[QCWA] Digital TV

[Vic Culver]

Hi, Paul.  It is exactly the sentiments you are expressing that led us 
to engage a real expert from the industry to be our 2008 QCWA 
International Convention banquet speaker.  He will walk us through the 
maze of technical details so that we should all be right where we need 
to be with regard to any changes that will be mandated.  And you would 
have a chance to ask your own personal question or get your own 
clarifications, if necessary.

I'd say Don't Worry -- BE HAPPY -- and come to the convention to resolve 
any and all issues.

Good luck, Paul.  I very greatly suspect that we'll come through the big 
change-over without serious bruises.  73,  Vic, W4VIC 2008 Convention 
Chairman.

Paul Walcott wrote:
> Has anyone heard the technical details of the upcoming
> switch to Digital TV?  I'm not looking for an
> engineering level treatise on the subject, but I'm
> looking for a little more information than what I see
> in the 30 second announcements that run on the local
> TV.
> 
> As a ham I'm wondering about several things such as:
> 1)  Will the switch to digital involve stations (at
> least the VHF stations) changing frequency, hopefully
> up into the UHF range?  I've been hoping that the
> change means no more channel 2 adjacent to 6 meters.
> 
> 2)  Will the digital signals be more immune to TVI
> than the current analog signals?  In a general sense
> that seems to make sense, but I realize that I'm
> speculating there.
> 
> I'm also wondering about a couple things simply
> speaking as a TV viewer:  
> A)  Will the switch to digital TV be a phased-in thing
> or just a sudden overnight occurrence next February?  
> Right now I've got one digital equipped TV attached to
> an outside antenna.  I get all the normal analog
> signals that I've always gotten, but when I enter the
> menu to scan for digital signals, I only get one
> channel, and that one is so weak as to be useless.
> 
> B)  If I don't decide to get cable, satellite will my
> present VHF/UHF rooftop antenna probably be adequate
> for local reception or will there be enough of a
> change in frequency (as I asked above) to require
> replacement?
> 
> C)  Are the converters for use with an older analog TV
> available on the market yet?  I admit that I haven't
> been shopping and asked about them yet, but I have
> read the sales papers from Best Buy, Circuit City and
> a couple of their competitors, and I haven't seen any
> advertised yet.  They all seem much more interested in
> selling new TV's.
> 
> D)  Am I the only one who's frustrated by the lack of
> mid-level technical information about this subject? 
> It seems that the only advice I've seen on the local
> media is something like, "Get a digital TV, or cable,
> or satellite, or if you don't, you'll need a 
> converter.  
> 
> I admit that maybe I'm more touchy on this subject
> than others as in the late 1960's and early 1970's I
> made my living in TV repair, but I've since moved on
> and am finding this present situation irritating.
> 
> 73's,
> Paul
> WD8H
> 
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