HDTV

[twfsa]

When the mandate that all TV signals be sent in HD , what the hell is the a person to do will all the old TV's that now only receive a analog signal?

TIA

Tom

[Edwin Pawlowski]

There are adapters.

[Ron]

Probably the same thing the folks with B&W TV's did when they introduced Color. Continue to use it. The typical NTSC signal will continue to be transmitted for a long time.

[Rich]

Use 'em as a big paperweights.

[John Hines]

I plan to rebroadcast the TV signal to them, using a $30 stereo TV modulator from RS. Svideo or composite & stereo in, ch 3 or 4 out.

[Dave Solly]

"twfsa" wrote in news:7YKld.2058$nj.543@lakeread01:

The mandate is not for HDTV, it is for digital. Almost all of the digital signals now, however, are HD. You will need a receiver that will receive the ATSC signal and output the video and audio to your TV.

[Bob Urz]

The FCC mandate which was 2004, then 2006 will probably be 2008+ before it happens. Notice how many cheaper TV's have the new tuners and circuitry. Not many.

There will be a couple of way to do this when it happens. If you subscribe to cable or DTV, the boxes will do the conversion for you to old style analog NTSC. Or, you can buy a convertor/tuner box that will cost more then your cheap TV is worth. That's the price of progress. Or maybe by then your blu ray DVD recorder will have a tuner in it and a convertor for NTSC analog output.

Bob

[PaPaPeng]

The so called HDTV in current sets is still processing NTSC transmissions. Our current TV set should be good for at least another

10 years if not more.

Like Dave says the mandate is for going over to digital. Digital will take up a lot less bandwith and yet provide a lot more services. The freed bandwidth is a very valuable public commodity and can be allocated for other than TV uses. That's also a FCC mandate.

When HDTV screen displays come down in price to match current analog TV set prices I think that's when there will be a great migration to digital HDTV. The electronic circuitry shouldn't be that much different in costs and may perhaps even be less. DVD players already cost peanuts and there is little to distinguish their quality from pricier brand names. A good digital radio and amplifier should cost around $100 max. We already have our PCs which can interface with this digital HDTV (it better do so.) and that will eliminate a lot of single function gadgets in our present home media set-up. We will then have an excuse to replace all our home entertainment equipment without breaking our bank account.

[Red Neckerson]

Shove it right up your......

;-]

Keep watching it. It's not like it WON'T work......

[Jay Chan]

I don't know what other people will do. I intend to continue using the old TV's in this way:

- I currently have DirecTV, and I already have Beyond-TV/TV-tuner-card in a PC to record TV shows in a 160GB hard disk.

- I am already in my way to wire my house for Gigibit connection. I will put a couple PCs here and there to view the recorded TV shows stored in the central location. Of course, those PCs will be connected to old TVs.

- When I need to upgrade, I intend to upgrade the DirecTV decoder box to HDTV compatible, and upgrade Beyond-TV and the tuner card to make them HDTV compatible. I probably will record some specific TV shows in HDTV format, and leave the rest in regular low-quality format (I don't think I need to view woodworking shows in HDTV format). This means I will continue using those old TVs to watch recorded TV shows that are in low-quality format. And I will only watch HDTV shows in the only one HDTV-set in the living room. I just cannot afford to replace all the old TVs with HDTV-sets; I expect to replace the old TVs when they die (at least one of the TV is dying) in the time span of around 15 years.

The above is is what I "think" what I will do when HDTV comes.

By the way, a 32" HDTV-set is not that expensive as long as it is not a flat panel. My brother-in-law is in the process of getting one that is around $700 to $1,000 range. Still, this can get expensive if we need to replace _all_ the TV sets at once.

Jay Chan

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Last year I needed to replace a TV so I went for the HDTV. A 34" was $1300. That was the largest I could buy that was a CRT. Anything larger was a projection or LCD. I'm going to wait it out for the others.

Ed

[J Kelly]

How so? You mean that 8VSB signal going out is NTSC? NTSC is scheduled to end on Dec 31, 2005, but I've seen word that it may be exteded until sometime in 2009 (or possibly already has been).

Actually, both NTSC and ATSC (8VSB) take up the same 6MHz of bandwidth.

Some of the higher UHF channels are not be assigned to DTV stations, therefore those channels will be freed up and available for other uses. This is the reason for DTV, it was an excuse to move some channels around so the government could auction off the newly cleared spectrum.

[Chet Hayes]

That's in the process of changing quickly, one way or another. The FCC has phase in dates that require new TVs being sold to have ATSC tuners built in. As of July, 50% of 36" and larger TVs had to have them. That increases to 100% this July. At that time, I think 50% of

27" and larger are required to have them too.

The funny thing is, the manufacturers are now asking the FCC to pull in the deadlines. Seems the sets with the built in tuners are considerably more expensive and are not selling. So, if the FCC forces the 100% conversion sooner, consumers will have no choice and will have to eat it.

[PaPaPeng]

You have provided me news (of 8VSB) Iam not aware of. A search on Google

up

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WHDT-DT, channel 59 of Stuart, Florida, a digital-only television station, is entitled to mandatory carriage rights on cable systems in its local area. The FCC determined that the licensing and impending operation of WHDT advances the digital transition and that guaranteeing cable carriage to digital-only stations will encourage other broadcasters to commence digital television service in a more rapid manner. In June 2000, Guenter Marksteiner, permittee of WHDT-DT, filed a Petition for Declaratory Ruling asking the FCC to issue a ruling that a new digital-only (?DTV?) television station, which seeks carriage of only a single channel of video programming, is entitled to mandatory carriage under the must carry provisions of the Communications Act. WHDT?s construction permit was granted on April 25, 2000 and it intends to provide viewers in the West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce television market with digital television service. Recognizing that not many television households have yet purchased digital television receivers, WHDT explained that it would provide at its own expense to each cable operator, equipment to allow cable operators to carry the station?s signal in an analog format.

WHDT is entitled to carriage on local cable systems under Section 614(a) of the Act. Consistent with the FCC?s Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on cable carriage of digital broadcast signals (?DTV Order and FNPRM?) also released today, the FCC is permitting WHDT, as a transitional measure, to elect whether its signal will be carried as a digital or converted analog signal. If WHDT is carried in an analog format, the Order states that the analog must carry requirements in Part 76 of the Commission?s rules must be followed. If WHDT?s signal is carried in a digital format, the Order finds that the DTV Order and FNPRM should resolve the issues related to the mechanics of carriage raised by WHDT?s petition. The status and duration of any such converted analog carriage agreement would be subject to review after 2003 as the progress of the digital transition is considered.

01-23). Chairman Kennard, Commissioners Ness, Furchtgott-Roth, Powell and Tristani.

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Joint Non-binding Resolution

committees consisting of some 25 engineers representing all major technical viewpoints, the broadcasting industry concluded a comprehensive, objective and expedited series of studies and tests to determine whether COFDM should be added to the current 8-VSB standard.

reaffirm our endorsement of the VSB standard.

the performance of the present U.S. digital television system.

technologies and other enhancements to digital television and direct the staffs to develop a plan and promptly submit it to the Boards.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- I believe going over to digital HDTV will still take more than a decade unless the price of display screens can come down in price. My confort price point is under $800 for a 27" set. But if NTSC is still available I'll stick to my analog set until it croaks.

Right now 27" is as large as I want my TV to be. Anything larger will take over my living room. I imagine most people will live in modest homes that will have a a problem with larger sets. I think larger sets are an illusionary advantage. I watched my son's much larger set for the few weeks I stayed with him and after the initial impression didn't feel any significant difference in viewing pleasure, mostly because there was hardley anything worth watching on TV. When I went home my 27" set did look smaller for all of three days. After that the screen size didn't matter any more as I am more absorbed with the stroy than yearn for the high defintions details. In fact the lack of over sharp detail actually make the images look better. Who wants to see pimples and moles on the face?

Come to think of it when it comes to buying a new set I may prefer to have a 14" flat panel HDTV set I can place over my bed to watch TV. Put it in sleep mode and I may be able to develop a good sleep habit at a reasonable hour.

[Jay Chan]

I don't remember exactly how much a 34" HDTV will cost nowaday. I vaguely recall that it is like $1000 (probably a bit more). I seem to recall seeing 36" HDTV (they are not cheap). But the selection is not as much as for 32" HDTV (based on my limited shopping experience in large discount stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA). Seem like the sweet spot for CRT now is 32" HDTV.

I also intend to wait it out. Most of my old TV sets are working fine. One of the old TV set is dying; but my brother-in-law is going to donate his old 25" TV to me -- problem solved.

Jay Chan

[Jay Chan]

For $800, you can get a 32" HDTV flat screen nowaday (may be without tuner, and may be without digital input port). It is not a LCD flat panel, it is flat CRT screen. 27" should be even cheaper. When I need to get a new TV, I will definitely get a HDTV flat CRT (but I don't need any new TV yet).

This is the same reason why my brother-in-law only looks for a 32" TV. Anything bigger will not make sense in his small apartment.

A large screen can make sense in a large room where multiple persons can sit further apart.

I don't want to watch TV when I am supposed to go to sleep. However, I like to watch TV during the day in the idle time between tasks. What I need is a head-mounted tiny LCD TV screen. Then I can watch all those TV shows that Beyond-TV has recorded in my PC; now, I just don't have time to sit down and watch TV shows (2 kids and both parents go to work); therefore, I have many TV shows recorded but not watched. A head-mounted tiny LCD TV screen will help me to catch up on all the recorded shows -- I am sure.

Jay Chan

[Chet Hayes]

That's not true if you're using it to watch HD, which is available from the major networks for most of their prime time shows now. That is being broadcast in true HD resolution, it's digital, and it is ATSC, at least if it's being received via an antenna over the air. You can also watch HBO, Discovery HD, HD-Net, etc on cable or sat.

As for being good for another 10 years, you better check with the FCC. Their plan is to end NTSC broadcasts by the end of 2006, providing certain metrics are met. I expect that will be pushed out, but the fact is, the FCC is pushing this hard as they want to sell the bandwidth that NTSC currently uses.

[PaPaPeng]

I'm Canadian. There's no push to change over to digital HDTV here. I also haven't heard of any plans by Canadian service providers to instal digital broadcast equipment.. Early adopters in Canada will most likely subscribe to US satellite digital HDTV providers. But for the rest of us, I believe we will still get our TV in plain old NTSC until digital HDTV is throughly tested and widely adopted in the US. Most likely Mexico will also staty NTSC.

[David Efflandt]

You can get an OTA digital set top box that can feed a standard TV with composite video (single RCA jack) or S-video. The picture is clearer than any analog broacast, even though many of the channels still have SD content. But the HD widescreen content would make you long for a widescreen TV.

Some of the widescreen flat CRTs look sharp, but the glare from reflections is very annoying. I don't know why they do not use anti-glare coatings like computer monitors. They are also bulky and heavy.

My living room is fairly small and my current TV was a 20", so when I saw

27" widescreen LCDs available for under $1200, I decided to get one. Picture for HDTV with VGA cable from set top box, or DVD using compontent (3) cables is excellent. Sound lacks bass, but is great when output to an external sound system (or there is a subwoofer output).

[Lola]

FYI: I took a quick look at one of my favorite sites, and I saw a 32" Sony HDTV for $1000.

're got one in every size... Is this the kind your had in mind?