What are your thoughts on the digital transition?

It's too bad there's not ONE Converter Box that has the 'IR Blaster' like the Dish Satellite receivers do which can tell the VCR to record without needing to program both the box and VCR.

I asked one lady at the fair about the DTV Transition. She replied, "You know, it's like bees living in your head".

I could not disagree with her.

Then I asked a man the same question and he replied simply, "Live it or Live with it".

That eliminated all other needs to continue my survey. I headed home to see if skip was ruining my VHF reception or not.......

I thought there was one that did something like that.

Isn't there?

- Trip

What? the IR Blaster? not to my knowledge. the Dish DTVPal lacks that feature. their satellite receivers have it. it was a great convenience when using a VCR with a satellite receiver, a lot like using a converter with one, too.

Originally Posted by Piggie

Then I asked a man the same question and he replied simply, "Live it or Live with it".

Right. It's like, how would you like to see a mad roller coaster? Down on the stable ground, or barely clinging to the seats?

Originally Posted by Jay

The transition to DTV has been delayed to 6-12-2009, but some TV stations have already begun the transition by choosing to switch over to digital broadcasts on February 17th, 2009 anyway.

How has the digital transition affected you?

Have you had to upgrade your antenna?

Have you been denied by the TV Converter Box Coupon Program?

Have you applied, but not received a converter coupon?

If you're already watching DTV through a converter box or a TV with a digital tuner, do you feel that it was worth the added expense?

Jay ,
as faras the transition vertually seemless for my regular cable provider but my portable tv that i was bring to games to watch the instant replay and to watch the pregame is now rendered useless and I donot want to trow it away because I just bought it last year to replace an older one. Now I find the prices for the new ones a lot more and they are not as portable. but they are small enough to hide the digital tuners in them so ... in effect there must be a chip on part of the circut board that could be extracted and mass produced and add a nine volt battery to this and plug that into the av port or the antenna port on my old analog tv to make it digital and take with me. for about 10 bucks plus the battery cost so I do not clutter the world with old tvs by throwing mine out and buying a new one ! I am disappointed that greed has forced our goverment into the digital age to force upon us the cost of buying some thing new just because networks have found a new way to empty our pockets once again!
Mike Crisafulli
Frustrated Portable Analog Tv Owner

I think you hit the nail on the head, when you used the word "frustrated". Frustration is understandable, when progress and advancement overall results in an individual experiencing instances of added costs or reduced convenience or utility. There has never been a significant change that didn't have some artifacts of that nature. It is like that old adage says, "If you want to make an Omelet, you gotta break some eggs."

Originally Posted by mcrisafulli

Jay ,
as faras the transition vertually seemless for my regular cable provider but my portable tv that i was bring to games to watch the instant replay and to watch the pregame is now rendered useless and I donot want to trow it away because I just bought it last year to replace an older one.

Honestly I don't feel sorry for you since you KNEW the digital transition was coming last year and you went ahead and bought a portable TV without a digital tuner. You really only have yourself to blame. How did you think you were going to get OTA singals without a tuner?

Also cable has NOTHING to do with the OTA digital transition. So of course it was seemless for them.

Originally Posted by mcrisafulli

Jay ,
as faras the transition vertually seemless for my regular cable provider but my portable tv that i was bring to games to watch the instant replay and to watch the pregame is now rendered useless and I donot want to trow it away because I just bought it last year to replace an older one. Now I find the prices for the new ones a lot more and they are not as portable. but they are small enough to hide the digital tuners in them so ... in effect there must be a chip on part of the circut board that could be extracted and mass produced and add a nine volt battery to this and plug that into the av port or the antenna port on my old analog tv to make it digital and take with me. for about 10 bucks plus the battery cost so I do not clutter the world with old tvs by throwing mine out and buying a new one ! I am disappointed that greed has forced our goverment into the digital age to force upon us the cost of buying some thing new just because networks have found a new way to empty our pockets once again!
Mike Crisafulli
Frustrated Portable Analog Tv Owner

The networks had nothing to do with the decision to convert to digital in the beginning. If you want to blame someone, at least place it where it belongs. The Federal Government is responsible, and most broadcasters spent an average of 1 million dollars just to replace their transmitters and towers and antennas, and almost that much more to upgrade their studios to digital and HD.

Broadcasters give their product away for free, so how can one say that "the networks have found a new way to empty our pockets once again!", when they don't send you a bill for any of the programming that they "Give Away For Free". Your blame for the transition is misplaced, and should be directed at Big Brother instead of the broadcasters.

A perfect analog signal on studio quality equipment looks almost as good as an SD digital signal to most industry experts. Digital TV is a very good quality product if you live in a location that has good reliable signal levels. Digital TV is not magic, and if you lived in a location where analog reception was bad, then digital will also be bad in most cases. There are exceptions to every rule, but in general, that statement is true.

In addition to that fact, there is also the aspect that some Broadcasters may not running the full legal power, or have not applied for an allowed power increase of the original power levels, known as "Facility Maximization", which is actually FCC permission to increase power.

In addition, that "Permission" is actually a "Construction Permit" to increase power, and it is good for 3 years, and there may be broadcasters in your area that have applied for power increases, but have not actually acted on it due to the economy, or they may have been denied permission due to circumstance beyond their control such as interference to other broadcasters.

That may not be as easy as it sounds if the transmitter was specified and purchased for the original proposed power levels. You cannot just go to the transmitter and turn a knob or flip a switch and increase the power output.

All of the equipment such as transmitters, antennas , and transmission line is normally specified at or near the FCC assigned power levels, and not all sites had enough reserve power to be able to apply for a power increase without spending even more money on extra power capacity.

Originally Posted by mcrisafulli

Jay ,
as faras the transition vertually seemless for my regular cable provider but my portable tv that i was bring to games to watch the instant replay and to watch the pregame is now rendered useless and I donot want to trow it away because I just bought it last year to replace an older one. Now I find the prices for the new ones a lot more and they are not as portable. but they are small enough to hide the digital tuners in them so ... in effect there must be a chip on part of the circut board that could be extracted and mass produced and add a nine volt battery to this and plug that into the av port or the antenna port on my old analog tv to make it digital and take with me. for about 10 bucks plus the battery cost so I do not clutter the world with old tvs by throwing mine out and buying a new one ! I am disappointed that greed has forced our goverment into the digital age to force upon us the cost of buying some thing new just because networks have found a new way to empty our pockets once again!
Mike Crisafulli
Frustrated Portable Analog Tv Owner

Radio Shack has some new portable battery operated hand held Digital TV's available. There are 3 different models available, and I saw them in them most recent mailed flyer I get from them. Don't know anything about them except that they are available now. Best buy also has a portable battery operated DTV for around $99 as of 2-10.