Posted: 9/30/2008 5:04:38 AM EDT
| Once the switch is flipped will the providers (cable, satellite) provide only HD signals or will they strip out the signal to the current resolution and still only provide HD signals at a raised price point? |
You should not this has been poorly explained to the public. The Feb 2009 transition is from analog to digital broadcast and while HD broadcast are digital the digital broadcast in question are not necessarily HD. BTW most stations are alreadt broadcasting over the air in digital and HD in most areas and many antennas used for analog will pick up digital if you have a digital turner. One thing you must know about digital broadcast is you either have a good signal and a great picture or you get nothing, there is no fuzzy picture like analog it is all or nothing. So if you are now getting over the air broadcasts with a antenna do not wait till the last min. to see if your antenna is good enough to pull in a digital signal sufficient to get a picture… if you do you may end up getting nothing in Feb. when analog for the most part goes away. |
Yup. I have a nice new Sony Grand Wega HD TV and a nice new 60" digital capable antenna on the roof. I can barely pull in one or two analog channels, and they are fuzzy, lack color, etc. But, I pull in over 20 digital channels. Crystal clear, and the HD Broadcasts are nice. Not quite as crisp as HD DVD's, of course, but very nice for over the air. |
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I've been on digital OTA TV for over a year now, it's amazing and I can't go back. I thought about it a bit more. Does this not effect all broadcast stations and not just OTA transmissions? Won't TNT, TBS, USA, etc. have to supply the cable/satellite companies with a digital only signal? Shouldn't the cable/satellite company's pass the signal on to us?  Right.....
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It affects most broadcast stations; there are some small markets that are exempt. With the exception of TBS I do not believe any of those you list are OTA broadcasters, for most cable/satellite program providers such as HBO, USA, TCM, etc. the transition has no effect as they never were broadcasters. Some cable companies may use this as a reason to go all digital but they would not have to, satellite is already all digital. |