View Full Version : My 1st and Hopefully Only Concession To Digital


NoTransistors
02-13-2008, 11:48 PM
I live in Brooklyn, and the interference on TV has been too much to bear.
So, I bought a Samsung doohickie to get digital broadcast on my Sony analog CRT TV.
Everything now comes in w/o interference, using the existing roof antenna. I still prefer analog reception [when it is good], as this is a bit like those new fluorescent lights- a little hard on the eyes. Once you get used to that, everything is nice.
Now for the bad parts:
I get all channels but PBS 13. This is with the antenna in any and all positions.
Not all channels have equal volume.
HD broadcasts yield a much clearer picture than plain 480i digital broadcasts [the adapter tells you the type of signal being sent], even though my TV is analog and only probably 480i.
When a broadcast analog signal is clean, it definitely is better than the 480i digital, but not as good as the HD broadcasts.

Seth
Forever Analog and Covered In Parrot Poop

zenith2134
02-14-2008, 02:08 PM
Interesting about PBS... I'm in Queens and I get all the locals on analog with a 1980 TV but PBS has all sorts of VBI info present at all times... No others really do. I ordered the converter boxes and I'm waiting on the coupons.

Hell this set is probably only 330 lines ! (doesn't matter, since I care less about tv programming, i only like the tv sets!)

zenithfan1
02-14-2008, 02:15 PM
Hell this set is probably only 330 lines ! (doesn't matter, since I care less about tv programming, i only like the tv sets!)

LMAO! Me too! programming started suckin' years ago!

old_tv_nut
02-14-2008, 03:20 PM
according to the FCc info site:
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/video/tvq.html
WNET-13 is on digital RF 61 at low power under STA (special temporary authority), so you may have problems with them.

radiotvnut
02-14-2008, 03:25 PM
I think the last "current" TV show I watched was (don't laugh) "The Commish" back in the early to mid '90's. Since then, I've watched reruns of MacGyver, A-Team, In the Heat of the Night, Dukes of Hazzard, Trapper John, etc. Now, I never catch any of these shows on cable. I used to catch Trapper John, Quincy, and Kojak on Fox; but, now they show nothing but those dang "courtroom" programs all day. I remember living for 3 o'clock back in the '80's when He-Man (and other cartoons) came on after school. Now, it's talk shows and more "courtroom" programs. I think I'll track down some DVD's of these older shows!

Luckyman
02-14-2008, 09:37 PM
Seth, have you stepped over to the dark side? "Use the force".

ChrisW6ATV
02-14-2008, 09:50 PM
I get all the locals on analog with a 1980 TV... Hell this set is probably only 330 lines !
It is probably more like 240 lines, not 330, unless it has a comb filter. As of 1980, I think Magnavox was the only (and first) company selling consumer TV sets with comb filters for the full 330 lines available in the NTSC broadcast standard. They sure made Discovision laser discs look good, from a Magnavision player.

NoTransistors
02-14-2008, 09:53 PM
Must be powered by a one watt linear amplifier, because one would think that a roof antenna set up in the South Midwood section of Brooklyn would certainly pick up a transmission from The Gorilla Building.

Interesting link to the FCC.

As far as interference on analog goes, CBS-2 is by far the worst. On all other stations, it varies as much as the tides.
Transmissions from The Trade Center were far superior.
But, the towers are not important. Only the thousands lost are.
May be a cliche', but I will say it anyway. "Never Forget."

Seth
Forever Analog and Covered In Parrot Poop

NoTransistors
02-14-2008, 09:58 PM
Joe, to paraphrase Mel Brooks, "Use the Schwartz, my boy."

Seth
Forever Analog and Covered In Parrot Poop

zenith2134
02-14-2008, 10:41 PM
Yeah post 9/11 tv reception has suffered for sure.

And as every New Yorker (hopefully) agrees... lets toast the POS's . (That was my little rant for the month...)

vinyldavid
02-14-2008, 10:45 PM
I think the last "current" TV show I watched was (don't laugh) "The Commish" back in the early to mid '90's. Since then, I've watched reruns of MacGyver, A-Team, In the Heat of the Night, Dukes of Hazzard, Trapper John, etc. Now, I never catch any of these shows on cable. I used to catch Trapper John, Quincy, and Kojak on Fox; but, now they show nothing but those dang "courtroom" programs all day. I remember living for 3 o'clock back in the '80's when He-Man (and other cartoons) came on after school. Now, it's talk shows and more "courtroom" programs. I think I'll track down some DVD's of these older shows!

let me recommend the first season of Kojak on DVD. I own it and love it!

Tony V
02-14-2008, 10:55 PM
I think the last "current" TV show I watched was (don't laugh) "The Commish" back in the early to mid '90's. Since then, I've watched reruns of MacGyver, A-Team, In the Heat of the Night, Dukes of Hazzard, Trapper John, etc. Now, I never catch any of these shows on cable. I used to catch Trapper John, Quincy, and Kojak on Fox; but, now they show nothing but those dang "courtroom" programs all day. I remember living for 3 o'clock back in the '80's when He-Man (and other cartoons) came on after school. Now, it's talk shows and more "courtroom" programs. I think I'll track down some DVD's of these older shows!

The good news is that all of those shows are now available on DVD and then some. It seems like thats the only way we're going to watch anything decent on tv anymore. I agree with Vinyldavid about Kojak..a definate must have.
-Tony

Adam
02-15-2008, 12:17 AM
I agree about all the old shows on dvd, that's about all I ever watch. I have the Kojak too, there's a roundie in one of the episodes.: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=61689&d=1189902465