http://www.bingham.com/Media.aspx?MediaId=11995

According to this article, the FCC wants to repurpose/confiscate yet another 120MHz of UHF spectrum in favor of broadband services, taking away RF channels 32 through 51, as well as take an updated look at using VHF RF channels for digital TV. Also on the agenda is the possibility of having different stations sharing transmitters, yet keeping HD content simultaneously.

Unbelievable. :thumbsdn: People just can't leave well enough (?) alone.

Seems to me that the only reason that VHF was taken away in the first place was to attempt to spur the economy by making people buy new equipment.

I'm watching what happens with E85 Ethanol fuel and cars.

This has been going on since about October 2009 with a declared "bandwidth shortage" no one knew about. I'm just not too sure how desirable 575-695 mHz is for wireless devices. They require a fairly substancial antenna size compared to the wireless devices operating well above a Gigahertz in use today.

I wish they'd stop reformulating gasoline too.
Ethanol fuel is not only more expensive to make,but produces less power per volume than gasoline and is harmful to your cars engine.

As someone who likes real cars (not plastic roller skates) I dont want the government forcing their agenda down my tank.

As it is they have virtually removed all the zinc from oil causing accelerated wear on older flat tappet cam cars.

You can read more about it here

http://www.zddplus.com/

They can keep the whole dam UHF band for all I care, It SucXs big time ! Now that they determined that the don't need all the power to reach as far as they use to, the UHF channels only make it to my house in the summer. So Yah go ahead take it, and move all the other channels to VHF!!!! They can fit all the channels they need to in every city by fitting them all on 2- 30 anyway ! They do waste a lot of space! My Insignia DTV box goes all the way down to channel 2, and all the while they were saying there would be no DTV stuff below 7. Anyway I hope they keep within what the converter boxes are able to receive. Death to cell phones! Death to movies on cell phones! DEATH TO DIGITAL CREP! DEATH TO UNLEADED GAS Kids are more stupid now that there ain't no lead in the gas or wall paint ! Save america Bring Back Lead Based Products ! ! ! !

I trust this comment will be considered more meaningful than the one just before it.

What can you expect when spectrum gets to be considered as a commodity
to be auctioned to the highest bidder?

Regards to all.

When the DTV transition happened in June '09 lots of folks who had watched our local Ch's 8 and 11 suddenly lost them when they went digital on VHF, staying on their original VHF channels. 8's not going anywhere but 11 began puttng up a new antenna for UHF shortly after, and will eventually be there permanently. Lots of folks expect the little "HD" set top antennas to pull in all the channels but many found out they don't work worth a hoot on VHF.

Here's a video of the new KTVT Channel 11 (RF 19) antenna going up (a link I've posted before, some pretty breathtaking scenes.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-zboXv_dzw

We did have a digital channel on RF 3 but no one could receive it without a big outdoor antenna especially since it was a low power station. It moved to UHF.

BTW a recent survey found the number of OTA only TV viewers has actually increased to over 46 million. OTA is the only way I get my locals.

I'm happy to see OTA only service on the up-tick! We do get a really perfect picture when we get it! and on our latest Black Plastic Crafted Sanyo Wall Mart special 25" CRT set you can read the little writing at the bottom of the screen when there is a commercial for some car that starts at only $17,999. but as shown is really $34,999. If'n you find that survey please post it. Since the conversion I think the newer networks like Antenna TV and This TV have an easier time of starting up since they don't have to build a transmitter, get a license etc. They get to lease existing equipment. I think this has put more diverse programing OTA. I know whenever there ain't anything on CBS, NBC, ABC, there'z always All in the Family on Antenna TV! And it also does suck that bandwidth is up to the highest bidder, there should be protection for tv from the thought of swiping it by the cell carriers. I have read a nice little thingie I think on wikipedia a while back on cell bandwith use, and modulation techniques. You have to hand it to them, they make good use of that space, there are just too dam many of em out there.......

I'm happy to see OTA only service on the up-tick! If'n you find that survey please post it...


http://broadcastengineering.com/news/archive/survey-17-million-homes-watch-television-over-the-air/

In a weak economy...FREE ain't a bad price for programming!
jr

Got to agree with y'all! Taking away the spectrum l little at a time is rather sneaky way to do it. Being a DXer, the loss of analog TV has been sort of a pain! Mexico still comes in once and a while on analog but they are supposed to go digital in the next couple of years. I didn't think about antenna size until it was mentioned. Just think, maybe it'll look like old style walkie-talkies before it is over with!
As for zinc/phosphorus out of oil, the additives work great. It's just a pain to have to buy them when you change oil.
TV on cell phones is ridiculous to me. All the technology to make bigger and shorter lived TV's and now it's on a 2 inch phone screen!

The unmentioned but potentially tragic process of any further refarming of the TV broadcast bands is because probably 100% of this "shortage" of bandwidth for data services is due to people watching VIDEO on their wireless devices, all of which they have to pay service fees for (and, unfortunately, do not realize is a poor value compared to real over-the-air, ad-supported TV).

It is a slippery slope the public has been on, once cable TV went beyond simply extending the reach of broadcast signals to channels created solely for paid-access systems. Now for a generation or so, the majority of the public has got used to paying for TV signals even when they have ads mixed in, and now people pay fees for their mobile data devices, so they think it is all reasonable.

Imagine a time when the entire band 400-700 MHz and more is turned into a solid swath of subscription-only entertainment, run by the people who own the cable- and satellite-TV companies now. There seem to be people who are OK with an idea like this, but I see it as the ultimate nightmare for the RF spectrum.

They can keep the whole dam UHF band for all I care, It SucXs big time ! Now that they determined that the don't need all the power to reach as far as they use to, the UHF channels only make it to my house in the summer. So Yah go ahead take it, and move all the other channels to VHF!!!! They can fit all the channels they need to in every city by fitting them all on 2- 30 anyway ! They do waste a lot of space! My Insignia DTV box goes all the way down to channel 2, and all the while they were saying there would be no DTV stuff below 7. Anyway I hope they keep within what the converter boxes are able to receive. Death to cell phones! Death to movies on cell phones! DEATH TO DIGITAL CREP! DEATH TO UNLEADED GAS Kids are more stupid now that there ain't no lead in the gas or wall paint ! Save america Bring Back Lead Based Products ! ! ! !

Reminds me of a recent experience I had. I was driving the company truck on a delivery, I sneezed and rammed somebody two days before last Christmas. I accept the blame and take responsibility for it but the company policy was for me to take a drug test. Well, my buddy, who is one of my bosses, drove me to the drug testing center that was open on Christmas Eve. He took pout his Droid and put in an episode of Star Trek and stuck it on his window like a GPS. I said to him, "keep that up, buddy and I'll be driving you to a drug test after we get back." :p

Sometimes I think this stuff it getting out of hand. I once joked, "Can't you wait until you got home to surf for porn and watch Hulu?" :) :p

I trust this comment will be considered more meaningful than the one just before it.

What can you expect when spectrum gets to be considered as a commodity
to be auctioned to the highest bidder?

Regards to all.

Yeah, we all need to blow off steam. I'm a libertarian/conservative/minarchist as they come but I don't feel right that they auction off the radio spectrum like they do now, it just ain't right. I'm delving into politics so I'll end it with 'nuff said.

I'm happy to see OTA only service on the up-tick! We do get a really perfect picture when we get it! and on our latest Black Plastic Crafted Sanyo Wall Mart special 25" CRT set you can read the little writing at the bottom of the screen when there is a commercial for some car that starts at only $17,999. but as shown is really $34,999. If'n you find that survey please post it. Since the conversion I think the newer networks like Antenna TV and This TV have an easier time of starting up since they don't have to build a transmitter, get a license etc. They get to lease existing equipment. I think this has put more diverse programing OTA. I know whenever there ain't anything on CBS, NBC, ABC, there'z always All in the Family on Antenna TV! And it also does suck that bandwidth is up to the highest bidder, there should be protection for tv from the thought of swiping it by the cell carriers. I have read a nice little thingie I think on wikipedia a while back on cell bandwith use, and modulation techniques. You have to hand it to them, they make good use of that space, there are just too dam many of em out there.......

Well, that is one GOOD thing about DTV, at least you have more choices.

Got to agree with y'all! Taking away the spectrum l little at a time is rather sneaky way to do it. Being a DXer, the loss of analog TV has been sort of a pain! Mexico still comes in once and a while on analog but they are supposed to go digital in the next couple of years. I didn't think about antenna size until it was mentioned. Just think, maybe it'll look like old style walkie-talkies before it is over with!
As for zinc/phosphorus out of oil, the additives work great. It's just a pain to have to buy them when you change oil.
TV on cell phones is ridiculous to me. All the technology to make bigger and shorter lived TV's and now it's on a 2 inch phone screen!

Heh, it is like watching a TV show on a Nipkow/Baird/Jenkins mechanical disc TV, minus the mechanic disc of course. but you get the idea. :thmbsp: