Are your televisions prepared for 2009?

[bicker]

I voted "no, I have no idea". I've heard of this, but I figured there would be plenty of info coming out closer to the actual date and I'd take care of it then. No sense getting worried about it now. If we buy new tv's prior to then, we'll keep it in mind though.

That's really the concern most people are raising -- that the time for people to know about this is now (really -- two or three years ago) so they don't end up purchasing a new television which will be useless to them a few years down the road.

 

[bicker]

But I thought the networks were being forced to broadcast in HD?

I'm not sure I understand your question, but no one is being forced to broadcast in HD (specifically). Rather, the regulation prohibits broadcasting in analog after February 2009, but the opposite of analog is NOT "HD" -- there are a whole set of different resolutions that broadcasters can use when broadcasting in digital. It isn't clear how many, but stations are surely permitted to record in SD digital after that date. As a matter of fact, I mentioned WGBH earlier. They are using two channels. On one, they are broadcasting an HD channel and a SD channel. On the other, they're broadcasting four SD channels -- all digital. That's exactly what they'll be doing, even after February 2009.

 

[bicker]

Comcast is pushing (for free) their digital boxes for a while but the digital service is only free for a limited time (I think a year) then it's a few dollars more a month.

They didn't make the offer here in this area (it was dependent on how much stock of old boxes Comcast had in local warehouses). However, what I recall reading was that the promotion was for three months in many areas. They did this because if they didn't get those boxes into the field by July 1, they were required to trash them and buy new ones. Once the box is deployed to the field, even if it is returned a few months later, it is grandfathered and can be redeployed to the field in perpetuity.

Local prices vary, but the box rental for digital cable boxes does tend to be a few dollars. At this point, though, most areas require you to pay for digital service to get a digital box -- that's $52 here, minimum.

 

[bicker]

Hopefully they aren't expensive or I'm going to be peaved. I'm not buying a new TV over this.

The converter boxes should be very inexpensive; most of the basic ones will probably run in the $30-$50 range I mentioned earlier, and remember you can request two $40 coupons from the government starting in January 2008 to apply towards the purchase. The only folks who need to pay full-price for the converters are folks who have more than two televisions that need them.

 

[bicker]

Am I the only person who doesn't think this is a really big deal? The worst that can happen is we all have to go out and buy some new TVs in 2.5 years. Big whoop!

I think a lot of people are reacting to what they've seen on the price tags as they've walked past the electronics departments in recent months. The average television now seems to cost well over $1,000. And televisions that will work after February 2009, priced less than $200, have been pretty-much non-existent (though some more have come onto the market recently). (Of course, I've looked at some of those $180 and $200 televisions, and they're really quite low-end, by comparison to the ones we all are so used to see front-and-center in the stores. )

I've been having trouble remembering how much I paid for all my televisions. I know that my HDTV, which I bought last year, was $2K, but for the old technology televisions, I seem to remember paying about $200 for the 19" and about $350 for the 32". Now, of course, that was 15-20 years ago. So I'm really not in-touch with how much folks were paying for "family room televisions" back before HDTVs became the focus. So I'm not sure how much sticker shock folks should feel walking into the electronics departments of stores today.

 

[bicker]

It might mean more than just a new TV. With an all digital signal, the providers now have complete control on the content that they deliver which might mean an increase in cost for those that subscribe to cable.

I'm not sure that most folks will catch your meaning. Actually, I'm not sure I know just how much what you're saying will actually mean, in the end.

They will also be able to control the things you can record or even playback.

That's much less likely to be an issue, at least for the basic user. With the rules that went into effect July 1, there should be more competition for converter boxes out there, and if customers are willing to pay a little more, they should be able to get a box with those convenience features. However, they may have to give something up -- or have two boxes, one to provide the best recording and playback features, and another to provide access to advanced offerings such as Video On Demand and less popular channels -- and perhaps won't be able to enjoy the best of both of these on any one converter box.

 

[Pin Wizard]

This on top of the wonderful news of the $3,000 traffic ticket in VA. DO THEY THINK WE'RE MADE OF MONEY?????????

I just got rid of my digital last week. I guess we'll be doing without TV entirely when this happens.

 

[shortbun]

I have an HD television with digital and one 20 yo television currently receiving analog cable. Only two televisions in my home. I'm half ready.

 

[cybrkitn]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but no one is being forced to broadcast in HD (specifically). Rather, the regulation prohibits broadcasting in analog after February 2009, but the opposite of analog is NOT "HD" -- there are a whole set of different resolutions that broadcasters can use when broadcasting in digital. It isn't clear how many, but stations are surely permitted to record in SD digital after that date. As a matter of fact, I mentioned WGBH earlier. They are using two channels. On one, they are broadcasting an HD channel and a SD channel. On the other, they're broadcasting four SD channels -- all digital. That's exactly what they'll be doing, even after February 2009.

DH and I heard it on the radio awhile ago (over a year) about the change over and HD was mentioned. But if it's just digital, then I know we are fine.

 

[Charade]

DH and I heard it on the radio awhile ago (over a year) about the change over and HD was mentioned. But if it's just digital, then I know we are fine.

Eventually, standard definintion will be phased out for HD. It'll take years to do it though. Eventually all new sets will be able to display HD (regardless of the source) and you'd be hard pressed to find one that doesn't if at all. In fact, when I bought the TV I have now, I bought the HD model (no HD tuner) because DVDs (and regular standard def TV) look better on it.

 

[bicker]

DH and I heard it on the radio awhile ago (over a year) about the change over and HD was mentioned. But if it's just digital, then I know we are fine.

Okay, just to be sure though: What do you mean by digital? Are you saying your televisions are ATSC/QAM compatible?

One of the confusing bits about this is that the same words have been REUSED. When I first started talking to my mother about "digital" television, she thought that she was all set because her channels show up as digital numbers, instead of having a dial like on really old televisions! She was really disappointed when I told her that "digital" now meant the kind of tuner you had, not how you changed channels.

Eventually, standard definintion will be phased out for HD.

That's not necessarily the case. HD has its purposes, but the ATSC explicitly outlined 18 different resolutions, ranging from SD (480i), to ED (such as 540i), to HD (720p and better). There will be a place for each of them as time goes on. For example, channel 5-2 here is a 24 hour weather report. It won't make sense to use the full bandwidth of an HD channel for that. They'll keep it at 480p (which I think is what it is now) for the foreseeable future, and probably won't consider going further with it until today's HDTVs become obsolete. Just think about Weather Band radio -- they never moved to FM.

 

[cybrkitn]

Okay, just to be sure though: What do you mean by digital? Are you saying your televisions are ATSC/QAM compatible?

One of the confusing bits about this is that the same words have been REUSED. When I first started talking to my mother about "digital" television, she thought that she was all set because her channels show up as digital numbers, instead of having a dial like on really old televisions! She was really disappointed when I told her that "digital" now meant the kind of tuner you had, not how you changed channels.

Sorry, I'm a little naive here. What does ATSC/QAM stand for?

Out of the two (working) televisions we have, one is more than 15 years old and will most likely need to be replaced. The other one is less than 5 years old and was about $1,000 when we bought it. Sorry, I don't remember the manufacturer's name at the moment.

We have DishNetwork and receive programs in digital. But I don't know if that is what is meant by going Digital. Sometimes I'll see "blocks" in a program I'm watching, but it's mostly in the dark colors on the screen. Last night, one of the shows DH and I were watching, actually stopped (like when a DVD needs to be cleaned or is shot). Then it picked up again a few seconds ahead after it finished buffering. First time that's ever happened.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

We're all set. I think maybe two out of the six TVs we have won't be compatible, but the rest are good to go. Yes six TVs and there are only two of us living in the house most of the time. OUr two main TVs (family room and bedroom) are HDTVs.

 

[clarabelle]

Bicker do you work in the industry? You know more about TV than anyone I "know"

 

[Golf4food]

Thanks to the fact that our TV died last summer and my DWs parents bought us a new one that is digital ready, we are all set. Not that digital signals come in very well. Much clearer than the ole' "rabbit ears" but the signal is so weak that it cuts in and out constantly and disappears altogether if a cloud stops overhead.

 

[ead79]

One of our TV's is ready since it has a digital cable box (the TV itself can't handle digital without the box though). The other TV that we really only use to play the Wii isn't ready. It just uses the analog cable that comes for free with the digital cable package we have (we didn't buy it a digital cable box). We'll re-evaluate the budget in 2009 and possibly get a new TV then, but if not we'll only have cable on the one in the living room for right now.

 

[mum4jenn]

I knew about this. Some are ready and some are not (we have several TVs)

 

[crazelion]

I have an HD television with digital and one 20 yo television currently receiving analog cable. Only two televisions in my home. I'm half ready.

I have the same sit up that you have.

I have LCD HD TV, Digital Ready 27 inch other TV in the house is analog TVs. I just have analog cable to.


What I am understanding is that I will have switch from analog cable to digital cable. Then the cable company is make buy 5 digital cable boxes to put on all my TVs. That does not make any sense to me just to watch TV.

I hope someone in the know can explain this to me I am not getting the analog to digital cable box thing.

I understand I need new TVs in 2009. The cable part I am not understanding.

 

[bicker]

What does ATSC/QAM stand for?

Advanced Television Systems Committee and Quadrature amplitude modulation.

ATSC is used to refer to how digital channels are broadcast over-the-air. In reality it should be 8VSB (8-level vestigial sideband modulation), because that's the actual method. (Again, ATSC is just the committee that defined the method.)

QAM is used to refer to how digital channels are delivered via cable television services. (Just to complete the circle, QAM was defined for cable television by SCTE, Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.)

Out of the two (working) televisions we have, one is more than 15 years old and will most likely need to be replaced. The other one is less than 5 years old and was about $1,000 when we bought it.

Chances are that if it was $1,000 five years ago, then it does not have a digital tuner.

We have DishNetwork and receive programs in digital.

As long as your television is hooked up to a Dish Network converter box, then none of this affects you at all.

 

[bicker]

Bicker do you work in the industry? You know more about TV than anyone I "know"

Hehe. Thanks, but no. I'm just a television viewer who was frustrated not knowing the details about what was going on in the industry.