Feb 17 the first time a major broadcast format is to shut down?

[wa2ise]

Let's see, AM radio has been around since the early 1920's, FM since WW2, and they have never been terminated. Now, NTSC analog color TV, a very popular and successful broadcast signal format, is scheduled to die in a month. Oh, we had many short lived broadcast formats (AM stereo, CBS color wheel, quad sound on FM, FM on 45MHz, and such). But never a 50+ year lifetime standard being killed off.

[RobtWB]

A 50 year broadcast standard being killed off for what???

I wonder if watching the evening news, reruns of MASH, Seinfeld, Frasier, Leave It To Beaver, The Beverly Hillbillies, Hannah Montana, The Simpsons, King of the Hill and hundreds of other programs, are really going to be better in a digital format. I have my doubts. Who the hell wants to watch the evening news with a picture with so much detail that one can see the brushmarks on the talking heads makeup?

Does anyone remember the names of our celebrated congressional members who, in the mid 90's went to Japan and were astonished that we here in the US of A did not have high definition TV like was being demonstrated in Japan. IIRC these buzzards came back to the US and really got the ball rolling for high def. television.

[Duffinator]

Originally Posted by RobtWB

I wonder if watching the evening news, reruns of MASH, Seinfeld, Frasier, Leave It To Beaver, The Beverly Hillbillies, Hannah Montana, The Simpsons, King of the Hill and hundreds of other programs, are really going to be better in a digital format. I have my doubts.

It's a lot better so fear not. Nothing like watching the Simpsons in HD on a really large plasma that's hung on the wall. Looks like the switch will be delayed by four months so you will have more time to complain about the switch.

[RobtWB]

Not complaining at all about high def tv.

I like it.

It should make all those mashed potato headed fools that watch Homer Simpson reruns and MASH reruns ad nauseum really happy.

[eberts]

Originally Posted by RobtWB

A 50 year broadcast standard being killed off for what???

It's being killed off for money.
The "change" stimulates the electronic industry, which generates revenue for uncle sam, who has a lot of money invested in it through research grants and subsidies.

Another problem with digital is the ability to relay data that essentially is a lie. In about 25 years, people who go to an electronic court accused of murder, will say "prove it." A video file will be displayed showing the accused murdering some one, when in reality, they didn't. The false data can be verified as genuine since it will be digital.

In the future, no programs will be "free". You will pay one way or another.
The infrastructure is already in place for uncle sam to know what, where, when, how long, you viewed digital TV. Every event will be unique. The end is near, run to undeveloped countries as fast as you can.

If you go to a hospital, are admitted, you sit in bed watching TV, thinking it is free. They "discharge" you 10 days later, when you open your next home phone bill, there will be the $166 charge for the TV fee from the hospital. Does the hospital inform you of that during admittance ? Nope, it's automatic, you have to tell them first that you don't want a TV in your room.

[Sam Cogley]

Why do I feel like I just got fitted for a tin-foil hat?

[marty59]

The potential for possibilities may not be so far-fetched. I cannot find the thread at the moment but there was discussion about how taxes/fees are levied for having a television and watching it over in Europe and the UK.
In this day and age I tend not to overlook anything as being possible, nor do I wish to be ignorant or an alarmist. That being said, we are fortunate to be able to seek out information on just about anything and to be able to inform ourselves....and always post here to share and discuss!

[peverett]

I do not know of any other majof broadcast formats being shut down, but FM radio was moved after WWII. I have read that this was due to the influence of Sarnoff of RCA. It killed the FM broadcast network set up by Armstrong prior to WWII. I have Zenith radios with both bands. Of course only one of the receives anything.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by peverett

I do not know of any other majof broadcast formats being shut down, but FM radio was moved after WWII. I have read that this was due to the influence of Sarnoff of RCA. It killed the FM broadcast network set up by Armstrong prior to WWII. I have Zenith radios with both bands. Of course only one of the receives anything.

My '42 Zenith has the old FM band...picks up a bit of static on the high end...if you're into static...

In all fairness I don't think FM being moved could be considered "major," as there were only a handful of stations regularly broadcasting on FM in the mid 1940's. Only a relatively small number of customers in major markets were affected.

[bgadow]

I guess a few stations are still broadcasting in AM stereo...though come to think of it, I haven't heard any lately. The stereo in my truck will pick them up. Guess I'll have to explore the band and find out.

[Alaric]

It's being killed off for money.

This is true-however , the money is going to the Federal Government. The FCC is selling bandwidth. They don't care crap about the electronics industry. It's a revenue stream for the feds.

[zenith2134]

It's time for the intelligent people (like us, who actually care enough to discuss this sort of thing) to shut the damn thing off more often. I like TV, not going to lie and say I don't, but it just consumes so many people's lives. Get a grip, world. I know too many families who just turn it on after a day at work and leave it on til they wake up to go out the next morning. Sleep with it on, etc. Shame to think of all those ad's seeping into their subconscious self while they are asleep.

Growing up, my family was this way. On my mom's side they went through an unhealthy amount of tv's in not too long of a time. It just got to a point, where I decided I could make decisions on my own and stop being a victim of the idiot box. This did however result in a fascination with the sets, though

Not so sure that digital data can be pulled out of thin air to convict people in a court of law....I mean wouldn't there have to be some sort of 'real' analog event in the first place?

Agree with DRH: Can't wait to see how the transition turns out....

[andy]

000

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by andy

I guess the closest thing would be when they killed the 405 line TV standard in the UK.

Heard a story about that, something to the effect that there was only one or two 405 line sets in town (London), both owned by grandmothers. So the BBC kept the 405 station on the air, until someone figured out it'd be much cheaper to just replace the two 405 line sets with new 625 line sets. So both grandmothers got new TV sets, and the BBC was able to save a lot of electric bill, and free up some RF spectra.

[old_tv_nut]

I was going to mention the French 819-line standard, which would qualify for analog monochrome high-def; but that lasted only 18 years:

http://www.birth-of-tv.org/birth/ass...435_1133285440