End of Analog TV?

[simbrooks]

Just read an interesting article today about ending analog TV transmissions.

This certainly affects me as i dont really want to deal with cable and use a "rabbit ears" antennae (you get used to it, i lived like that for 24 years in the UK before moving here and they still do). Anyone else out there staunchly against paying cable/satellite fees who will lose their signal around then? Do you really want to pony up $100 for a digital converter box or buy a new TV? I do however like the idea of using the frequency ranges for helpful things, not so much more cellphone type rubbish - who really needs to have full video conferencing on a phone, its bad enough with pics already!

 

[mossym]

you'll still be able to use OTA signals, they'll just be transmitted digitally. You won't be forced to get cable or satellite. You will however need either a new tv or a converter box

 

[simbrooks]

Like i said, really dont want to have to spend money on something i rarely use anyway. I think i might watch 1 DVD per week and about 30 mins of TV each day (mostly morning news/weather/traffic) - hardly seems worth spending another $100 or buying a new TV for that and certainly not paying for cable etc! I had cable last year including HDTV, what a waste of money, but at least it was split 3 ways....

Even more incentive to get out and do stuff with my few free hours i guess

 

[jonnythan]

Basic Cable is analog as well, yanno.

Digital can be over the air *or* over cable. Both exist at the moment, and you won't need to get cable installed to get digital TV signals.

 

[mossym]

people who won't want to upgrade are one of the reasons the deadline keeps getting pushed out. There really is no easy way around that problem.

IIRC, the cable companies will still be able to transmit the analog signals over their cable, they're not using anyone's bandwidth but their own, but most likely they will go digital too so that they can offer VOD, HDTV and so on

 

[Mark Vlahos]

I have a very good friend who is pushing 50, he has never (as an adult) owned a... gasp... TV. He does not care about the new format.

Mark Vlahos

 

[BIGSAGE136]

I am from the pre-baggie, pre-microwave era. I just bought a new TV. Good luck Simon. Get ready for something TOTALLY DIFFERENT!

 

[JasonH20]

I had cable last year including HDTV, what a waste of money, but at least it was split 3 ways....

GASP! I just got a HDTV box last week.... It's awesome! We don't watch any tv with our 3 year old son, but after he goes to bed I love checking out the HD channels, in particular 2 channels dedicated just for high definition, HDTV1 and HDTV2. If fact, I've caught a couple scuba related shows on them, and it's spectacular to watch. Watching sports in HD is pretty cool too.

I suppose it's a waste of money, but if that's your mentality, then scuba diving is wasting money for most of us too. It's just all comes down to how you want to spend your "disposable" income.