Entries Tagged 'digital broadcast tv' ↓
June 11th, 2009 — Cable alternatives, Television, digital broadcast tv
Are you ready for the transition? If you are currently using cable, you shouldn’t be affected, but you may want to read about how we canceled our cable service and now receive free digital broadcast TV.
If you have already purchased a digital converter box or are using a newer HDTV with a built in tuner to receive free digital broadcasts, you should be in good shape.
If you are still using rabbit ears or a roof mounted antenna to receive traditional (analog) TV, here are some suggestions…
Apply for one or more $40 government coupons. The good news is that there is no longer a waiting list and the Commerce Department has recently reported that they expect to have enough funds to provide vouchers until July 31st. If you don’t have a HDTV, you will need one for each TV in your house. There is a limit of two coupons.
It may take several weeks until you receive your coupon. If you are in a rush, or have more than two TVs, here are several different converters we found which are available for next day delivery.
In the meantime, if you have a broadband connection, you can watch many shows for free over the Internet. For a detailed list of shows, check out of ShowFinder tool.
February 17th, 2009 — digital broadcast tv
The digital tv transition deadline has been moved from February 17th to June 12, but there are some complications. The problem is that the delay is optional. If broadcasters think they are ready, they can make the switch today as originally planned. And it looks like about one third of them will be stopping analog transmissions by midnight tonight.
Confused? Here are a few tips…
1. You can see which stations are making the transition early by downloading this PDF file from the FCC.
2. If you haven’t already placed yourself on the waiting list for a $40 coupon from the government’s converter box program, do it now.
3. If you already have a HDTV, try connecting it to a standard UHF/VHF antenna. The good news is that most plasma and LCD TV’s have built in digital receivers. So depending on your area and reception, you may be able to continue receiving all your channels with your existing TV and a standard antenna.
4. If you don’t have a newer TV and the analog versions of your channels are being stopped today, you might want to run out and pickup a low cost converter box. Our favorite is Zenith’s DTT901 which sells for about $60. If you can’t find one locally, Amazon.com still has them in stock.
December 10th, 2008 — Entertainment, Technology, Television, digital broadcast tv
Woke up this morning and see that CNN.com has a front page story on the digital tv switchover.
They mention the February 17th, 2009 switchover date and discuss the impact this will have on over-the-air TV viewers like us. The article confirms many of the things we have been blogging about over the past year, including better picture, more channels and the ability to access HD content for free.
They mention how some people in remote areas may have problems with reception with standard antennas but discuss how broadcasters will attempt to boost digital signals starting on the transition day.
It’s a good solid article and tells people how to get the $40 government coupons and check availability.
And perhaps the most important point, they stress that broadcasters are already transmitting digital signals today and that there is no need to wait until the 2/17/09 to get ready for the switchover.
Our advice? If you are currently using broadcast TV, or are even considering canceling cable tv, take a minute and request a free $40 coupon from the government before they run out. Then pickup an entry level digital converter box and test out your reception before the actual switchover takes place. This will give you time to finetune things in advance of the changeover.
July 23rd, 2008 — Cable alternatives, digital broadcast tv
When we first plugged in our digital converter box and started using free digital TV, we were surprised to see that our reception was actually better than our old digital cable signal. We’ve since learned that this is very common since free digital broadcast signals are often less compressed than digital cable signals.
Here are some sample screenshots to give you an idea of the quality (keep in mind that tv screenshots look a little fuzzy on computer monitors, but notice that there is no static or wavy lines)…
All screenshots were taken using a Zenith DTT900 which we picked up for $19 at Circuit City (after using the $40 coupon we received).
July 1st, 2008 — digital broadcast tv
What if you could eliminate your gas bill and still drive 95% of the places you currently go? Or stop paying for heating by keeping your thermostat two degrees cooler? These aren’t possible, but you can stop paying for TV and still watch most of your favorite shows.
Budgets are tight. But most people are still reluctant to give up cable. Even when it may be financially crazy to keep it. Paying $95/month for cable? That’s over $1100 a year. Or enough to buy a 50″ HD Plasma TV each year.
Save the money or put it towards that new big screen TV. Then use free digital broadcast TV and avoid paying monthly cable tv fees. Save the money and earn interest on it. With a 6% rate of return…
- After 3 years you will have saved $3747
- After 5 years you will have saved $6648
- After 10 years you will have saved $15,621
- After 20 years you will have saved $44,083
Congratulations! You have now turned a major expense into an investment.
What are you missing? Not much. We did it and still watch all our favorite shows. Most were broadcast (Lost, 24, etc.) . Using a $16 digital antenna our picture quality is actually better than our old digital cable. Most of our favorite cable shows (Daily Show, Colbert Report) are available for free on the Internet. Our kids watch videos on Disney.com and Nick.com and we get current movies and HBO shows with a Netflix subscription.
June 30th, 2008 — digital broadcast tv
The U.S. Department of Commerce has launched a Digital TV Converter Box coupon program which will provide up to two $40 coupons for the purchase of basic digital tv converter boxes.The coupons actually look like gift cards and are accepted at stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and Radio Shack.
To apply for a coupon, visit:
https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx
Since basic digital boxes sell for $50-$60, you should be able to purchase a digital box for less than $20. Keep in mind that these coupons are intended for basic digital converter boxes. They will not be honored for high end devices (digital recorders, combination digital recievers / dvd burners, etc.)
Coupons also expire within 90 days from when they are mailed, so you may want to request one coupon at a time. It took me about 3 weeks to receive my coupon. Here’s what it looked like…
June 30th, 2008 — digital broadcast tv
The easiest way to see what channels are available in your area is to visit a site called AntennaWeb.org. If you want to get the most accurate estimate, go ahead and enter your street address, town and zip code. Or, if you are in a rush or don’t want to give out your personal information, just enter your zip code.
You will then see a list of stations along with the distance of each station from you…
On the left hand side, there is a column for Antenna type. Results can vary, but from my experience I was able to pull in stations coded in yellow and red with a very inexpensive $16 antenna from Radio Shack. If you are more than 30 miles from most stations, you will probably want to get a larger grid type antenna and place it in your roof or attic.
If availability looks good, you’ll want to pickup a low cost digital tv receiver (also called a digital converter box). Right now the government is offering $40 coupons towards these receivers.
June 30th, 2008 — digital broadcast tv
Digital broadcast TV is an improved method of TV broadcasting which offers cable TV picture quality and additional channels for free over the airwaves. In February 2009, all TV stations in the US will switch over to this new standard, however most stations have already started digital broadcasting.
What’s in it for you?
1. First of all, it’s free. Unlike cable, there are no monthly fees (even for HD broadcasts)
2. Quality. If you are in range and can receive a digital channel, reception is typically perfect. No snow, grainyness or fiddling around with rabbit ears to get the perfect picture. Since digital broadcast TV is less compressed than many digital cable signals, quality can actually be much better than traditional cable TV.
3. Additional network channels. Since digital broadcast is more efficient, networks have the ability to broadcast multiple channels. For example, a local PBS affiliate can choose to provide 3 channels round the clock. - one for small children, one for older kids and one for adults. (This was a nice surprise, since we found many new kids shows that we couldn’t pick up before going digital).
What equipment do I need?
You can use any type of TV to receive digital broadcasts, even that old one with the rabbit ears you got for $20 at a garage sale.
LCD and Plasma TV owners: There is a good chance that your TV’s can already receive digital broadcast TV. If your manual says ATSC tuner or HD ready, you can just plug your antenna directly into your tv and start receiving free digital tv broadcasts, many of them in HD.
Everyone else: You will need a digital TV receiver to enable your ‘old’ TV to work with digital broadcast TV. This device looks and acts like a small cable box and plugs into your TV set. These boxes sell new for about $60, but can commonly be purchased for less than $20 if you apply for a $40 coupon from the governent.
Here’s a picture of the one we are using, a Zenith DTT900 which cost $19 at Circuit City…
Digital Converter Box
You’ll also need an antenna to receive digital broadcasts. You will probably want to buy a low cost set top UHF/VHF Antenna. After reading many online reviews, we picked up this one at Radio Shack for $16 and have been very pleased with its performance…
A simple set top antenna
Note: If you are very far away from most transmitters (30-70 miles), you may need to pickup something more powerful. The good news is than even top of the line long range antennas usually cost less than you would spend for two months of cable service.
