got a DTV converter

[gfretwell]

Thanks, Jim, that us useful information. I have some inverters but I would be happy to have a converter that works with my little battery set if we are really in the storm. All of that inverter/generator stuff is nice for after the storm while you are waiting for FPL

I am guessing the manufacturers will have small digital sets some day but I am not in a hurry to buy one and eat their startup costs. I am really waiting to see where the whole TV market is heading before I buy much new. I still think there will be a huge IP based TV system on the internet ... as soon as they can get the business model and DRM problems worked out. The writer's strike was just the first battle

[Jim Yanik]

mm wrote in news: [e-mail]:

check here;

I saw two listed;9v and 12v.

[hallerb]

call your coingressional reps the will delay the changeover date a few more years

[larry]

tell them you can't see their political ads ;-) also, they want that radio frequency auction money NOW!

batt op? easy, most computer stores have ATSC usb sticks for less than the converter box. of course the congress critters won't let you use your $40 coupons for those. we've been using tv cards in the computers the past 5 years. everyone around here wants to watch their own program anyways, wonder how long the tv will exist as a standalone.

-- larry / dallas

[mm]

So these things work! I figured the antenna would be too small or something.

What about the DVR software that comes with them? Does that work too?

If one went away on vacation for 2 weeks and wanted to record one daytime hour every weekday and 3 or 4 hours per week at night, which is about 18 hours total, wouldn't I need a humongous harddrive to hold all that? (Plus everything else I have on my harddrive, of course.)

My friend maybe not, but I'd also want to be able to watch the TV program full screen on one monitor while doing my computer stuff on an other monitor full screen. Hard to do?

What brand(s) do you recommend?

Exactly. Some FAQ of their said they didn't want to pay for upgrading, only to keep current. But for my regular tv, the only reason I would now buy a digital dvd recorder, for example, is to keep current, since I already have a vcr and it's all I needed, and they would still only be paying 40 dollars. So now I'll probably buy a 50 dollar box and eventually buy that DVD recorder, paying the full price myself, and never use the box again that they chipped in 40 dollars on.

[Pete C.]

I haven't played with one yet, but all that I've seen had an "F" connector for an antenna input, so you still need to add an antenna. It's not like WiFi where the microwave frequencies make the antenna small enough to hide in the dongle, it's still the regular OTA VHF/UHF so the antenna is a moderate size.

[me]

Have any advice on best little battery operated TV to buy that gets digital TV signals?

[me]

Same here

I think sit changing in a big way soon..... probably to IPTV

[aemeijers]

Given that my DTV converter is bigger than my 2" LCD tv (forget the brand- not that it matters in that size range)- is anyone yet marketing similar sizes of digital TVs?

The ipods with screens are the only small video I see lately. Given how crappy reception is on the tiny TVs, not surprised most stores quit carrying them. (Mine was an impulse purchase from Sam's Club remainder rack- marked down to 20 from 70, about 2 years ago.)

If anyone has one of the old Commodore 64 color monitors with integral sound, you should be able to plug your DTV converter box directly into that, for a no-fuss solution. Look in the basement and see.

aem sends...

aem sends...

[Jim Yanik]

aemeijers wrote in news:YAjAj.288179$ [e-mail]:

How are you going to get the output signal of the DTV converter into the 2" LCD TV? Does the LCD TV have an ext. antenna input?

I doubt it;the converter circuits are about the size of a large paperback book.You could get a 12v LCD monitor and feed the video from the DTV converter into it,and have a small audio amp for sound.

[hrhofmann]

5-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

Jim:

Thanks for all the good info. I lived in Ft Pierce during high school and got my bachelors at UF Gainesville before moving back north. Weather looks like you might be having power outages right now - on Friday.

I went to the official US gov site "

" where they list all places within X miles that have convertors. Will have to keep trying, or go to my local WM.

Thanks again.

Bob H

[TomC]

aemeijers wrote in news:YAjAj.288179$MJ6.256686 @bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

Do the new converter boxes have channel tuners in them? The commodore monitors do not. How would you change channels? I always ran mine through a vcr with a channel tuner then I routed to the monitor.

[trader4]

All TV sets being manufactured for sale in the US must now have a digital tuner. This reqt started with the large screens sizes several years ago and worked it;s way down to even the small ones. Plus, even without the specific govt reqt, who would buy any set today that doesn't have a digital tuner. Current plan is for NTSC OTA to be turned off in less than a year.

I am

[gfretwell]

There was an article in EE Times a couple weeks ago about a solid state DTV tuner that will get rid of that little silver can we have now. This will make the tuner/converter more like the size of an Ipod or smaller. For now I will just be happy if I can get one that will run on some low voltage DC (batteries when the power is off) so I can use the portable TV during a storm. I haven't looked at it but I understand one of our local stations runs "all radar all the time" on one of the digital channels. When I get my converter that will replace the feed to the TV I have out by the pool, that is on cable weather radar all the time now.

[mm]

Well, places that participate in the 40 dollar coupon program.

And even then they list a bunch of BEst Buys around here, but not the one that is closest to me. I'll betcha the one not listed still has them.

[mm]

I'm sure. While I'm looking for more entertainment, only 3 of the stations in BAlt and DC currently have any. A fox station has one other station not weather, a pbs has 3 or 4 stations and one other stations has one

The rest just have Weather TV.

If you want to know what you might get, go to

and enter your zipcode and Broadcast Stations, when it asks for it, and it will show you what all the digital stations have scheduled.

You can also have preferences for this site, to give only the stations you are interested in, either listed above the other ones or to the exclusion of the other ones.

This might decide for some whehter to get a converter or tv now, or wait until later.

If you're out by t he pool, can't you tell what the weather is? :)

[mm]

They may be made eearlier but they still are selling sets without digital tuners. Target had two models, just three weeks ago. Labeled on the shelf below the tv.

Good question. Maybe someone who plans a central converter box anyhow?

As to my 2 inch tv, it was a present and I've really never used it. So sad. Hoping to use it next month on the way to Texas.

Can I give it to someone elsewhere in America, north or south, where they still have analog? Is there an easy way to do this, other than going to Mexico? Obviously they don't watch enough tv in some of these countries and I'd like to help them watch more.

[hallerb]

=BF=BD- Hide quoted text -

canada will still be analog

[Jim Yanik]

mm wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Heh,my paperwork didn't list the closer Best Buys either.

[mm]

quoted text -

Thanks. They have channels 2 to 86 also? (I'm not actually sure the US goes up to 86. It was supposed to at one point, but I think they stop in the 70's or something.)

They ought to come down here and buy truckloads of used analog tvs and resell them in Canada. I wonder if there is a way to make money doing that. If I see a Canadian truck, I'll give it to the driver.