Digital Television SUCKS!!

[garzjoe]

so i just bought my converter boxes a couple of days ago. I thought that I was in for a treat. I set it up and plug it into my T.V. and....disappointment sets in. Yeah the picture is great IF you actually get the channel. I was missing channel 7, 9, 20, and occassionally lost the signal to channel 31. It does get rid of the snowball or shadow thing, but either you see the channel in great quality or you don't see the channel at all. It's absolutely ridiculous and there's going to be A LOT of complaining about this stupid digital T.V. switch. How are we gonna watch Broncos games?!?! If you share the same feelings about this Digital Television switch and these converter boxes, I wanna hear about it

I understand your frustration; hopefully you get it working right. Digital OTA has something refereed to as error correction; this is redundant data that is used to help reconstruct the signal in case low signal has caused you to drop packets. In most cases the extra error correction packets help the consumer not miss a beat and view their TV show. However there is a point when so many packets are dropped the STB (set top box) is unable to fully reconstruct the signal and you can get macro blocking, in some cases the loss is go great that the STB is totally unable to reconstruct the signal and you get no A/V. As you mentioned with Digital you either get it the way it’s supposed to look or you don’t, with analog multi-path issues could cause issues such as ghosting.

Anyway I suspect the problem is your signal strength and possibly the tall buildings or structures in your area. I believe most of the digital transmitters are now @ Lookout Mountain. Some were located downtown at Republic Plaza. So if you have a directional antenna you will need to adjust it to get adequate signal for Digital OTA. I would not recommend using Rabbit Ears, instead I would use some sort of OTA antenna (Directional, Omni-directional, Bi-Directional) if you need antenna advice start HERE.

Titan TV gives EPG data but also displays the digital transmit channels, for example the digital version of channel 2 is actually channel 34.


A little background on the 2009 Digital Transition for those interested:

The FCC has given local stations extra bandwidth (another 6 MHz) to transmit their digital signal and their original analog signal at the same time. For example here in Denver Fox 31 transmits their analog signal from Channel 31 and their digital signal from Channel 32. The content is the same however one channel is in digital format (and at times can also be HD, and at times can provide sub-channels), where the other channel is in analog format (and is always SD, no room for sub-channels). Using PSIP (Program System Information Protocol) the stations are able to give consumers EPG data as well as to perform virtual channel mapping, this way people see the digital transmit channel as 031-01 (the intended channel) as opposed to 032-02 (the transmit channel).

Anyway when the digital transition occurs in 2009 the FCC will take away the extra bandwidth from the local stations and they will transmit in a digital only format, relinquishing the extra 6 MHz. When the analog signals get “cut” off in 2009 you will need a converter box to “see” the digital signals. The FCC is giving away coupons for consumers to cover all or most of the costs for these converter boxes. These coupon converter boxes have to abide by NTIA standards.

Please note the digital transition only applies to local OTA channels and will not affect those customers who get their local channels Cable, Satellite, or various flavors of IPTV. This will only affect consumers who use an OTA Antenna or rabbit ears and have any non-digital TV (the majority of TV’s in the market). Most HDTV’s have an 8VSB OTA tuner built in so they should not be affected but double check your owners manual to make sure.

Anyway I made this as simple as I could...I can go into further detail on this if you want me too.

Thx,
Joe

[saltybuggah]

i work for a cable co. here in pa

the change over is going to take place sometime 2009 feb/march. that date may/may not hold but its the date so far...

lynch the converter box could be a couple things...

1. its not set up correctly... the boxes here have an analog signal channels 2-97 and a mirror image digital signal 902-997... even thou the box is "digital" it still should be picking up your local "analog" channels you had without the box... thus the set up is not correct...

the cable companies line is "blocking the signal for those channels"... they need to possibly come out and do the install.. it could be something as simple as your connections to the coax cable isnt pressure sealed... ive had this issue in the past a few times

you can try this simple step for the time being

take the coax cable and run it into a 2 way splitter...

one line runs out to the tv.... ananlog and youll get all your channels you had before...

the other line runs into the digital box and then you take either (rca, componet video, s video, hdmi, dvi cables) out to the tv...

you still wont get the stations that your not receiving now but its a quick fix before the co. sends out a tech...

try calling the cable co. and telling them you just hooked up a cable box and its not giving you all the channels... they will send a "hit" to the box and restart the transmission of signal.. it might work but probably not...

any other q's from anybody

[getlynched47]

It's not a fix, but man, I'd unplug the box for now if you are having so much trouble with it. Maybe they will boost power or something when the Feb 09 deadline hits...

That's what I'm hoping...i'll probably just put the box away until Feb 2009...good idea Flat

also they give you 2 coupons of $40, but you can only use one on each box. I got a $50 Magnavox converter box so I paid $10 out of my pocket...a total waste of money IMO

Let me ask again, has anybody else bought these boxes or am I the first?

[Flatlander Fan]

no like I said earlier, I OCCASSIONALLY get those channels when the box cooperates with me and picks up the channels, but then the signal strength slowly depletes and the channel acts like a scratched DVD, then it completely looses the signal of that channel.

It's not a fix, but man, I'd unplug the box for now if you are having so much trouble with it. Maybe they will boost power or something when the Feb 09 deadline hits...

[BroncFanIN]

Channel 4 KCNC went digital yesterday.

Did you get your coupon? Looks like upto 80 bucks off for one of these converters...

Can't find anything for Channel 7 or Fox...so maybe they havent changed over yet, since CBS there just changed yesterday...

[getlynched47]

Thats what I'm thinking. Perhaps the stations Lynch is talking about just arent in digital format yet, thats why he cant get the stations...

hmm....now I'm curious

no like I said earlier, I OCCASSIONALLY get those channels when the box cooperates with me and picks up the channels, but then the signal strength slowly depletes and the channel acts like a scratched DVD, then it completely looses the signal of that channel.

[getlynched47]

I think you are the only one to jump fast on the gun

i kind of feel stupid being the only one who bought those pitiful boxes

[BroncFanIN]

I don't think they ALL go digital until 2009, right? I'm thinking along your lines.

Thats what I'm thinking. Perhaps the stations Lynch is talking about just arent in digital format yet, thats why he cant get the stations...

hmm....now I'm curious

[Ravage!!!]

am I the only one who bought the converter boxes?

Who else has bought those stupid pieces of crap?

I think you are the only one to jump fast on the gun

[getlynched47]

am I the only one who bought the converter boxes?

Who else has bought those stupid pieces of crap?

[Ravage!!!]

hmmm...that could be? Or have those channels gone digital yet?

I don't think they ALL go digital until 2009, right? I'm thinking along your lines.

[Flatlander Fan]

I was wondering when and who would start in on this.

We are LCD HD on DirecTV so we don't have to deal with this "digital" thing.

I'm worried about my garage TV though with it's rabbit ears.

You can run a cable from your house TV to the garage one (might need a splitter, but those are no big deal). That's what I did with my DishNetwork feed. They're both on the same receiver, but so what? I just have to keep my boys from changing over to SpongeBob while I am in the garage!

[getlynched47]

I live just north of Denver, so I can't be too far. Also I get those channels once in a while when the damn box chooses to give them to me. This stupid idea of digital television is gonna bite the government right on its ass...people are gonna be pissed!

[BroncFanIN]

Can you get some kind of signal amplifier from Radio Shack or something? It sounds like you're just a little too far from the source.

hmmm...that could be? Or have those channels gone digital yet?

[Javalon]

so i just bought my converter boxes a couple of days ago. I thought that I was in for a treat. I set it up and plug it into my T.V. and....disappointment sets in. Yeah the picture is great IF you actually get the channel. I was missing channel 7, 9, 20, and occassionally lost the signal to channel 31. It does get rid of the snowball or shadow thing, but either you see the channel in great quality or you don't see the channel at all. It's absolutely ridiculous and there's going to be A LOT of complaining about this stupid digital T.V. switch. How are we gonna watch Broncos games?!?! If you share the same feelings about this Digital Television switch and these converter boxes, I wanna hear about it

Can you get some kind of signal amplifier from Radio Shack or something? It sounds like you're just a little too far from the source.