CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

I thought it wouldn't be a big deal and it still may not be, but I have met more than a few people that are still confused by the digital transition and HDTV. My mom told me a couple of days ago that she was going to have to get a new bedroom TV, because it wouldn't be compatible. I had to explain that she has cable and for her it is not an issue. The guy across the street has OTA and thinks he needs a new digital antenna. Does anyone else think this is going to be a big deal?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 12:54 am Post subject:

I've sold off my analog CRTs and am eyeballing a digital.

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

"How many people do you know confused by the digital deadline"

Every single Best Buy employee.

Heywood Jablome · Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 1548

Should make this thread a poll...
1) I've lost count of the number of times I've explained it to SOMEONE!
b) I've lost count of the number of times I've explained it to SOMEONE!
III) I've lost count of the number of times I've explained it to SOMEONE!

stefuel · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:45 am Post subject:

What deadline

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:25 am Post subject:

outwest · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 212 Location: Honolulu

We are making the transition on January 15. There has been a flurry of public service announcements about the change. NO ONE has even mentioned the change to me. I think cable penetration is quite high here because of the geography and the large number of people that live in high rise condos.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Quite a few people I run into on a daily basis are the typical cowsumer (already drank this morning, Analog). Most cowsumers are just your blissfully ignorant breed that will not turn on the computer and research. They are all caught up in their lives, as such, and TV just isn't technically as important as "is it working; did I pay for a good looking picture" etc.

Chuchuf · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 548

Everyone.........

Terry

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Actually, to answer the original question. The ONLY people I know in real life that get their TV OTA are people getting their locals in HD OTA. I know absolutely no one that gets SD OTA.

So, while the vast majority of people have no idea about what this is and what it means, it does not really matter as they will be completely unaffected by it.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject:

I agree. Even people living in low-income and subsidized housing - most of them have cable TV. I'm not making that up - I speak from experience.

Personally, I think there are two groups who actually will be affected in significant numbers:

1) Old folks - both living independently and in nursing homes - those people still have analog OTA TV's with rabbit ears.

2) Rural folks - especially older folks living rurally. Many still have no access to cable and wouldn't have any interest in paying $300-600/year to get TV even if they did. DirecTV or DISH are options, but again - $$. We're talking about people who are as poor (if not poorer) than some inner-city folks. People who have had houses that have been paid off for decades and who live all year on what my family spends in a month or two to live. Compounding the problem is that a lot of them who have less-than-stellar antenna setups and now watch a slightly snowy or wavy analog signal will simply have no digital signal at all. As we all know, with DTV it's a go/no-go deal and some of these folks will have no-go. To get usable signals, they could require new antennas, mast, wiring, amplifiers - regardless of whether they used their government coupon to get a CECB.

I've read rants on AVS in the OTA forum... Guys who have elderly parents in the sticks that are PISSED OFF the FCC is shutting down analog at all. They're convinced there's no way in hell that the digital signal will be usable for MANY rural residents (shorter range, less robust signal, more finicky receivers) and are also convinced that there are hundreds of thousands - if not millions - who can't afford even basic satellite TV - and who, will in effect, have no TV anymore. Don't know what to think about that. It's hard to imagine that many people in areas SO fringe-y that they'll have no TV at all, but again - with digital, it'll either work or it won't. You can't just accept a noisy, wavy picture and move on. It just won't work - at all.

Presumably, many of these folks will have discussed it at the local diner, bar, church, etc. and have had some time to prepare for the change. I would think most have friends, family, church members, etc. in the area who can advise them, too. Whether they did anything is another story.

Here's a funny thing (or not so funny). A lot of reasonably tech-savvy people I've talked recently think that the February transition means that everything starting on that date will then be in HD. Shocked

I honestly had to explain that the transition has NOTHING to do with moving from SD to HD and that it simply means the analog transmitters are going away and everything will be DIGITAL - NOT HD. Rolling Eyes

SC

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Z-Photo · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject:

A person may be intelligent

People are STUPID

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1173

It won't affect me. I have the RF adapter for my Dreamcast so I'm all set.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject:

SC