What are your thoughts on the digital transition?

I'm not sure, my biggest problem is that most of my channels (except two, CBS and MyNetworkTV) are that '2Edge' crap that makes them all hit and miss if any kind of weather other than a sunny/perfectly calm day happens. CBS/MyNetworkTV will work during a tornado warning. but the others, crap.

I have currently a Phillips indoor HDTV antenna with adjustable 50db gain and it works great. i just have to aim it every time i change the channel.

I'm thinking of tinkering around with non-powered VHF/UHF oldies and see if i can 'build' a outdoor antenna, run the cable indoors, and hook a amp in line and then the box, since using my new antenna outdoors if any rain happens it won't be too good for the antenna. the new trailer home i got has a built-in roof antenna that retracts but it's inoperative, won't crank up and some nimrod cut the wire off so it's useless.

problem solved
http://www.dtvusaforum.com/dtv-recep...a-reviews.html

all my channels are 1edge 2edge because of the hills over here

hills and trees too for me. i wonder if things will get a little better once the transition happens and no bandwidth is wasted on analog? that is, if they don't delay it again!

well I think their might be some interference. Some stations have their DT transmitters at lower power because they are still working on the system. Some of them will be raising the DT transmitters on the towers.

Because they are running at low power, the coverage area is limited. I'm 28 miles from the antenna farm. So it's like I'm on the outer edge. All affiliates are already broadcasting pretty strong, but the 3 hills are blocking the signals as well as tropo (over horizon). I'm in a black hole, per say.

I was hoping that the transition would happen in February, when it was supposed to. I had hoped that I could receive the other stations better with the digital converter box then because some of them are moving in some fashion that will apparently get me better reception. I may not have the correct antenna; I think that what I have is a suburban antenna and maybe I need a fringe. Thought I would wait until after the transition to see how my reception is, then make the decision. Now I have to wait even longer!

We currently use a hdtv anntena on our roof. Due to household only having 1 income we had to say goodbye to directv.
I feel that as we move towards the future it is great to update.
Although the boxes are available how many people do you think not understanding the whole concept and not wanting to deal with the hassle of learning are putting their perfectly good tv out to the junk to go to the landfill?
Is there going to be better channels if we don't have cable?
I think all homes should be able to get more channels with out having cable or satellite.
We have tvs that are so old they are antiques.
Hopefully the prices on HD tvs will come down so that the boxes wont be needed as tvs will have built in convertors.

I think it's a good idea but I wonder when it will actually happen.

Thursday I'm gonna have to correctly aim my antenna to the CBS affiliate for march madness. I love watching basketball on the local HD stations

When I do that though I'll lose my 3 other stations. I tried adjusting it so that all of them would come in without having to re-adjust but it's no good.

rotator boy rotator save yourself the hassle of re aiming the antenna all the time.or install a second antenna and point to the different direction.

I cobangled up an old 1960s rabbit ears into an outdoor antenna and i can change channels without re-aiming it anymore. and without an amp, it's impressive that it even gets any signal. i get the same signal if not better with that ancient piece of steel than with the new HDTV antenna, plus it saves an outlet and countertop space. and doesn't drop out if i get up to use the bathroom.

Next invention: a way to deal with wind.

The DTV transition is good thing. It prompted me to re-think my TV watching/entertainment requirements and finally I will be ditching the satellite/cable service(and their heavily compressed horrible video quality) for good!

I will be setting up a new antenna in the attic. Still looking around for a box that will give me the best picture quality.

I am really looking forward to it.

Originally Posted by samneedshelp

I think it would be great if I can get my VCR to work right!!!! I don't have cable in this neck of the woods, but I really do like the idea of having a few more channels. Especially the weather ones. The pictures are clearer at least.

If I find out later that I don't like it - I can either get cable or get rid of the TV and get more exercise.

VCRs are out dated but i still love them & so does my dad

I dont think you can hook up your VCR to your tv with the converter...although that would be cool.

Originally Posted by DeCoding_America

VCRs are out dated but i still love them & so does my dad

I dont think you can hook up your VCR to your tv with the converter...although that would be cool.

Easy, and yes you can.

Hook the antenna to the converter box. Then a cable from the converter to the VCR, then a cable from the VCR to the TV. You have to record the channel from the converter box, so you can't really program your VCR anymore but you can still record and watch old tapes.

Originally Posted by DTVuser2009

Next invention: a way to deal with wind.

Wind is causing mulitpath, what we used to call ghosts.

The only solution is a more directional antenna. Which isn't a problem if all your stations are the same direction, other wise you have say the word rotor.

I had terrible wind fading problems on my 4221A. I had an old Radio Shack U-75R someone gave me in 1993 and it was old then! It even was missing a reflector element. But what the heck, I like to experiment.

Bingo!!! It's not quite as strong as the 4221A. UHFs 30 miles away went from 98 to 93 or so. But it's much more directional than my 4221A. Now the wind blows and my UHF channels don't break up. So I replaced a $50 antenna with one from the junk pile (still available for $35) and bingo, problem solved.

Once again proving money doesn't buy a better antenna.

If I knew more about your specific reception needs, and you don't mind building antennas, there are probably many inexpensive solutions for you if fading is the only problem.

Before switching to DTV I was receiving about 20 excellent channels with my rabbit ears antenna. Since switching to DTV I have about 13 channels consisting of the weather (continuously), cooking programs, Spanish programs (which I don't understand), the News, and a few other programs like Lawrence Welk, etc. I don't even feel like watching TV anymore, and don't want to pay a monthly fee. I'm told that even buying a new TV set won't help.

Is there anything I can do to get more channels? The picture is excellent! Are my rabbit ears causing the problem?

Great news:

John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 6/14/2009 12:13:17 PM MT

A spot check of the FCC's DTV help line (1000-callfcc) Sunday produced consistent response times of under one minute, with 46 seconds being the best time from the beginning of the call to the time a live operator came on asked how they could help.

Originally Posted by Piggie

Easy, and yes you can.

Hook the antenna to the converter box. Then a cable from the converter to the VCR, then a cable from the VCR to the TV. You have to record the channel from the converter box, so you can't really program your VCR anymore but you can still record and watch old tapes.

Yep, I've already tested that out on one of my TVs and the VCR works just fine, so I'm set with that one. It's weird not to be able to watch another channel while it's recording, though (and yes, I know, I can do that if I add a second converter box to the equation <g>).

Just to show the general order of perspectives on this issue, on some (not all) other forums...

Originally Posted by wingrider6

Why it took 18 years to complete this switch is beyond me and for those who aren't on board yet ya snooze ya lose.

USA-racing to be third world and doing a great job.

So there are people on both extremes of the spectrum.

Originally Posted by bicker

Just to show the general order of perspectives on this issue, on some (not all) other forums...So there are people on both extremes of the spectrum.

and I don't think there's any doubt which side of the spectrum that owners of an HD TV are on.

There will always be people left behind when technology advances. Anyone with half a brain could have found a converter box for $40, used a coupon, and only pay the cost of the tax. Simple.

The only "pain in the rear" with the transition IMHO has been the reception part of it.