HDTV Converters

johnnymk · 01-04-2005, 09:55 AM

So I am starting to see ads for HDTV converters. I have two questions:

If the number of lines on an analog TV is fixed, can a converter make them have a better resolution? It doesn't seem possible to me.

Are HDTV signals currently available over the air using an antenna or is that going to take effect by the end of 2006?

verve247 · 01-04-2005, 10:40 AM

I don't know about your first question but yes, HDTV antennas do exist and currently can deliver an HDTV signal to your setup. I am in the market for one but haven't done any research yet.

bachviet · 01-04-2005, 03:28 PM

OTA (over the air local channels) HDTV signal is available when you hook up the external antenna to your HDTV televisions or HDTV receivers. I love watching sports on HD especially football and basketball.

The 2006 deadline is for other channels that you get from cable or satellite. I think the dealine was extended to 2007.

verve247 · 01-04-2005, 05:23 PM

Here's an inexpensive antenna:

http://gotapex.pricegrabber.com/rati..._type=masterid

verve247 · 01-05-2005, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bachviet

The 2006 deadline is for other channels that you get from cable or satellite. I think the dealine was extended to 2007.

Are you saying that i can get cable channels by antenna in 2007? Do you have a link that goes into the details.

bachviet · 01-05-2005, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by verve247

Are you saying that i can get cable channels by antenna in 2007? Do you have a link that goes into the details.

No I'm saying that all channels supposed to be in HD by 2007.

raimin · 01-05-2005, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bachviet

No I'm saying that all channels supposed to be in HD by 2007.

nope, all channels have to be digital by 2007

hdtv is digital, but not all digital is hdtv

by 2007 all broadcast must be in digital

directv is all digital

verve247 · 01-05-2005, 11:58 PM

Then what designates HDTV from digital? Widescreen format and 780p?

Chgoman · 01-06-2005, 06:50 AM

Digital is generally a much 'cleaner' signal with less noise and it uses the available broadcasting bandwidth in a much more effecient way than analog (which is the real reason the government wants everything in digital sooner than later. Frees up airwaves). Being more effecient, a digital broadcast can send much more information in the same bandwidth, which is what makes broadcasting HD much easier.

verve247 · 01-07-2005, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chgoman

Digital is generally a much 'cleaner' signal with less noise and it uses the available broadcasting bandwidth in a much more effecient way than analog (which is the real reason the government wants everything in digital sooner than later. Frees up airwaves). Being more effecient, a digital broadcast can send much more information in the same bandwidth, which is what makes broadcasting HD much easier.

So then what would be the difference between HDTV and digital TV? Does one even exist?

raimin · 01-20-2005, 11:34 AM

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky...on/9913922.htm

i heard the 85% must have digital sets, but never heard 2009 before

Quote:

So they're eyeing a loophole that gets them around the 2006 due date: The law also says the transition to digital sets should come once 85 percent of American households own TVs that get digital signals. Depending on who's counting, that figure now could be only as high as 10 percent.

"We're pushing the digital transition; we'd like to see it happen as soon as possible, but we think 2009 is a more reasonable date to be shooting for," said Rick Chessen, head of the FCC's digital task force. "Everybody basically assumes that the statutes are going to require an extension beyond 2006."

Many expect the change to happen in Congress' next session. In the meantime, the FCC has adopted an unofficial target date of Jan. 1, 2009, for the transition.

"Having a deadline of 2009 will add millions more digital sets to the marketplace before analog signals are turned off," FCC Chairman Michael Powell told the Senate Commerce Committee in September.

Members of the broadcasting industry like the idea.

Bires · 01-25-2005, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnymk

If the number of lines on an analog TV is fixed, can a converter make them have a better resolution? It doesn't seem possible to me.

Did you get your original question answered? In my experience, the answer is...sort of. It will still be limitted to NTSC resolution, but if your standard TV has a S-video or component inputs, the ATSC decoder will produce a cleaner signal, and the HDTV resolution will be scaled down to your resolution(how well depends on the model). When I had an HDTV connected to my standard TV, the pictured not only looked cleaner, it seemed to flicker free.

01-04-2005, 09:55 AM	#1
johnnymk Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: May 2000 Location: LEVITTOWN< PA> USA Posts: 13,621	HDTV Converters So I am starting to see ads for HDTV converters. I have two questions: If the number of lines on an analog TV is fixed, can a converter make them have a better resolution? It doesn't seem possible to me. Are HDTV signals currently available over the air using an antenna or is that going to take effect by the end of 2006? __________________ “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” (Winston Churchill)

01-04-2005, 10:40 AM	#2
verve247 Commander Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: San Francisco Posts: 1,486	I don't know about your first question but yes, HDTV antennas do exist and currently can deliver an HDTV signal to your setup. I am in the market for one but haven't done any research yet. __________________ Vegetarian - Old indian word meaning poor hunter.

01-04-2005, 03:28 PM	#3
bachviet What's Da Pho*? Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: SoCal (714) Posts: 13,296	OTA (over the air local channels) HDTV signal is available when you hook up the external antenna to your HDTV televisions or HDTV receivers. I love watching sports on HD especially football and basketball. The 2006 deadline is for other channels that you get from cable or satellite. I think the dealine was extended to 2007. __________________ Dell Dimension 9200 \| Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz) \| 4x1GB DDR2 \| 256MB nVidia GeForce 8800GT Dell Studio 17 \| Intel Core i7-720QM (1.6GHz) \| 2x2GB DDR3 1066MHz \| 1GHz ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 Intel P4-C 3.0GHz \| ECS 865PE-A \| 3x512MB PC3200 \| 128MB PNY GeForce 6600GT

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01-04-2005, 05:23 PM	#4
verve247 Commander Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: San Francisco Posts: 1,486	Here's an inexpensive antenna: http://gotapex.pricegrabber.com/rati..._type=masterid

01-05-2005, 11:58 PM	#8
verve247 Commander Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: San Francisco Posts: 1,486	Then what designates HDTV from digital? Widescreen format and 780p?

01-06-2005, 06:50 AM	#9
Chgoman Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Mission Viejo, CA Posts: 696	Digital is generally a much 'cleaner' signal with less noise and it uses the available broadcasting bandwidth in a much more effecient way than analog (which is the real reason the government wants everything in digital sooner than later. Frees up airwaves). Being more effecient, a digital broadcast can send much more information in the same bandwidth, which is what makes broadcasting HD much easier.

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