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

[bgadow]

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!

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by bgadow

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.