2 months til test date; 5 months til it happens for good
Pittsburgh: The date for digital broadcast TV is fast approaching - February 17, 2009. But a test date has been set for TV stations throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. On November 17, 2008 at 6:25 pm, all stations will turn off their analog transmitter for a minute. For that minute, o-t-a viewers will see a message about making the switch by February 17. Cable and satellite viewers should see no interruption but cable companies will have the opportunity to make sure they're bringing viewers the best signal possible, according to WQED Engineer Paul Byers.Readers’ Forum
OK, this makes no sense. If you’re an o-t-a viewer watching an analog channel AND they turn off the analog transmitter there isn’t going to be any message. All there will be is snow. Maybe the message will appear before they go off the air. Great example of accurate reporting at the PG.
Jeff N3EVN - September 05, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Once again . . . we are getting screwed here . . . the new DTV signal sucks . . . I get fewer channels than before, and worst of all . . . nodoby else seems to care!!!
There may be a riot come February when people figure out what I’ve been saying all these months and the new converter boxes (in addition to costing us extra money to buy . . . just don’t work as good as ananlog tv during regular day-to-day conditions)!!!
Troy - September 05, 2008 at 9:39 pm
ok… I may be the only one here to defend the switch to digital. Granted, I still have the ‘cheap’ cable package at home, but I get all of DT channels from the area stations in crystal clear quality and have had only one issue with transmission during a bad thunderstorm some months back. The rest of the world is moving to digital, and it’s time the TV stations do as well.
Brian - September 06, 2008 at 08:40 am
I know that digital will be a problem for some depending on location. However, I cannot complain about what I get at home digital wise and will be interested to see how all of Erie’s digital stations come in once they are at full power next February. Meanwhile, Youngstown and Pittsburgh comes in really well for me.
Tom Lavery (URL) - September 06, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I have to agree with what Tom says about location. I am on a very high hilltop just to the south of Corry and I have no complaints about Digital TV signal strength. Tom, I also get Youngstown, Pittsburgh AND Buffalo….Buffalo also comes in super!
Tim - September 07, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I am glad to see a test market for the digital transition was picked and we can get observations from Wilmington, N.C. Some are having problems getting the NBC affiliate because the digital transmitter is located in a different location than their analog was. Others are able to get some Raleigh analog stations and are watching them instead. Another viewer said that he could not get as many channels as before but it was discovered that he had a VHF only antenna and would need a UHF antenna since the stations there are only UHF now. Both Erie and Pittsburgh OTA viewers will need a UHF/VHF antenna in order to receive a few digital stations that will move from UHF to VHF at the transition date. Youngstown will only need UHF and only WNEO 45 from Salem is moving to digital 45 from 46 in December and will shut of analog 45 at that time as well.
Tom Lavery (URL) - September 09, 2008 at 12:35 pm