Picture quality on a 19" CRT TV; analog vs. digital
 

I have a 19" RCA XL100 CRT TV (1999 model). Will I notice much of a difference, if any, in my set's picture after the digital transition? I read somewhere (don't remember where offhand) that most viewers with CRT-based sets with screens under about 25 inches won't notice any difference once everything is broadcast digitally. I also did not notice any changes whatsoever in my TV picture when one of the local stations (WKYC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Cleveland) ran a DTV "soft test" recently. I honestly could not tell when the analog signal had been shut off for the test, leaving only the digital broadcast; my TV picture was as good the entire time of the test as it always has been. I have Time-Warner expanded basic cable service on both my TVs; my living-room set (the RCA) and my Zenith Sentry 2 in my bedroom.

If anything, the picture might look better on a 19" set then a 25" set,. because both sets run at the same 480i resolution, but the 19" set has smaller pixels due to it being a smaller screen.

Other then that, lack of a fuzzy picture might improve the image quality ever so slightly, as analog channels almost always have some slight picture imparement caused by being received over the air.

Since you have cable, you won't see any difference at all. The transition will be completely seamless for you. This is also why you didn't see the DTV test that the local station ran. Most likely, your cable company is getting their program stream via fiber optic telephone line directly from the local station. If your cable company is picking the local station up off the air, they are already using the digital transmission of that station.

This DTV transition will only affect those viewers that receive free, over-the-air broadcasts via rabbit ears or outdoor antenna.

To answer your question...

Yes, those folks with a convertor box hooked up to their older TV will see a much better picture on that set than they ever have for OTA TV. The reason is that the analog signal coming out of the convertor box will be completely noise and ghost free. Even the best outdoor antenna installations are subject to some degradation from these two phenomena.

I'm not flaming or chiding anyone here, but the above question demonstrates clearly the confusion surrounding this transition. Jeffhs was apparently unaware that he will be unaffected, because he has cable.

Our goobermint really dropped the ball on this one (the DTV transition)!

I consider DTV to be "DVD picture quality" when you have a good signal. Analog never looked as good as DTV but analog is definitely a more reliable broadcast format.

DTV is either great, pixellated or nothing, depending on reception. The big problem that I see with DTV is that it too often nothing in poor weather. At least with analog , the weather warnings get trough, even though the picture may be snowy.

Satellite has a similar issue in poor weather-I have seen both in action.

I think it's pretty much the same technology.

Over the years I've used cable and analog antenna and I have to say, nothing is as clear as a good digital signal. When it's right, it's right. My best example so far has been my CTC-15, which is probably the best of my color roundies. I would say the screen size is very similiar to your 19", overall, and yes it is noticeable as far as clarity goes. I doubt that RCA had ever had the pleasure of displaying such a signal. But...and big but...that better be a good signal coming in to that convertor box!

As others have mentioned, the use of a converter box ahead of an analog TV for OTA digital reception will also result in more channels, as many TV stations are carrying alternate programming on their digital subchannels (the Cleveland market, however, does not--at least not yet, although I did read somewhere right here in this forum a post to the effect that channel 43, the local MyTV network affiliate, may eventually pick up THIS-TV on one of its subcarriers, especially since The Tube, a short-lived digital-cable music channel carried on 43's digital channel 43.2 in our area, went dark last year). This may well mean that you'll finally be able to watch NBC over-the-air with an antenna in your area, possibly on a DTV subchannel of one of the Salisbury network stations.

I see a day coming eventually when every TV viewer in every corner of the US will be able to receive every major OTA TV network; DTV will play a huge part in making this happen, again due to the multicasting capabilities of the technology. The only drawback will probably be signal strength at any given location, but even this problem should be eliminated when most DTV stations are transmitting at full power--many are still operating at far less than full authorized power output due to interference problems or other issues.

I liked The Tube. I never saw it as a digital subchannel, but in my old town the local MyTV network switched to them for the overnight.