When they convert from analog to digital on our T.V. will the roof antenna (crank up) receive the digital signal? Is it that you only need the t.v. to receive it?
Your roof antenna will receive the signal it just will be in a digital format instead of the existing analog. You don't need a new TV just the converter box.
I installed my converter box in the MH a couple of days ago and was surprised by how much better the quality of the picture is and the number of channels it picks up over without the box.
Depending upon how old your TV is it may already have a digital tuner (ATSC). Starting starting July 1 2005 all TVs over 36 inches manufactured and sold had to include an ATSC as well as the analog tuner (NTSC). By March 1 2006 the same thing applied to TVs over 25 inches and by March 1 2007 all TVs regardless of size had to include a ATSC tuner. If your TV does not include an ATSC tuner you can go to TV Converter box coupon and apply for a coupon from the Federal government to offset the cost of a converter box that converts the digital signals to analog (NTSC).
Note this only applies to off air signals. Satellite and cable signals are already digital and are not affected by this change.
As to why this was done it frees up a huge spectrum of frequencies. One thing you will notice is that many stations that are going digital are now broadcasting several sub channels such as continous weather, music, news and etc.
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Hopefully yes, but do realize that digital signals do not work as well when the signal is weak. Where before you could tolerate some signal degradation and still tolerate watching it, with digital, it either works or it doesn't. This means that when you get out about 40 miles or so, you may or may not actually be able to receive the digital signal. I find that sometimes I need to switch back to analog because the digital signal is too weak.
The frequencies are not shifting much at all, the existing frequencies are just converting to highly compressed digital format. Many digital television channels can be in the same radio frequency spectrum that just ONE analog TV channel takes up. The TV audio is wideband on one frequency, and the video signal is on another, separate frequency. TV channel 66 for an example: The video is on 783.250 Mhz, and the audio is on 787.750 Mhz. Both are 50 Khz bandwidth channels, so that takes up a LOT of RF spectrum. As a comparison, police and fire two-way radios only use 2.5 Khz channel spacing.
So... since the frequencies aren't really going to shift from the already-there area of the RF spectrum they're in now, your TV antenna will still work as before.
But and however,
digital signal with its combined audio/video information is less forgiving to lousy signals. What you could get away with on an analog tuner, (lines and fuzzyness in the picture etc.) in a fringe area, will crumble into useless ''blocks'' on digital, and the sound will break up and become choppy.
If you have a crank up TV antenna, you will find yourself turning it around more often to get your channel reception. ''Ghosting'' which is an RF signal coming in from a primary source and a reflected one then mixing up, will be more critical on digital TV. Changing channels will likely become turning the antenna as well, unless all the TV stations are braodcasting from one mountain top. (Not likely in most areas)
If your TV antenna doesn't have an amplifier, you can always add one to help with marginal signals. Any TV type RF amplifier with ''F'' type connectors should do the job. Radio Shack sells several models.
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Daveinet wrote: Hopefully yes, but do realize that digital signals do not work as well when the signal is weak. Where before you could tolerate some signal degradation and still tolerate watching it, with digital, it either works or it doesn't. This means that when you get out about 40 miles or so, you may or may not actually be able to receive the digital signal. I find that sometimes I need to switch back to analog because the digital signal is too weak.
IIRC, wasn't there a mention made that TV Stations that keep their broadcast signal strength as is will actually have a greater range with the new digital signals being broadcast?
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Daveinet wrote: Hopefully yes, but do realize that digital signals do not work as well when the signal is weak. Where before you could tolerate some signal degradation and still tolerate watching it, with digital, it either works or it doesn't. This means that when you get out about 40 miles or so, you may or may not actually be able to receive the digital signal. I find that sometimes I need to switch back to analog because the digital signal is too weak.
IIRC, wasn't there a mention made that TV Stations that keep their broadcast signal strength as is will actually have a greater range with the new digital signals being broadcast?
Are they transmitting the same power? I'm guessing not, but don't know for sure.
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