DTV transition and High Definition

[sttngfan1701d]

I didn't know whether to put this here or in Sci/Tech, so.....

Okay, so we have shiny a new 40" HDTV at home. Despite warnings from myself and my brother, my dad didn't get an HD service and was pissed off when only the air channels were HD our basic cable channels were ugly on the new TV. We told him and he didn't listen, preferring instead to listen to his cronies at work, who told him the new TV would make everything high-def.

He also has an irrational vendetta toward the local cable company so he refuses to get digital cable. He also refuses to get satellite service. His rationale: "It's all going to be digital in a few months anyway, so what's the point? The bastards want you to sign a year contract for something that'll be free in February?"

Again, my brother and I have tried to tell him that DTV and HD are different and everything will NOT be HD come February 2009, just [i[digital[/i], but he doesn't believe either of us. He's hard-headed and again prefers to listen to his fellow 60-somethings at work.

Could someone give me a link or an authoritative explanation that I could send him so he can read it for himself? I've Googled a bit today but I couldn't find anything that explicitly states that the transition will NOT mean everything turns to HD. Then again, I'm not the best Googler in the world.

Thanks.

 

[HIj'Qa]

Everything broadcast does turn digital in Feb '09.
Not everyone is broadcasting in DTV yet, it is only June.
HD is high end digital signal - very different. Having an HD TV is not enough. Must have tuner to decode the signals.

http://www.cnet.com/hdtv-world/

sounds like you'll be having family time *gasp* talking to each other or reading a book or playing boardgames together or outside getting some exercise or most likely over at hte neighbors who did manage their HDTV purchase correctly

 

[loldrey]

When the DTV transition happens, I'm gonna quit watching TV altogether. I think it's ridiculous that the US government is spending money distributing 40 dollar coupons for digital converter boxes to families that can't afford them, when most of those families can barely afford to eat anyways.. it's a stupid thing to put finances towards with the economy in recession.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

He's 60-something, he's not supposed to get it. Now he'll probably be mad that those DVD's he bought full-screen to avoid those thar black bars his co-workers told him about all look like shit too.

 

[RobertVA]

Some clarifications:

The February 2009 cutoff is for full power over the air analog only. Low power licenses have a later cutoff. Many full power broadcasters have been operating a second channel in digital format for a couple of years. Much of the major networks' prime time schedules are already high definition in both transmission on these digital channels and origin. Many affiliates are upconverting standard definition programs in the remainder of their schedule to high definition (doesn't look as good as programs with true high resolution origins) so their equipment isn't switching resolutions.

There's not really anything different about a "HDTV" antenna. Digital vs analog doesn't make any difference. If an older antenna works well with analog signals it will work with digital. However, the digital station ID's "channel number" might not correspond to the actual frequency it's being broadcast on, so you may have to do some reseach to determine if a particular station broadcasts on the UHF or VHF frequency band.

Cable providers aren't subject to the February '09 cutoff and are free to discontinue analog distribution of out of town channels on their own schedule. Thus, individual channels or entire subscription tiers can be shifted from analog cable to digital cable services at any time before or after the broadcast cutoff.

All of the funds being used for the broadcast converter coupons comes from the proceeds of radio spectrum auctions that will result in corporations being licenses to operate services on frequencies that will no longer be used for UHF television broadcasts. The reduced number of TV channels will be offset by the potential of broadcasting multiple programs simultaneously over a single digital TV channel (10-1, 10-2 etc).

See
http://www.dtv.gov/
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/faq.html
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/DTVFactSheet.html
http://www.dtv.gov/DTV_booklet.pdf (requires pdf reader)

 

[sttngfan1701d]

He's 60-something, he's not supposed to get it. Now he'll probably be mad that those DVD's he bought full-screen to avoid those thar black bars his co-workers told him about all look like shit too.

Yep. He already uses the zoom control on the tv to "get rid of the black bars." I told him that distorts the image and widescreen is the way the movie was shot, but he thinks "it looks better" zoomed in.

 

[gh4chiefs]

When the DTV transition happens, I'm gonna quit watching TV altogether. I think it's ridiculous that the US government is spending money distributing 40 dollar coupons for digital converter boxes to families that can't afford them, when most of those families can barely afford to eat anyways.. it's a stupid thing to put finances towards with the economy in recession.

I'm not understanding the connection. You're mad at the government so you're going to stop watching TV. And that's going to help all these people who claim can't afford to eat exactly how?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I know this is about switch over in the US, but here in the UK Sky TV (the main Pay TV service here) has been granted a contract to supply set top boxes after switch over. And the money is coming from the TV licence fee. Considering there's Freeview and Freesat I don't see why our money should go to Sky.

 

[loldrey]

When the DTV transition happens, I'm gonna quit watching TV altogether. I think it's ridiculous that the US government is spending money distributing 40 dollar coupons for digital converter boxes to families that can't afford them, when most of those families can barely afford to eat anyways.. it's a stupid thing to put finances towards with the economy in recession.

I'm not understanding the connection. You're mad at the government so you're going to stop watching TV. And that's going to help all these people who claim can't afford to eat exactly how?

I'm going to stop watching TV because I don't feel like buying a digital TV or a converter box, and I really don't watch much TV anyways.. besides Star Trek, which I watch on my computer. I'm not doing it in protest.

What I said about being mad at the government was meant to be separate.