brainstorming on ways to convert our tvs to new digital tv signal

[mustangt69]

i figured i would start a thread to brainstorm and get ideas and ways to receive hd tv signal in our fish houses. Personally i want something that runs off dc power and i dont need a power converter to suck all my juice.

Currently the best options i have found are:

insignia portable lcd tv's(so far the only ones i have found that support the new digital signal)

standalone hd receiver available on hsolist approx($110) the ones i found can run off 12v, and you would be able to use them in your house. BEST OPTION I HAVE FOUND YET!!!!!!! enables you to use your current tv.

From what i have read, you dont need a different antenna to receive the new signal.

if anyone wants the link to the standalone units i have found, let me know.

[sparcebag]

I've read a while back the Government will mandate the boxes for all TVs not receiving the new dig. signal,Meaning as I read it if you have 3 TVs not dig.than you'll be entitled to 3 boxes that will receive the signal.

This was brought up a few years back when it was decided to go Digital,and how to handel those who could'nt afford the new TVs.

[fishermn]

Latest I have heard was on the news yesterday they said that the goverment subsidy will result in at least one coupon per household that will get you a converter box for no more than $40

[mtheis]

Why are my tax dollars being spent on making sure everyone can watch TV? Huh? Doesn't anyone else think this is a waste of our money? What's next? Free health care???

[chris63]

Helps with their (Government)diabolical brainwashing scams.c63

[TroyMcClure]

You should really read up on this. There is no real reason to "figure this out" unless you own an ancient television receiving only on rabbit ears. Anything bought since around '04 is just fine and most bought as cable ready won't have a problem.

The USA Today wrote a good article about it a couple years ago.

www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2005-10-27-digital-tv_x.htm

The reason that the government is involved is stated pretty clearly. The signals are regulated by the FCC and the change opens up a good deal of bandwidth for signals in the United States.

[BobT]

Troy, perhaps you should have printed all the details. This doesn't just affect those who use "rabbit ears" alone. This also affects those that receive their TV signals over the airwaves via external entennae or those that do not already own digital units.

If you are already receiving cable television you'll be fine as is unless you later decide to drop the cable and try an external antennae.

Bob

[Shack]

Quote:

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i figured i would start a thread to brainstorm and get ideas and ways to receive hd tv signal in our fish houses.

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Now, correct me if I am wrong, but there is a difference between the digital receiver that will allow you to receive a digital signal after the change and a High Definition receiver that will allow a HD ready TV to pick up a local channel (Kare 11) in high definition.

I keep hearing about the “HD change over” and I am thinking people are going to be in the dark when they get the digital receiver box and Kare 11 comes in like crude. Then they will find out they have to get an HD ready TV and another HD receiver or a true HD TV, to see Kare 11 in a clean/color situation and the other station that will follow after the change over. You can still see these TV shows, but they look terrible. My parents have an analog TV and High Def channels on their cable and it does look terrible.

HD is a digital signal, but a higher quality digital signal.

Again, no matter what TV you have (1950’s to when they stopped making analog TV a couple years ago) you will not have to do anything if you have cable or satellite TV.

[bucketOsticks]

Any television you buy now regardless of size should be able to receive digital over the air signals. This includes portable televisions. High Definition is a digital signal at 720p, 1080i or 1080p resolution. You can have a digital 480i or 480p signal, which is what the majority of your channels would be on Dish or DirectTV right now.

The government mandate does not require a television have the ability to tune a high definition signal, just a digital one. The FCC is reclaiming the analog television broadcast frequencies to presumably to resell.

A standalone HD tuner that can tune over the air high definition signal would do the trick but isn't very fish-house friendly in terms of power. A portable TV that can tune HD would also work but I assume that would be fairly spendy.

[Shack]

Quote:

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The FCC is reclaiming the analog television broadcast frequencies to presumably to resell.

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I had "heard" these frequencies will be given to local departments for emegency uses. I just heard that, I do not know though. Thats why they want to fase out to free up these frequencies. I guess the FCC could sell them to local emegency departments?

[LMITOUT]

shackbash you are correct.

Not all TV's sold today are able to receive these digital signals stand-alone. That's where the tuner "ready" and tuner "built-in" snafu comes into play. A TV that is "ready" means it can show digital video if a separate digital tuner sends the signal to it. One that has the tuner "built-in" can receive and show the digital signal without a secondary device feeding it.

I have an LCD TV that I use in my fish house and in my home during the summer and it says it can display digital TV, but that's only if it's connected to a digital tuner. If I connect my antenna to it, it will do nothing but show the analog band. If I run a wire from my satellite receiver it will then show those digital channels.

This has been a big problem in the consumer market and how TV's are labeled. I think a lot of people were getting hooked into buying a TV that's not going to do what they need it to do in the near future. Yes, a lot of TV's today have the tuner built in, but not all, and it's something you have to be aware of when purchasing one. I believe places like Best Buy have refined their advertising to help buyers decipher what they are getting and make it simpler to understand for those who aren't up to speed on the new technology and language.

As I mentioned in the other thread about fish house TV's, even after getting the necessary equipment to view a digital signal in your fish house, it may be tough to actually receive the signal over an antenna on the lakes unless you are within 45 miles or so of the transmitting antenna and have a good line-of-sight to it. Having a good LOS will be the tough thing since you are on a lake which is lower than the surrounding terrain. If you are on those outside fringes of the broadcast area you're going to have a tough time getting a decent signal that is strong enough to not fall in and out all the time.

Digital signals are either on or off. You will not be watching a TV show through the "snow" if that's the best signal you can get as you may do now with an analog/SD TV. The signal will either be strong enough to view and the picture will be perfect, or too weak and you will see nothing but a blank screen. No in-between.

If you are not very close to the broadcasting antenna, it may be tough in Feb 2009 to watch your favorite show while you're out icing fish unless you go with the generator/satellite TV set-up.

[Shack]

Shocker!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just did a Digital channel search on my kids new flat panel TV for thier bedroom and I found 3 channels that come in as clear as my dish TV channels.

they get:

41-2 Qubo (kids network)

41-3 Ion-life (home life channel/ do it your self channel)

41-4 Worship (what it says)

The didgi signal comes in clear at home (at least 3 channels), sure is a nice picture

[LMITOUT]

Here is a list of the digital channels available from the Twin Cities antennas:

The digital channel number is in parenthesis. The "Yes"/"No" means it is HD or not.

KTCI-DT 16 (17.1-.5) PBS No

WFTC-DT 21 (29.1) MyNetwork Yes

WUCW-DT 22 (23.1) The CW Yes

KMSP-DT 26 (9.1) Fox Yes

WCCO-DT 32 (4.1) CBS Yes

KTCA-DT 34 (2.1-2.2) PBS-HD Yes

KARE-DT 35 (11.1-.2) NBC Yes

KPXM-DT 40 (41.1-.4) Ion Network No

KSTC-DT 44 (45.1) Independent No

KSTP-DT 50 (5.1-.2) ABC Yes

[bucketOsticks]

Great posts LMITOUT, all your info is spot on.

A lot of people don't realize they get high definition for FREE over the air. If you've bought a TV in the last year or two there is a very good chance that you have a built-in over-the-air HD tuner. Don't believe the gimmicky antennas out there that go for $50+. A standard rabbit ear $7 deal will work just fine in almost all cases. A lot of people are just watching NBC, ABC, FOX, etc and are still paying their cable or sattelite provider for either extra tuner boxes or for an HD package they already receive for free.