there is no difference between an HDTV antenna and an antenna that lacks that logo.

Here's a good site that explains it quite well:
http://www.hdtvantennalabs.com/hdtv-antenna-hype.php

~Camper

[olds403]

I am using a twin bowtie unpowered antenna connected to my HDTV and I get all my local stations without problem. There is no such thing as an "HDTV antenna", bunch of marketing BS. Before I bought the dual bowtie, I was using rabbit ears(unpowered) and got almost as many channels as with the bowtie. If you believe that you need some sort of special antenna for HD reception I've got a bridge for sale cheap.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by olds403

I am using a twin bowtie unpowered antenna connected to my HDTV and I get all my local stations without problem. There is no such thing as an "HDTV antenna", bunch of marketing BS. Before I bought the dual bowtie, I was using rabbit ears(unpowered) and got almost as many channels as with the bowtie. If you believe that you need some sort of special antenna for HD reception I've got a bridge for sale cheap.

Ok, we need to experiment. First, rerun the autotuner with just rabbit ears and see how many digital stations you pick up. Then try again with the rabbit ears and UHF antenna.

Now, I don't pretend to know a whole lot about it, but antenna design in a science. Rabbit ears don't pick up UHF very well, and the bowtie and loop antennas do.

I tried getting getting digital stations with the vhf/uhf combo. The "HD antenna" (which is purely a UHF receiver) does the job better. But, I want to experiment and see.