Analog signal cutoff in 2/2009?

[DishSubLA]

Believed by whom? It doesn't take very long to replace an analog tuner with a digital tuner.

Because D* and E* share a lot of the backhauls, they'll be collectively motivated to see that the necessary changes are made.

Furthermore, D* and E* have submitted statements to the FCC that if the agency can force local broadcasters to reveal when they plan to begin digital broadcast, D* and E* fell they can meet the deadline. However, the great fear, and most likely scenario to occur, is that far too many stations will wait until the last moment to begin digital broadcast. In such a case, both satellite companies have said that this will result in interruption of Local-into-Local for a fair number of subscribers.

This was rather shocking news when it was revealed about a month ago, but both companies are on record with the FCC regarding this issue, and it must be taken at face value because it would not be very good business for either D* or E* to admit to this possible bad situation that could irk many subscribers and cause some to leave satellite for something else unless it were true, IMHO.

This is because both satellite services have to send real people out to all those cities to make the necessary changes at the "antenna farms" that currently receive the analog signals. I believe Dish is on record saying they have about 8 engineers for this task (the number could be a bit higher-18-, but certainly, the number I recall was was really quite low) and without sufficient early warning, both Dish and Direct (one must presume that Direct has a similarly small number of engineers dedicated to the task of LiL "antenna farms") say it is physically impossible for them to have the small number of engineers dedicated to this part of the operation to change all the analog over to digital in time for the cut-off date.

The key is if the FCC can get the local broadcasters to reveal and commit to their plans and dates for digital broadcast. To the contrary, this really does have the capacity to be a pretty big fiasco.

 

[DishSubLA]

TV stations will most likely continue to broadcast (2) signals, one in SD and one in HD (at times).

NO. The most recent law is clear. There will be NO broadcasts on analog come the new deadline. Broadcasters are required to begin digital broadcast and MUST cease analog by the deadline. That is why Dish and Direct are trying to get the FCC to force broadcasters to reveal when they plan to begin digital broadcast because there will be NO signal on analog for satellite to pass-though.

 

[Hall]

There will be NO broadcasts on analog come the new deadline.

Who said there would be ? Read my post again... slower...

 

[navychop]

A large majority of OTA stations broadcast digitally now, in addition to their analog signal. The question, I believe, is which signal the satcos are to use, and the delivery of that signal. Many digital stations are low power. Antenna reception may not be the best. What type of signal is being delivered to the satcos now, when over fiber, etc? There needs to be a plan to shift over to digital gradually, not suddenly on 2/17/09.

 

[dishcomm]

There will be an impact on Dish Network, as well as DirecTV, which has been discussed in another thread. E* and D* both get many of their local channel feeds by receiving OTA analog broadcasts and then sending them to the uplink center by satellite or fiber-optic backhaul feed. It is believed that many of these analog backhaul feeds will not be converted to digital in time for the 2009 analog shutoff. What this means is that some local SD channels may disappear for a short time if E* or D* have not completed the conversion of their receiving equipment from analog to digital in time. As long as you have an OTA antenna on your model 622 or 722 receiver and can receive your local digital channels you will not be affected at all.

I will make a prediction. The TV broadcasting lobby, the cable lobby and the major nets will cry the blues, the politicos inside the Beltway will cave and the transition will be delayed.

 

[Pepper]

All but one of the locals in my market are already broadcasting digital. The lone hold-out, when I inquired, said they had not received a temporary channel allocation so their digital broadcasts would begin Feb. 17, 2009.

 

[harshness]

A large majority of OTA stations broadcast digitally now, in addition to their analog signal.

In my market, most of the SD subchannels have been discontinued. I suspect that the SD question may be moot.

 

[Ronnie-]

Some call 720p ED and some stations do broadcast in 720p. It may not technically a standard, but it is broadcast. My mistake.

720p is in no way considered ED

 

[Islandguy43]

All but one of the locals in my market are already broadcasting digital.

All the locals in my market are digital too, and as time goes, their signal has been getting stronger and stronger. My indoor OTA has been picking them up just fine.

 

[Hall]

pepper, what channel is this ?

 

[Jim5506]

The term ED does not refer to a broadcast standard.

It refers to a type of display that is wide screen 480p, like many early inexpensive plasma displays were.

PBS HD channel still uses wide screen 480p extensively with programs that are not HD but are 480X704 16:9. Fox uses it for Some SD live sports programming when HD equipment is not available.

 

[Pepper]

pepper, what channel is this ?

WBPG 55

 

[maxmoto]

720p is in no way considered ED

I didn't say I agreed with it.

 

[Poke]

Glad to see them shutting it down just another reason why this is happing as well.

FCC Cracks Down on Analog TV Retailers

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FCC Cracks Down on Analog TV Retailers - Fines issued for failure to warn consumers - dslreports.com

With the transition to digital TV getting ever closer, the FCC is doing all it can to make sure that consumers are aware of the problems that they will have with their analog televisions after the switch. One of the ways that they are doing this is by cracking down on retailers who are selling analog-only televisions. The FCC is issuing fines to retailers who continue to sell televisions without a digital option. You can see the changes in the stores; they can continue selling their existing inventory on the condition that they place clear warnings within close proximity to these TVs.

 

[navychop]

I will make a prediction. The TV broadcasting lobby, the cable lobby and the major nets will cry the blues, the politicos inside the Beltway will cave and the transition will be delayed.

Doubtful. Very doubtful. The process to sell off the spectrum has already begun. The date is in law, the proceeds from the sale are already in the budget planning. Too many companies and too much money is riding on this date. There are no major efforts underway at this time to delay it anyway. Too late to change it again.

 

[Ronnie-]

I didn't say I agreed with it.

got ya. Just read it that way.

 

[OoTLink]

Not to beat a dead horse, but...

When you're using digital cable or satellite service your TV essentially becomes a monitor; Whether or not it has an NTSC tuner is irrelevant since you're not actually using that to receive service.

Plain-ole' Analog cable service is a different story, but it has no relevance to the "analog shutdown", it's completely up to the cable provider whether or not they want to continue to broadcast analog channels that can be picked up with NTSC tuners.

Since analog NTSC channels take up a nice chunk of bandwidth even on a cable line, it's generally being phased out for digital cable, but again the TV being used really makes no difference.

A more sensible determination of whether your TV is about to become useless or not in the next 5 years, is whether or not it has the capability to be used as a monitor (inputs other than the coax input for an antenna/other analog feed), for example s-video, composite, component. Even then, you could use an RF modulator.

For the amount some people are paying for service though, if their TV is that old they might as well just put their service on hold (or cancel it), save the monthly fee during a few months, and use it to buy a new TV, lol.



I never gave 2 craps about OTA feeds, out here they're pretty @#% useless as we live in the hills and everything - even PBS, is pretty crappy.

 

[okiekevn]

Every answer to Analog cutoff Feb/2009

 

[okiekevn]

Doubtful. Very doubtful. The process to sell off the spectrum has already begun. The date is in law, the proceeds from the sale are already in the budget planning. Too many companies and too much money is riding on this date. There are no major efforts underway at this time to delay it anyway. Too late to change it again.

navychop is right on this one. can you say wireless broadband? plus i wonder how much the tv manufacuters have invested into this. and heck even where i live in oklahoma even the non-profit church channels are broadcasted in digital. guess that little portable sony handheld tv i bought a few years ago will be worthless now.