# Still using an older analog only TV set?



## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

Starting Feb. 18, 2009, anyone who does not own a digital tuner TV set and still gets their programming via over-the-air antennas will no longer receive a signal. As of Jan. 1, 2008, you can apply for US government issued $40 discount coupons to purchase digital converter boxes.

CNN article about the switch to digital and the coupons:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/01/01/digital.tv.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

US government page with link to on-line coupon application form:
https://www.dtv2009.gov./


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## Tstright (May 19, 2007)

I couldn't name 5 people that still own an Analog TV.


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

cwwozniak said:


> Starting Feb. 18, 2009, anyone who does not own a digital tuner TV set and still gets their programming via over-the-air antennas will no longer receive a signal. As of Jan. 1, 2008, you can apply for US government issued $40 discount coupons to purchase digital converter boxes.
> 
> CNN article about the switch to digital and the coupons:
> http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/01/01/digital.tv.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
> ...


Firefox is telling me the second link is a security risk and I should click "cancel" to avoid connecting to it.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

namenotfound said:


> Firefox is telling me the second link is a security risk


Something got hosed with my copying and pasting of the URL. Should work fine without the "./" on the end.

https://www.dtv2009.gov


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

how can I tell if I have an analog or digital tuner, I am still on an Antenna, no I don't live on the moon, but none will pull a cable to my location 10 km out of at least 6 big cities close to my house. (I call it discrimination)
I have a remote to control tv and picture in picture, so I assume it is digital, a Sony, 7 years old. (sorry if this sound like a stupid question)


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## Frank4d (Sep 10, 2006)

I predict a huge public backlash prior to Feb. 18, 2009, and the government will will extend the deadline by five years. My mother is 85 years-old, has never had cable and does not want it now, has not bought a TV in 20 years and doesn't want or need a newer one, and is not going to take this BS without a fight.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

bp936 said:


> I have a remote to control tv and picture in picture, so I assume it is digital, a Sony, 7 years old.


Just because a TV may have digital circuits for remote control functions and picture in picture does not automatically mean it has a tuner that can receive digital TV (ATSC DTV) broadcasts. If it is 7 years old, there is a possibility it does not have have an ATSC DTV tuner. The FCC mandate for TV's sold in the USA to have ATSC DTV tuners did not start until July, 2005 for sets 36 inches and larger. The requirement for smaller sets kicked in the following years.


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

thanks cw, I will look this up in the manual what it says. 
this helps


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

bp936,

Your in Canada and not the USA so the same thing going to happen to you up there?


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## ferrija1 (Apr 11, 2006)

Frank4d said:


> I predict a huge public backlash prior to Feb. 18, 2009, and the government will will extend the deadline by five years. My mother is 85 years-old, has never had cable and does not want it now, has not bought a TV in 20 years and doesn't want or need a newer one, and is not going to take this BS without a fight.


I'm pretty sure they're serious about it now, but we'll have to see.


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## sockerdudex (Jan 4, 2008)

thank god. im glad this is happening. we need to start moving into the new age of technology and elimate the older stuff. for instance: i thinkto be perfectly honest, we shouldnt have cds and maybe even dvds and jus use bluray and hdvdv


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## ferrija1 (Apr 11, 2006)

sockerdudex said:


> thank god. im glad this is happening. we need to start moving into the new age of technology and elimate the older stuff. for instance: i thinkto be perfectly honest, we shouldnt have cds and maybe even dvds and jus use bluray and hdvdv


Well Blu-ray and HD DVD are still too expensive but that's a conversation for another thread....


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## sockerdudex (Jan 4, 2008)

ahah agreed


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

ferrija1 said:


> Well Blu-ray and HD DVD are still too expensive but that's a conversation for another thread....


Sometime this year (2008) they're supposed to be working on Blu-ray/HDDVD hybirds so you don't need to buy two machines to play both discs. I'm still waiting for that before I buy either...


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

sockerdudex said:


> we shouldnt have cds and maybe even dvds and jus use bluray and hdvdv


Bah; next you will be telling me I should get rid of my collection vinyl LPs and VHS tapes.


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## spurkbik201 (May 18, 2005)

I have Cox cable, have an analog TV 3 years old with their analog service, though they offer digital service, no converter box, just connected with coaxial cable. Come, Feb 2009, will I need a converter box or what are my solutions, short of throwing away a good TV? I am on the Internet much more than I watch TV, so to invest much $$ into TV viewing is not a priority. I only have the cable, because I live in an apartment building, and the over-the-air reception is horrible.


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## Tstright (May 19, 2007)

yes, You will need a box.


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## ferrija1 (Apr 11, 2006)

No, you won't need a box. If you have cable, nothing will change, this only affects people receiving free, over-the-air broadcasts.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

ferrija1 said:


> No, you won't need a box. If you have cable, nothing will change


When the analog broadcast signals go away, won't the cable companies also no longer be able to receive them as well? How can they forward non-existent analog over-the-air signals to their analog customers?

CORRECTION: Looks like analog cable customers are safe until at least 2012. Just found this bit of information about an FCC ruling on analog support by cable companies:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...e-you-must-support-analog-tvs-until-2012.html



> ... cable operators will have two choices come February 2009. They can either convert the digital SD signal to analog SD and pipe it across their lines ... or they can offer digital SD only and roll out converter boxes to all their subscribers.


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## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

So are the digital tv stations going to be as crappy as those *supposedly* (the jury came back negative on that one) "crystal clear" cell phone calls that don't exist outside of a city populated with half a million people? Because if it is, I'm not interested.


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## ferrija1 (Apr 11, 2006)

No, digital TV is the same if not slightly better than analog.


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## namenotfound (Apr 30, 2005)

My only problem with digital cable is that when watching a show or movie, sometimes it will stall for a 1/4 of a second, so a word or video motion may be choppy.
Other than that, switching from analog cable to digital cable was the best thing I ever did for my TV.
Digital cable is like 10% better.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

Farmgirl22 said:


> So are the digital tv stations going to be as crappy


It will be a new and improved crappy 

If you are in a fringe area, instead of getting a getting a faint analog picture with streaks of noise running through it and occasionally breaking up into jagged lines, you will get a sharp digital picture that may momentarily freeze and/or momentarily get large pixelated squares over portions of the picture.


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## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

cwwozniak said:


> It will be a new and improved crappy
> 
> *If you are in a fringe area, instead of getting a getting a faint analog picture with streaks of noise running through it and occasionally breaking up into jagged lines, you will get a sharp digital picture that may momentarily freeze and/or momentarily get large pixelated squares over portions of the picture.*


Yay....I can hardly contain my excitement.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

With analog getting a picture over the air you may be so far away that it is a very bad picture but from they say with digital you either get a picture or you don't and if you do get it that is will look great.

See http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html


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## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

can't find anything about this for Canada, so if anyone from Canada finds a site, let me know before I buy a tv (mine is going, going, blurr, )


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Found this here. Canada Switches to Digital Broadcast in August 2011 Satellite TV ...


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