I feel old. I only had analog with 5 channels for the first 13 years of my life up to 1983. I remember it was a big deal when Channel 20 KTHX came out in '82. So I guess it will be impossible to take a portable tv to the beach etc? Will tv become like cell phones? Consumers' TV rabbit ears won't cut it anymore as the U.S. moves from analog signals in 2009 By BRAD HEM Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/4983826.html Sam Perlin is happy with the six or eight channels he gets free with the antenna on top of his TV set. But come Feb. 17, 2009, Perlin's screen will go blank unless he gets a digital converter box. He won't be alone. According to Nielsen Media Research, an estimated 1.7 million homes in Texas that only get reception the low-tech way will have to get the boxes so their TVs can understand the incoming digital signal that will replace the traditional analog signal. The 2009 date is the deadline set by the federal government for all TV stations to stop broadcasting in analog and switch to digital — though most people won't notice. The estimated 85 percent of Americans who get their TV from cable or satellite can carry on like it's any other day. Perlin, 88, will be among nearly 500,000 in greater Houston, according to Nielsen, whose rabbit ears won't cut it anymore. Unlike Perlin, though, most viewers don't even know the switch is coming. "It's going to affect a lot of people, and it's going to leave a lot of people without TV," Perlin said. "I don't want cable because I don't need that many channels." The switch, which has been 20 years in the making, will provide viewers better digital pictures and sound, Federal Communications Commission spokeswoman Mary Diamond said. The other impact will be an estimated $10 billion in new revenue for the federal government, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Analog signals take up more broadcast spectrum than digital signals. So after the switch, there will be 108 megahertz left over. That's the equivalent of 18 analog TV stations. Some of the 108 megahertz that will be freed up will be designated to improve public safety radio communications. The rest — 84 MHz, of which 24 MHz has already been assigned — will be auctioned off to companies for wireless technology. Short of getting cable or satellite, Perlin and millions like him have two options. They can shell out a couple hundred dollars or more for a new digital TV. Most new TVs on store shelves are digital, and retailers are required to label analog sets so potential buyers know they'll need a converter box come February 2009. The other choice is to buy a digital tuner. Upgrading 'not an option' "Consumers need to learn about the steps they can take to upgrade to digital before it's too late," said Jonathan Collegio, vice president of the digital transition unit at the National Association of Broadcasters, which recently found 60 percent of consumers don't know the switch is coming. "Upgrading is not an option. It is required for those who wish to continue receiving free television after the transition." The federal government has authorized up to $1.5 billion to provide two $40 coupons to households that get over-the-air TV programming. The boxes are expected to cost $50 to $70, according to Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "A $40 coupon is better than no coupon at all," said Bob Williams, director of the Consumers Union's HearUsNow.org project, which advocates for telecommunications customers. "At least it covers something." Although a household can get two coupons, they cannot be combined to pay the full cost of one box. Only one coupon may be used for each box, and household income is not a factor. "Meanwhile, the manufacturer makes money on the box," Perlin said. "I wish I owned stock in one of those companies." Wireless networks eager Nielsen estimated about 20 million households are broadcast-only, but another 14.6 million have secondary TVs that use antennas. While Perlin is worried about losing his TV reception and Collegio is trying to tell people to get ready, others are eager to get their hands on the new spectrum, which is considered prime real estate. Various wireless companies have plans to upgrade their networks to deliver high-quality video and audio programming to cellphones, according to the High Tech Digital TV Coalition, a group including Dell, Verizon, Texas Instruments, T-Mobile and others. Other companies are working on projects to provide high-speed broadband Internet service over cellphones, said Sandeep Kumar, general manager of Texas Instrument's communications infrastructure emerging markets group. "The sky is the limit as to what applications companies can develop," Kumar said. brad.hem@chron.com
Does that effect the p2p channels we get online to watch Rox games (for those who doesn't have cable)? It would be awesome if we can get less blurry and more up to speed reception from the websites.
yeah, I think HD will still be broadcast. So you can bring a flat panel to the beach or camping. Thats funny, I remember channel 20 being a big deal also.
you can still take a tv to the beach, but you'll have to lug a set top box and an antenna along as well. my question is, where are these $40-$70 boxes? everything i've seen is $150+ i'm glad i bought my tuner for $100 from radioshack clearance. ... and you are old
I remember that! Only had 2, 8, 11, 13, 26, and 39 until "20-Vision" started. They had the best cartoons on 20.
you could say it is the beginning of rabbit ears. my tv has a digital tuner built in so that all I would need are rabbit ears to receive a digital signal. However, I've noticed with the digital (hd) tuner in my car stereo that the broadcast range is weaker than analog. It is also either on or off. No fading of the signal so that you can still hear it until it comes back. Just signal/silent/signal. The range isn't great (I can only imagine it will be greater by 2009) so it is fairly useless at the moment. Pretty cool that almost all of the radio stations in Houston have multiple transmissions with different programming. You select a station and then hit a modifier to scroll through the different feeds. Most of the Houston stations have two feeds and one, for sure, has three.
So, I'm thinking that in February or March of 2009, the TV market will be FLOODED with new customers. What will HDTV prices do? Plummet because of strong competition? or increase because consumers MUST buy?
They won't need to buy a new tv, so I don't know what effect it will have. Not to mention, this was originally supposed to happen sometime this year. Also, TV prices have been plummeting for the past 2 or 3 years at least.
People with cable will not need to buy a new tv since cable serves as the converter. Only people who don't have cable will have to buy new equipment.
The main significance of this is what the winners of the ~$20 billion 700MHz auction in January will be doing with the spectrum starting in 09. Whether it's Google or not, hopefully some of the winners will throw a scare into the incumbent wireless phone companies. That is unless the incumbents buy up most of the new spectrum, which would be tragic. I'm hoping Google and MS buy huge chunks and shake things up.
