How'd your analog to digital conversion go?

[Sun]

There are articles in newspapers from NYC to upstate NY that tell about various folks who don't get all the channels they used to get, or even NO CHANNELS.

Of course, no change for people who have cable or a dish.

[Sun]

Most tv viewers probably got more channels. I have some really great extra channels now, and I almost feel as if I have cable or satellite.

There was one local channel that I couldn't get, that I really like, but when I set up a new DIGITAL VCR/DVD Magnavox unit, I got that channel (but still not with the tv alone).

Anybody having trouble might try that, if you like to record anyway, but it is kind of expensive, but worth it, imo.

[Yasuo]

Our T.V. was connected to a converter well before the original deadline in February. We do have to put an antenna in the attic, but that aside, no problems to speak of.

[Samm]

No problem on my cable, but I am going to have to move the antenna higher for my TV in the basement; I only get about half the local stations. But I have known that since February... I don't use it much.

[King Cantona]

I go digital on 4th November but I'm already equipped for it, got my aerial upgraded and have a digital recorder as well as a digital TV....

We have 5 networks but now I have loads of additional channels through my aerial, I have Sky Digital anyway and that's like basic cable so of course no problems there...

[Tulsa]

I went digital in 97 and hi-def in 2000, went pretty well.

[wayoverthehill]

I only needed a converter box on the TV in my bedroom (too cheap to do cable there) but had the box installed months ago. After the conversion date I was missing my ABC and CBS channels (I know, no loss, right?) but I do watch a soap on CBS so I wanted that channel. I finally figured out that I had to re-scan all the channels and now everything works perfectly. I have a master antenna in the apt. complex where I live so the picture is great.

[NascarGirl2448]

I've got cable, so I didn't even notice. My TV works just as well as it did before.

[Talk2Bill]

someone called the local news mad that there was no warning!

I got my first cards in January but they expired! so i ordered more and when they came in... target had the boxes for sale for $40! so they were free. but i do not have the right antenna. so when the cable goes out we will have not tv!

[Talk2Bill]

I've got cable, so I didn't even notice. My TV works just as well as it did before.

what if the cable goes out?

[Fitz]

Who cares, I have hulu and torrents.

[RickRhetoric]

what if the cable goes out?

Go to satellite and get better picture quality all around. Even channels not in high definition are crystal clear on satellite.

[msny]

There are articles in newspapers from NYC to upstate NY that tell about various folks who don't get all the channels they used to get, or even NO CHANNELS.

Of course, no change for people who have cable or a dish.

Have had digital and HD cable for a long time, nothing has changed for me.

[Sun]

Our T.V. was connected to a converter well before the original deadline in February. We do have to put an antenna in the attic, but that aside, no problems to speak of.

The attic is so much more convenient than putting the antenna on the roof, but I guess it doesn't work for everybody. We have ours on our roof, but have a remote in the house to change the antenna direction.

[Sun]

No problem on my cable, but I am going to have to move the antenna higher for my TV in the basement; I only get about half the local stations. But I have known that since February... I don't use it much.

We have several old tvs that are dead now, and I've heard old tvs aren't compatible with a converter box.

I betcha there are many people across the country with dead tvs (the extra tvs).

[Sun]

I go digital on 4th November but I'm already equipped for it, got my aerial upgraded and have a digital recorder as well as a digital TV....

We have 5 networks but now I have loads of additional channels through my aerial, I have Sky Digital anyway and that's like basic cable so of course no problems there...

So they're going digital in the UK too?

Glad you're all set.

[Sun]

what if the cable goes out?

Exactly. I'm looking into satellite, but I'm making sure I can be independent from them first.

[gb2004]

Go to satellite and get better picture quality all around. Even channels not in high definition are crystal clear on satellite.

Satellite goes out a lot more often than cable. Every time we get a storm, we lose the signal.

[Sun]

Go to satellite and get better picture quality all around. Even channels not in high definition are crystal clear on satellite.

We live in the woods, and tress obstruct satellite tv. Do you know if you can you put a dish on a very high poll in order to get satellite, or something like that?

I heard of people chopping down trees, but can't figure out why you can't put a dish on your roof, as you do an antenna.

[FidelisAdMortem]

Well I live in 2009 and have a cable box with HD so the transition was of no concern of mine.

[Talk2Bill]

Go to satellite and get better picture quality all around. Even channels not in high definition are crystal clear on satellite.

that is what we have... dish network! it goes out too!

[OldBuzzard]

I've BEEN digital since 2005. Bought a Samsung 30" Widescreen with digital tuner. I don't have cable/satellite, but have been getting all of the 'extra' channels since then. Nothing much changed for me, other than re-scanning to get rid of the old analog channels in the tuner memory.

[chip]

Satellite goes out a lot more often than cable. Every time we get a storm, we lose the signal.

Yep.

Its why we have Fios, Ive had direct tv and dish and they went out constantly. Fios so far no outages in 3 years,

[JeffR]

No more TV in the kitchen. :(

[BostonPatriot]

We have several old tvs that are dead now, and I've heard old tvs aren't compatible with a converter box.

I betcha there are many people across the country with dead tvs (the extra tvs).I thought the whole purpose of the converter box was to make older TV sets be able to watch digital? That sounds like something a Radio Scrap salesperson would come up with!

[Wookinstien]

Appearantly I was ready for 2 years now. My tivo has a digital tuner and my computer also has one...


Plus I have cable. :)

[EmmanuelGoldstein]

If only they'd given us some kind of warning that this was to come!!!

[NascarGirl2448]

If only they'd given us some kind of warning that this was to come!!!

Don't watch local news much? Our local stations were warning people for months that this was coming.

[NascarGirl2448]

what if the cable goes out?

The only time that ever seems to happen is if the power goes out. We've stayed at enough hotels with satellite TV to know that when it simply rains, the TV is gonna go out. No thanks, I'll stick with cable.

[EmmanuelGoldstein]

Don't watch local news much? Our local stations were warning people for months that this was coming.
;)

[NascarGirl2448]

;)

;)

[Buffalo]

There are articles in newspapers from NYC to upstate NY that tell about various folks who don't get all the channels they used to get, or even NO CHANNELS.

Of course, no change for people who have cable or a dish.
I live in an outer suburb. Basically the border between the country and the burbs. I would have needed a rooftop antenna to get channels. My TV is ten years old. I decided the switch over was gonna be my TV rehab. For years I have watched way too much garbage. I have spent the last week and a half golfing more, reading more, getting in touch with my music collection again, helping my brother remodel his kitchen, you know, living life. So, I said goodbye to TV, I miss it a little, but it's getting easier. Besides, I've got a cable connection, so anything I really want to watch I can find.

[RickRhetoric]

We live in the woods, and tress obstruct satellite tv. Do you know if you can you put a dish on a very high poll in order to get satellite, or something like that?

I heard of people chopping down trees, but can't figure out why you can't put a dish on your roof, as you do an antenna.

Yep, you can install satellite dishes just about anywhere I suppose. Mine's on the roof aimed towards the southwest. Roof-top dishes are very common.

A lot of people have them mounted on posts in their yards. I don't know how high up on a post you could mount one. There's probably a maximum height limit. The highest I've seen mounted on a pole is about 10 -12 feet high.

[gb2004]

I live in an outer suburb. Basically the border between the country and the burbs. I would have needed a rooftop antenna to get channels. My TV is ten years old. I decided the switch over was gonna be my TV rehab. For years I have watched way too much garbage. I have spent the last week and a half golfing more, reading more, getting in touch with my music collection again, helping my brother remodel his kitchen, you know, living life. So, I said goodbye to TV, I miss it a little, but it's getting easier. Besides, I've got a cable connection, so anything I really want to watch I can find.

Good for you. It's getting easier and easier to leave the set off for me. Nothing on worth watching most of the time. Too many stupid "reality" shows on. Why do I want to watch other people bicker?

[Buffalo]

Good for you. It's getting easier and easier to leave the set off for me. Nothing on worth watching most of the time. Too many stupid "reality" shows on. Why do I want to watch other people bicker?
Yep, I can find quality stuff on the web if I like. And it's summer, so it's easier to let TV go away.:mrgreen:

[barbara]

When we had FREE TV, I got 4 channals; now after the purchase of a Digital TV (for $219.00), I get 2 channals! I live on an island and there is no cable TV. So now I watch on the internet, but can't get some of the news programs. Will radio be the next to go?

[pattyk]

We live in the woods, and tress obstruct satellite tv. Do you know if you can you put a dish on a very high poll in order to get satellite, or something like that?

I heard of people chopping down trees, but can't figure out why you can't put a dish on your roof, as you do an antenna.

my dish is on my roof.

if it snows too much I don't get a signal cuz it's covered. very irritating.

I have lots of wood on my roof still from me throwing stuff up there trying to get the snow off. Directv said "spray the dish with Pam" - now you tell me.

I have no way of getting up there

I don't have local channels currently because Directv doesn't offer locals. I haven't fixed that yet.

[CaughtInTheMiddle]

i forgot all about it. nothing changed here.

[janine11]

I'm shocked at how many people don't have cable. I put a digital converter box on Freecycle and was shocked at the responses I got!! I had about 10 emails within 5 minutes and over 20 emails subsequently.

[birddog1]

I thought the whole purpose of the converter box was to make older TV sets be able to watch digital? That sounds like something a Radio Scrap salesperson would come up with!

If it is a really old tv set then it may not work. My in-laws ran into this problem and had to buy a newer tv, the converter box was not compatible old set, and wouldn't pick up anything. They bought a used set off one of their relatives after they got a new flat screen and the converter box worked fine with it.

[birddog1]

If only they'd given us some kind of warning that this was to come!!!

It would also have been nice if they had passed out some coupons or something to help offset the cost along with a little warning.

I swear they took those ads off tv just in time, I was about to the point of going stark raving mad over them and shooting my tv.

[5thIDSoldier]

I get more channels now, but sometimes the voice track is sightly off on a couple of channels, kinda like a voiceover of an old Japanese movie.

[Sun]

I thought the whole purpose of the converter box was to make older TV sets be able to watch digital? That sounds like something a Radio Scrap salesperson would come up with!

I'm talking VERY old. There's a small-screen tv that I've had since I was a kid. Then there's a radio I have that USED to include the sound for some tv channels.

[Sun]

If only they'd given us some kind of warning that this was to come!!!

Trouble is, they made it sound as if all you needed was the converter box. But we, and others, found out that you have to hook it up to an OUTSIDE antenna to get tv reception.

[Sun]

I live in an outer suburb. Basically the border between the country and the burbs. I would have needed a rooftop antenna to get channels. My TV is ten years old. I decided the switch over was gonna be my TV rehab. For years I have watched way too much garbage. I have spent the last week and a half golfing more, reading more, getting in touch with my music collection again, helping my brother remodel his kitchen, you know, living life. So, I said goodbye to TV, I miss it a little, but it's getting easier. Besides, I've got a cable connection, so anything I really want to watch I can find.

I hear ya. If I could ONLY have tv or radio, I would choose radio.

[Sun]

Yep, you can install satellite dishes just about anywhere I suppose. Mine's on the roof aimed towards the southwest. Roof-top dishes are very common.

A lot of people have them mounted on posts in their yards. I don't know how high up on a post you could mount one. There's probably a maximum height limit. The highest I've seen mounted on a pole is about 10 -12 feet high.

I'm surprised the satellite people don't tell you that. The one we had a number of years ago just told us we couldn't get satellite very well. Why didn't he suggest we put the dish on a high poll?

[Sun]

Will radio be the next to go?

Call your reps and tell them free speech radio MUST stay!

[Sun]

my dish is on my roof.

if it snows too much I don't get a signal cuz it's covered. very irritating.

I have lots of wood on my roof still from me throwing stuff up there trying to get the snow off. Directv said "spray the dish with Pam" - now you tell me.

I have no way of getting up there

I don't have local channels currently because Directv doesn't offer locals. I haven't fixed that yet.

It must be VERY frustrating. Thank goodness for talk radio.

[EmmanuelGoldstein]

Trouble is, they made it sound as if all you needed was the converter box. But we, and others, found out that you have to hook it up to an OUTSIDE antenna to get tv reception.

Of course you'd need something to bring in the signal. Why would you think otherwise?

[Sun]

Of course you'd need something to bring in the signal. Why would you think otherwise?

People were given the impression that their rabbit ears tvs would be sufficient as long as they had the converter box. However, you need an outside antenna, at least everyone I know does.