Obama team urges delay in digital TV transition - Page 2 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

peverett · #16 01-09-2009, 07:30 PM

What EchoWars does not realize is that TV IS life support during severe weather.

radiotvnut · #17 01-09-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peverett

What EchoWars does not realize is that TV IS life support during severe weather.

It is here. The ABC affiliate does an excellent job of staying on top of bad weather and breaking in on regular programming if things get rough. I can't say the same for radio; since most of the stations are automated and there's no real people left to take over in the event of bad weather.

Brian · #18 01-09-2009, 08:15 PM

Happily there is still AM and portable radios as well as SW. We may complain there are too many talk stations but in times of storms and AC being out, there is a source of information. Sadly, up here when the weather just looks bad the cable goes out.

wajobu · #19 01-09-2009, 08:19 PM

I will be building one of these this weekend: http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=175571

EchoWars · #20 01-09-2009, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peverett

What EchoWars does not realize is that TV IS life support during severe weather.

The current residence is fine. but at the old house a few blocks away, a stiff breeze was enough to cause the whole block (and sometimes large sections of this town) to lose power. This, in a corner of Tornado Alley.

Point being, if you're relying on AC power delivered from the power company to be able to watch TV during severe weather, you're not thinking straight.

zenith2134 · #21 01-10-2009, 12:36 AM

EchoWars, with all due respect, that is true, but it will be pretty impossible to use the ATSC system on batteries...you would likely need a generator to use TV in that case, whereas the old LCD 'watchmen' type TVs would pick up analog fine (albeit a bit snowy, but usable...)

As for the possible transition postponement, what gives? Just make a move already. As much as I like NTSC, the switch is inevitable so just 'cut the cord' already.... Isn't this the third or fourth time its being pushed back?

radiotvnut · #22 01-10-2009, 12:46 AM

All of this talk of pushing back the date makes me think of the saying, "either $h!t or get off the pot".

EchoWars · #23 01-10-2009, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenith2134

EchoWars, with all due respect, that is true, but it will be pretty impossible to use the ATSC system on batteries...you would likely need a generator to use TV in that case, whereas the old LCD 'watchmen' type TVs would pick up analog fine (albeit a bit snowy, but usable...)

Your post is a non-sequitur to me. Emergency? No AC power? Grab the damn portable radio. TV isn't the only source for information in a crisis.

zenith2134 · #24 01-10-2009, 01:33 AM

HA! Never said it was. I hate TV as much as the next guy. When I patch up a set after repairs, I put it aside and it rarely gets used. Idiotbox=Unnecessary. Emergency? Radios are fine!

Ed in Tx · #25 01-10-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenith2134

EchoWars, with all due respect, that is true, but it will be pretty impossible to use the ATSC system on batteries...

I bought an Artec DTV conterter box that runs on external 12VDC to use with my Sony KV-9PT60 AC-DC 9" TV just in case. Battery powered ATSC is doable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenith2134

As for the possible transition postponement, what gives? Just make a move already. As much as I like NTSC, the switch is inevitable so just 'cut the cord' already.... Isn't this the third or fourth time its being pushed back?

Indeed. Get on with it, do the inevitable, and work out the bugs when it's done. The Feds have already sold off a lot of the spectrum. Like putting off that visit to the dentist for a root canal... it's going to happen eventually! I do think the middle of Feb was a bad timing choice though. Not very conducive for rooftop antenna work.

whoaru99 · #26 01-10-2009, 09:44 AM

The stations transmitting are essentially the same in many (most?) cases and the antennas aren't anything special...plain old VHF or UHF they are.

My point is that I'm not sure much antenna work is even necessary in the transition.

Ed in Tx · #27 01-10-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoaru99

The stations transmitting are essentially the same in many (most?) cases and the antennas aren't anything special...plain old VHF or UHF they are.

My point is that I'm not sure much antenna work is even necessary in the transition.

Yep theoretically that should be the way it works. But some people (like me) that had not so optimum UHF reception (but watchable) found out that not all the digital counterparts were received well enough to keep a good lock on the digital signal. I had to physically relocate my Winegard roof antenna to get it out of some multipath or shadows or whatever was disrupting things. As far as the antenna is concerned, it's all RF, the transmission mode doesn't matter. I constantly hear about people locally that can receive all the channels on UHF fine, except Ch8 that transmits DTV on VHF Ch9 is a problem for many folks. After the transition those same folks will probably lose two more 11 and 52 when they move to actual ch 11 and 9 (and digital 8 moves back 8 where they've been analog since 3-17-1950.) So in DFW we will have a mix of mostly UHFs with 3 channels on VHF. Seems to me if they wanted to simplify reception the FCC would have moved all TV transmission to UHF.

bgadow · #28 01-10-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EchoWars

Your post is a non-sequitur to me. Emergency? No AC power? Grab the damn portable radio. TV isn't the only source for information in a crisis.

As has been mentioned before, not an option in many cases. Locally there have been blizzards, ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, 10-car pile-ups on the highway, floods...turn on the radio and listen to the music because none of the local stations have a real news department and many are fully automated so that there is nobody to read a special announcement. Last year I had a tornado (a very small tornado) come right down the street where I work. I had no idea it might happen-there were 2 radios on in the shop and neither said a word, before or after. The guy who works down the street in a warehouse (which was nearly blown down by the twister) had gone home. Why? His wife was home watching the local news, yep, on good old analog, and called to warn him.

Different, perhaps, in the city where there are news/talk stations and such. The old-style community broadcasters are gone for the most part.

peverett · #29 01-10-2009, 08:41 PM

The problem with commercial radio stations is that they do not broadcast emergency weather information anymore-at least around here(TX). With all of the equipment(dual doppler radar, hail detectors, etc.) purchased by the TV stations, TV has taken over the weather information role.

Of course you can buy the specialized weather radios(I have one), but this is still not near the information that can be gleaned from a TV weather warning.

wa2ise · #30 01-10-2009, 11:47 PM

Some parts of the country get tornadoes, and you really would like to see live radar maps of your region on TV. Many DTV stations have sub-channels that display weather info. Portable DTV sets would be good to have, and there's a proposed mobile TV add on to the ATSC standard just released. Severe weather info would be an excellent use for that mobile TV. This mobile TV standard is designed with more rugged error correction and reception under lousy conditions.