- Joined: April 1999
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Post Count: 3,703
Re: Online application for TV Converter Box Coupons
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| Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture |
AND digital artifacts!
Home video oddities, old commercials and other junk: http://www.youtube.com/user/eyeh8nbc
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Corey3rd
- Joe Corey
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Re: Online application for TV Converter Box Coupons
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Originally Posted by DaveF
After applying for coupons, I read more closely and understood these are not HD receivers. They seem to be simple converters that receive the digital broadcast of SD signals and output an analog SD signal. Which is disappointing; I thought this would provide a HD digital tuner for my HDTV, which lacks an HDTV / digital tuner.
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this coupon program is intended for fixed income folks who shouldn't be shelling out the big bucks for HDTVs. It's just so they can get their local channels on their old SD TVs.
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Corey3rd
- Joe Corey
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Re: Online application for TV Converter Box Coupons
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Originally Posted by Ken Chan
Are stations mandated to include an SD sub-channel? I recall some (or most?) stations carrying their main programming on an HD channel only. So to be useful, the converter boxes would have to receive HD, but then they down-convert and output SD. (Still not what you want of course.)
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one of our local stations uses its sub-channel to run the Retro TV Network. I watch this more than TVLand when it comes to older shows since RTN has the rights to Paramount and Universal's TV vault. Does seem to be an interesting idea that TV stations can become their own cable universe if they get the right packages.
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Corey3rd
- Joe Corey
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Re: Online application for TV Converter Box Coupons
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Originally Posted by Steve Berger
RTN is expanding, so I hope they will show up on an unused subchannel here. We have the CW on one now. The problem that does arise is that bits used for subchannels aren't there for HD on the main feed. One HD and one SD seem to be OK but one HD and two SD cause problems on the HD channel (PBS does this often).
There are lots of heated debates on quantity vs quality with digital broadcasting.
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I find it interesting that a TV station has a chance to use their extra channels to become a cable tier. They'd have a vintage TV show channel or two, a movie channel, a sports channel, a weather channel, a news channel and anything else. Around here one station runs all 4 NCAA feeds during the first week of the tourney on the sub channels. While I'm excited at the possibilities, it's easy to see that the average programmer can barely book a single channel. They'll probably load the channels up with talkshows, judge shows and paid programming.
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Corey3rd
- Joe Corey
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Re: Online application for TV Converter Box Coupons
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Originally Posted by Steve Berger
But to do that they have to abandon high definition. Probably not going to happen for the major networks but the UPN orphans and independents could go that route. This could happen in the major markets but not elsewhere.
The political landscape might also interfere if Congress prefers HighDef over Multicasting; or if they want diversity over quality. Both views have been heard in the past.
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In my market the network VHF channels also call the shots at nearby UHF channels. It could be easily seen that the Mother station would stick with the HD core programming and they'd use the small channel's signal to multi-cast and create a package of programming to lure folks away from going Sat. Can a channel cheat with their substations - to broadcast them straight to cable so when they have to kill them for the HD on the main signal they won't interrupt the folks at home.
although from my discussions with a pack of 5th graders, the broadcasters biggest threat is Nintendo Wii.
