Digital TV switch question....

[LiberalHeart]

I have the most basic service my cable company offers. It's a handful of channels, and among them are some channels already broadcasting in digital format. They are the channels with a decimal point in the channel number. I've noticed that they have fairly regular disruptions -- some digitizing (is that a word) that puts small squares in the picture for just a moment, or the sound goes away entirely, or the screen goes black for a second. How likely is it that this is going to happen with all channels after the switch?

It is not anywhere near as bad or as frequent as trying to catch digital signals with just an antenna, but the artifacts on the screen are like what happened with the antenna.

[Gore1FL]

1. Cable should have the throughput to deal with it

Is your TV getting an analog or digital signal from the cable box? I would suspect analog. This probably merits a call to the cable company to check you connection.

[LiberalHeart]

3. I don't have a cable box. I'm getting digital signals from them.

There was a test a few days ago when the TV screen would have had a text message if the cable system wasn't working. Mine continued to show the programming.

I did talk to the cable company today but they just seemed perplexed by the problems I'm having with the channels that are already digital. They'll send someone out to check the installation, they said, but scheduling problems on my part push that to the end of the month.

[aquart]

2. Oh, crap. Is that what it's going to be like? UGH!

I am so not looking forward to this. OTOH, my converter boxes have arrived.

[LiberalHeart]

4. Even with a converter box you may have problems.

My TV has a digital tuner and for a while I tried to get by with an antenna. My location is lousy for picking up digital signals, which is why I went to cable. Wind knocked out the stations entirely. Traffic going by the house disrupted it. Frustrating to watch a movie and then not see the ending because the screen turned into a bunch of little squares then the screen turned blue or the dreaded "no signal" message appeared.

[AndyTiedye]

5. If You Get a Signal At All

They're moving almost all the stations to UHF, and UHF doesn't go through trees very well.

[LiberalHeart]

6. And if you're in a low-lying area, forget it.

[aquart]

13. Second floor of a brownstone? Surrounded by taller, meaner buildings?

[LiberalHeart]

22. That's a problem, unless you have an antenna above those buildings (or so I've read).

[aquart]

12. How about tall city buildings?

WHY are we doing this?

Does anybody think it's going to be a very nasty, hostile transition?

[KharmaTrain]

7. You Should Be Fine...

The cable systems are exempt from putting a digital signal into your TV...they're the ones who will be doing the converting. Many companies are offering similar basic service of the local channels and one or two cable channels for about $10-15 a month just for those who don't have the money nor interest in getting digital equipment.

[LiberalHeart]

9. But my point is I'm not fine. I have cable and the digital channels aren't working right.

[KharmaTrain]

19. Not Working RIght?

Sounds like you need a visit from the cable dude...digital has nothing to do with it. If you're paying for service an you're not getting a good picture (and you have your set hooked up properly), it's their problem, not yours (why you're paying for the service). Digital has zero to do with that...and if you're having problems, then many others in your community will as well.

Virtually everyone who has cable or satellite will not be affected by the "flash over". No need for a digital TV or even a converter box. I did a test on our cable to the sets without boxes and they check out fine. In our area all the TV stations are running a digital test several times a week...just to make sure your set is ready. I'd either check the TV listings or call one of the stations to find out if they're offering a similar test just to make sure you're set once and for all.

[TexasProgresive]

20. My guess is that the signal from the cable company

is weak. The other cause could be at the satellite downlink where they receive the signals. If it is poor at that point then every subscriber will see the same thing. Ask people who live in other neighborhoods if they are seeing the same thing.

[1]

8. you are already getting a digital signal. those "small squares" are what they call pixelization...

welcome to the new digital broadcast world...

[ColbertWatcher]

10. Get something in writing from your cable company to be absolutely sure.

Don't take anyone's word for it.

Ask them to give you a pamphlet that explains their policy, etc.

Make sure someone answers all your questions, go into the local office if possible.

[tkmorris]

11. Those little blocks are digital "snow"

And they have nothing to do with the signal levels you are getting from the cable company. That's snow the cable company is receiving, and is rebroadcasting to you.

Right now many of the locally broadcast digital signals are fairly weak, but the good news is most stations plan to up the power of their digital broadcasts once the changeover is complete and they no longer are broadcasting their analog counterparts. This should result in much cleaner signals for you and most likely no dropouts at all.

[mucifer]

14. I had to buy a fairly fancy antenna besides the converter box.

Still cheaper than buying a new 20" tv.

[aquart]

15. Indoor or outdoor?

I can't do anything outdoors because I have no access to my roof.

[mucifer]

17. indoor. Also, someone on DU posted a cheap make your own indoor antenna

that had an instructional video on youtube. Decent store bought antennas can cost as much as the converter box.

[man4allcats]

16. I am using converter boxes with rabbit ear antennas (or "antennae" for you purists).

The local stations have done a couple of brief all digital broadcasts in the last few weeks as tests so people could see if their sets are ready. I had no problem, but my understanding is that it depends a lot on where you are. People far from the transmitter may need a more powerful antenna than someone less distant. I find that I still occasionally have to monkey around with adjusting the rabbit ears for different stations, but I've had to do that with analog so I don't see it as much different. I don't really care anyway. I paid for cable for a long time, but now I just think it's mostly overpriced crap. The converter boxes are good enough for me. Besides, I have too many books that need reading.

[onenote]

18. what sort of tv do you have?

If you don't have a digital television and you aren't connected to your cable system via a converter box, you aren't receiving a digital signal.

I'll assume that you do have a newer set with what is called a QAM tuner that is capable of receiving digital signals from your cable system. If you are having reception problems, the source could be the signal being received by the cable system -- some broadcasters are not yet transmitting at the full power they will use after the transmission which can lead to signals on the fringe areas going in and out. Or it could be in their transmission.

[LiberalHeart]

21. I am a Samsung tv with a digital tuner. I hope it is that the power just isn't ramped up yet.

[UTUSN]

23. Seems like you should have NO "squares" with cable (or satellite), only with the box/antenna

I have Dish, but have to use the converter box for the LOCAL CHANNELS (or else pay Dish extra for the local channels) and only have trouble with the converter box/antenna channels.