http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/ Engadget Comments for Stations can still yank analog plug this month, though many won't http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 5:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
how many of you experts actually watch OTA DTV?

none of the stations are switching to digital. they've been broadcasting digital for years now.

and its not just the consumers who need more time, none of the stations are tech ready yet. wha?

yep, thats right. even the major networks f up on a daily basis with their digital OTA broadcasts.

for example, they actually f'd up the DTV feed a couple of times during superbowl. they regularly lose audio/video sync, like a badly dubbed movie. dead air. no audio. low audio. audio with digital drop outs/cracks.

half of them havent figured out how to flag different digital audio formats correctly [yes NBC we're talking about you]. so sometimes mono audio cancels itself out, 5.1 disappears into an audio black hole.

some of them still auto stretch a 4:3 picture to 14:9 [yes 14] . half the time, KTLA can get its digital mapping right, so sometimes its on channel 31, sometimes its on 5. and on and on.

I spoke to the VP for digital of a major network, and he "misunderstood" [thats being polite]some of the most basic DTV stuff.

they are also changing the DTV frequencies. previously, it was all broadcast on UHF. so you needed a UHF antenna [or a "digital" antenna as the snake oil salesmen called it]

now, after analog is cut off, some are going to be on UHF and some have moved down to VHF. so even if you have digital reception now, with your converter box, you wont after they move some channels to VHF.

you will need a uhf/vhf combo antenna .

to say this is a miss-managed cluster F is a grotesque understatement

you've done a heckuva job FCC!

]]>Feb 6th 2009 10:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Don't go all mavericky on us, just because your tuner sucks. I was watching the game and didn't had any issues, unfortunately some folks get the cheap stuff then complain why it sucks, so you get what you pay for. As far as the networks being ready? I have been watching HD or DTV since before the 2004 olympics and back then it was horrible with limited HD programs. Also your problems with your screens ratio changing is also due to the tuner you have, not the station.
]]>Feb 6th 2009 11:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
They'd just better have all the weather alert/amber alert stuff fixed so it can scroll in HD. I'm sick of them switching to SD for screen crawls just so that the nimrods who haven't upgraded yet can see that there's a thunderstorm two counties away. ]]>Feb 6th 2009 12:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
@omar

DTV is entirely dependent on your LOCAL station and what they put out to the DTV feed.

what you see/experience is not the same as what someone who lives in a different market sees/experiences.

you basically just said that because its sunny in LA, it can't be raining in New York.

sometimes the aspect ratios are changed by a station [not the tuner], because [as the engineer told me] the sales/marketing people think it looks better when more of the screen is filled. even if everyone's now 2 feet tall and 10 feet wide

you can set the aspect ratios on your tuner to stretch a 4:3, but if the station has stretched it to 14:9 or even 16:9, you cant unstretch it.

@zerocorpse

these are not signal strength issues. these are producation/broadcast tech issues.





]]>Feb 6th 2009 12:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
It's annoying but it shouldn't get in the way of the switchover. We can still watch SD DTV when their HDTV equipment screws up.]]>Feb 6th 2009 2:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 5:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/


]]>Feb 6th 2009 6:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 7:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 10:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
The problem is their are to many people that have a sicken dependency on the government for handouts. This is only going to get worse with the current socialist welfare loving administration that is in office now.-

If these people would of put $4 or $5 a month in a jar for the last year they would easily have the money for the converter. Hell go to Circuit City today and get one for 30% off. That is $42!!!

Take control for yourself and don't wait for handouts from others!!!]]>Feb 6th 2009 10:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
What does your entire diatribe have anything to do with the price of tea in China?

Seriously, where do you get "handout" from my post? That's some imagination you've got there.

I'll spell it out for you, the government can move quickly and mobilize the public quickly when it wants. Is that simple enough for your precious little brain to understand?]]>Feb 6th 2009 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 6:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 9:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 1:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 2:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 7th 2009 12:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 7:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
Where I live more than a few people will find they don't have tv after the switchover due to older antennas that don't receive a strong enough signal or because they don't understand that digital signals are more affected by your surroundings and have an "all-or-nothing" effect. People like this haven't had any warning whatsoever, and although I think half of my local channels are going ahead with the switch-over as planned, I would love to see truthful information put out there instead of the BS "Just buy a converter box, you will be fine."]]>Feb 6th 2009 7:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 7:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 7:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 11:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
No, I don't see at all how this is good news. _Holding off_ is pretty much a guarantee that chaos will ensue this month, not pulling the plug. My grandparents have already called me, confused, and wondering why the government is lying to them. And I, for one, don't feel like having my cable bill jacked up because someone can't follow directions issued two years ago.

And listen, let's be honest with one another, the people that are sure to not be ready for the transition will probably have passed from natural causes by June anyway.]]>Feb 6th 2009 7:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
Quote: "Copps, the acting FCC chairman, said CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC and Telemundo had committed to keeping the stations they own broadcasting analog until June 12.

Together, they own 85 full-power stations, mainly in large cities. The rest of the stations that carry these networks are affiliates not owned by the network. ABC spokeswoman Julie Hoover said some of its stations may still go early if all other stations in their market do so."

85 Stations in the LARGEST cities, one station per city (=5 stations), number of cities = 17 cities, therefore just the top 20 markets will benefit from the delay, everyone else is getting their feeds from broadcasters not owned by the aforementioned.

So who did Obama "help" with this, the uninformed in the top 20 US TV markets, do you live there?

P.S. San Antonio, TX just makes it into that category. Is you home city / town / village bigger or smaller? If not, and you are not ready then 1. You are not a regular reader of Engadget, and 2. You will have almost nothing except PBS until you get you converter box.]]>Feb 6th 2009 11:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 7:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 7:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 7:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
I see Al Gore, standing next to 2 towers, with a tear on his cheek.]]>Feb 6th 2009 8:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 8:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
utah is also going digital. the only stations NOT switching over are the localy owned stations by the church and only the church watches. ]]>Feb 6th 2009 8:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 10:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 8:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 8:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 8:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 8:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Wow. You're the dumbass here, Mike.]]>Feb 6th 2009 9:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
Oh and yes, if you are here illegally, can't speak the language of the land AND are too stupid to afford/know to get a converter box then yeah, chances are - you are stupid. I highly doubt rocket scientists would be an illegal alien, hiding in New Mexico doing yard work and still watching a SDTV.]]>Feb 6th 2009 10:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
And I'd like to see a source for the cable companies apparently catching people. I didn't know the Cable Police Department was still operating.]]>Feb 6th 2009 10:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
Now, I can't find a source, but Adelphia ran a "sting operation" quite a few years ago (mid 1990's I think) where they created an ad on TV that only the illegal cable boxes would pick up and it had a notice saying you had won some lottery or something. People would call the number or go to the address listed and bang, they got caught for stealing cable. They weren't arrested, only the satellite companies tried to do that.

They can do something like that now. On Feb 17, put a screen that says you were chosen for some lottery and to go here. You show up and it goes 1 of two ways. Way 1, you show them legal ID and they GIVE you a converter box and you go on your way. Way 2, you can't produce ID and you get interrogated by ICE agents. If your legal, they apologize, stress the importance of always having ID and then give you a converter box and send you on your way. If you illegal, you get put in a bus and deported and barred from entering the US for 5 years. IF you have already been barred more than once from the US, you go to jail for 5 years and then your permanently barred from entering the US.

It's simple. If they don't catch anyone, oh well. If they do, hey, that's great.]]>Feb 6th 2009 10:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
madmike says "The majority of people who are not ready for the DTV transition are more than likely illegal aliens. "

"it's somewhat safe to say that the majority of the people who aren't ready for the switch would be illegals."

you sir, are an idiot, and your racist diatribe is pathetic

I bet your jailhouse swastika tattoo is backwards. [yes madmike, it is confusing, it DOES look the right way in the mirror]

]]>Feb 6th 2009 11:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
Who's most likely not to be ready for the transition? People who do not understand what DTV is (caused by a language barrier or just lack of tech knowledge) or people too poor to afford even the $20 in cash they would have to pay after the $40 coupon.

I am not saying these people are bad, or evil or blaming them for anything. I'm just saying that it is more than likely they are a big chunk of that 5.1M people that aren't ready for DTV! The sheer fact that I don't want ILLEGAL aliens in this country isn't racist. ]]>Feb 6th 2009 11:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/ The ability of the government to fuck something up amazes me more everyday.]]>Feb 6th 2009 9:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 10:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
It just makes this lithograph even more appropriate:

http://www.despair.com/government.html]]>Feb 6th 2009 10:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 9:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 9:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/Feb 6th 2009 10:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
All the other affiliates in my area have had their OTA HD up for years, and I get them rock-solid. I hope they DO pull the analog if just to shame our CW...]]>Feb 6th 2009 11:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
I didn't think this was going to postponed, I figured that it was all political posturing... just to say there were trying to push and then not. oh well.]]>Feb 6th 2009 11:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/stations-can-still-yank-analog-plug-this-month-though-many-won/
So while the delay helps Ma & Pa Kettle save up $10 a month so they can get a converter box in May or June, it causes the stations to spend more than $60,000 over the budget they set for themselves this year.

I encourage any and all station owners to make the switch on the 17th of this month. Let the people who have had YEARS to get their shit together and buy a $40 - $50 converter box twist in the wind. THAT is the only way they'll get off their ass, readjust their budget to divert this relatively small amount of cash, and spend that money on their TV watching instead if it's so important to them.

The rest of us have been ready for a while now, and we're not rich either. I'm sick of the half-assed signal strength, and would like to see the region's stations go full digital ASAP, so I can actually tune things in without having to treat my antenna like it's some sort of puzzle game.


]]>Feb 6th 2009 11:57AM