[Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition

Tue Feb 3 23:29:52 UTC 2009

Most of the TV stations including cable feeds are available on line as well.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wade Hemmelrick" <cybershark35 at msn.com>
To: "'Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances'" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 2:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition


> Since I don't watch much TV, and since I can still find enough information
> through my computer, I'll survive just fine until I can get ahold of a
> suitable digital tuner. Meantime, ESPN Radio is not a bad deal.--WH
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gerald Levy
> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 11:53 AM
> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition
>
>
>
> I think HD radio's days are numbered.  It has not caught on with the 
> general
>
> public,  and it is almost impossible to find home radios and audio 
> receivers
>
> with HD tuners.  In the mid-1970's, Dolby FM was touted as a great leap
> forward in radio sound quality, but it too, never caught on.
>
> Gerald
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "James Aldrich" <jkaldrich at qwest.net>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 10:12 AM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition
>
>
>> Hi David,
>>
>> A radio reading service could end up on a digital stream which would
>> make
>> it
>> heard by anyone!  I don't feel that's problematic! Again, the proof is in
>> the pudding here!
>>
>> My brother was saying the digital TV stations aren't at their full
>> power
>> yet
>> so we'll see how things go.  Digital radio certainly will be interesting!
>> We have two stereo AM stations thanks to HD radio and they sound quite
>> good!
>> Too bad they are simply playing gospel stuff.  I have nothing against
>> that,
>> just wish I had other forms of music available to me.  Our public FM
>> station
>> has one digital stream and it is sounding better by the day.  It will be
>> nice if they added an additional stream so if one is doing talk, the 
>> other
>> could be playing music.
>>
>> For what it is worth!
>>
>> Jim
>>
>> will
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 9:25 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition
>>
>>
>> Jim, You are right about stations not broadcasting their digital
>> signals at the same power level with analog signal, in radio, but not
>> TV.  Radio digital signals are immediately adjacent to tthe analog
>> signals, but television digital signals are at totally different
>> frequencies from the analog stations, so they are already at the power
>> they will be at.
>>
>> If and when analog radio goes away we could see the digital power go
>> up, but since there are hundreds of millions of analog radios, it will
>> be no time soon.  There are actually a couple proposals from radio
>> stations and equipment manufacturers and trade groups to up the
>> digital power somewhat, but no decision has been made.  There has been
>> some testing, but not enough and some feel to much increase will cause
>> interference, so must be done on a station by station basis.  Further,
>> one entity that could get hurt, if there is an increase are analog
>> radio reading services.  There has been no testing of this to date
>> though.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> At 04:26 PM 2/2/2009, you wrote:
>>>Hi Dave and list,
>>>
>>>My brother works in TV repair.  We of course are in rural America
>>>(Billings
>>>MT) and often he goes to surrounding communities where TV may be marginal
>>>at
>>>best.  He often says when he is in one of the small communities where TV
>>>has
>>>a marginal signal and the person has one of the newer digital sets, he
>>>switches to the digital signal and instead of hearing multipath and 
>>>seeing
>>>fuzzy picture on the analog signal, the person gets a perfect digital
>>>signal.  This seems to happen continually!  I find that interesting!  I
>>>too
>>>understand that digital signals are coming in  or they are not!  There is
>>>no
>>>middle ground!  This is also true with satellite radio or Iboc HD radio.
>>>The incoming signal needs to be strong enough for the TV, radio etc. to
>>>properly decode the digital signal. One other thing my brother stated
>>>which
>>>could give hope to people.  most broadcasters aren't devoting the full
>>>power
>>>to their signal presently till they must broadcast a digital signal full
>>>time and stop their analog broadcasts!
>>>
>>>I think too we will find some devices will decode a digital signal
>>>better than others.  I would guess a digital TV set would do better
>>>bringing in a digital signal than the converter.  We certainly know
>>>that some analog radios and TVS work better than others and I think
>>>this still will hold true today despite the fact that a signal is
>>>either there or it isn't!
>>>
>>>Our two main stations also have secondary programming on their digital
>>>signal.  One of our channels is CBS but they broadcast the CW network
>>>on their secondary channel.  Our other main channel broadcasts a
>>>weather service on their secondary channel.  As this gets further
>>>along, I wouldn't be surprised to find two separate programs on a
>>>given channel.  Let's assume
>>>the main channel has a local college football game or high school
>>>tournament.  The secondary channel could have a football game or
>>>basketball
>>>game from a national network.  I think we will see any number of
>>>possibilities here. Of course, all of this could be a good thing!  If
>>>people
>>>can't see their TV, they may go back to reading books, audio books no
>>>less!
>>>
>>>The proof is in the pudding so to speak!  Guess we'll see what happens
>>>when
>>>it happens.
>>>
>>>Jim
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>>>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 10:17 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition
>>>
>>>
>>>Actually, one of the dirty little digital TV secrets, that
>>>broadcasters have known for years, is that reception in highly urban
>>>areas isn't that great.  There can be dead areas, buildings can block
>>>the signal etc.  As you say, if the signal strength is to low, you get
>>>nothing.  On the good side, if you have enough of a signal you have a
>>>perfect picture etc., anyone who gets a strong enough signal for the
>>>equipment to lock on to, has the same high quality signal.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>
>>>At 12:59 PM 1/31/2009, you wrote:
>>>
>>> >Based on the experience I just had attempting to install  a digital
>>> >TV converter box, don't expect to see radios with built-in DTV
>>> >tuners any time soon.  I purchased a Digital Stream DTX9950 box at
>>> >my local Radio Shack to use with my small portable kitchen TV, and
>>> >needed lots of sighted assistance to set it up.  The online version
>>> >of the instruction manual was in PDF format that Adobe Reader was
>>> >unable to translate because of a plethora of graphics,  and
>>> >therefore was totally inaccessible.  However, once connected to the
>>> >TV, the box  was unable to provide consistent reception on any of my
>>> >local VHF channels using a hefty indoor antenna.  I live in
>>> >Manhattan, not in the boondocks, so proximity to the transmitters
>>> >atop the Empire State Building is not an issue.  Unlike analog TV
>>> >channels, which still remain audible even when weak, digital
>>> >channels drop out completely if the signal is too weak.  So you get
>>> >no picture or sound at all.  At least with analog TV's, you can
>>> >still hear the channel even with a weak signal.  Because of this
>>> >"all or nothing" phenomenon, it will be impossible to produce a
>>> >usable portable radio with a built-in DTV tuner until the technology
>>> >drastically improves.  For those of you who do not yet have cable or
>>> >satellite TV, be forewarned that even if you purchase a DTV
>>> >converter box or full-fledged digital TV, there is no guarantee that
>>> >it will work with an indoor antenna. If you live in an apartment
>>> >building, your landlord may not permit the installation of a rooftop
>>> >antenna.  Cable and satellite TV is not cheap. Here in New York
>>> >City, basic cable rates start at about $60 per month.  If you sign
>>> >up for one of the teaser double- or triple-play packages, you will
>>> >be hit with a huge rate increase after the first year.  You could
>>> >wind up spending over $150 per month when the introductory offer
>>> >period expires.  So as I said previously, the digital TV transition
>>> >will likely have a very disruptive impact on many disabled and blind
>>> >consumers.
>>> >
>>> >Gerald
>>> >----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Jacobson"
>>> ><steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>>> >To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>> ><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> >Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 11:22 AM
>>> >Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >>And how will this change by June?  I wish it would, though.  I
>>> >>wonder if anyone will have a portable digital TV Radio at some
>>> >>point, or if any of these converters are small, can be operated
>>> >>from batteries, with audio outputs?  ?
>>> >>
>>> >>On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:00:31 -0500, Gerald Levy wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>>And the 70% of blind people who are unemployed is no big deal
>>> >>>either. After all, most of them already have cable TV, talking
>>> >>>computers, GPS navigation
>>> >>>gizmos and all manner of assistive technology, so they really don't
>>> >>>need
>>> >>>jobs to support this comfortable life style anyway.
>>> >>
>>> >>>Gerald
>>> >>>----- Original Message ----- From: "David Andrews"
>>> >>><dandrews at visi.com>
>>> >>>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>> >>><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> >>>Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 11:51 PM
>>> >>>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Digital TV Transition
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>>>Actually, it has been announced for years and I also have no
>>> >>>>sympathy.
>>> >>>>Broadcasters have big money involved, tower climbers set up months
>>> >>>>ago,
>>> >>>>antenna switches etc.  It can also cost $20,000 in electricity each
>>> >>>>month
>>> >>>>to run an analog TV transmitter.  It is also my understanding that
>>> >>>>one
>>> >>>>of
>>> >>>>the phone companies has a multimillion dollar advertising campaign
>>> >>>>set
>>> >>>>to
>>> >>>>launch the day after cutoff to advertise its new services in vacated
>>> >>>>TV
>>> >>>>space.  Phone companies and others have paid billions for the
>>> >>>>spectrum
>>> >>>>and
>>> >>>>they should be able to use it when they were told they could.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>Dave
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>p.s.  eighty-five percent of the country's population gets its TV
>>> >>>>via cable or satellite.  The 15 percent is not huge, and also
>>> >>>>second or third TV's in a household.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>DA
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>At 03:57 AM 1/30/2009, you wrote:
>>> >>>>>The senate passed the delay; but, the house did not. I wish
>>> >>>>>y'all would get y'all's facts straight.  As for the proposed
>>> >>>>>delay, I have no sympathy
>>> >>>>>for those who want it.  It's been announced for months, and, people
>>> >>>>>have
>>> >>>>>had more than ample time to prepair.  IF anyone is not ready now,
>>> >>>>>well,
>>> >>>>>too bad.  That's what they get for waiting till the last minute.
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>Sincerely,
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>The Constantly BAREFOOTED Ray
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>"Old friend, what are you looking for?  After those many years
>>> >>>>>abroad
>>> >>>>>you
>>> >>>>>come With images you tended Under foreign skies Far away from your
>>> >>>>>own
>>> >>>>>land"
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>George Seferis
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>Phone or Fax::
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>+1 (985) 360-3375
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>e-mail:
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>rforetjratcomcastdotnet
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>Skype Name:
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>barefootedray
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>Tom Lange wrote:
>>> >>>>>>Hi,
>>> >>>>>>Charlie writes:
>>> >>>>>>
>>> >>>>>>>Well, good news, they delayed the mandate by four months.
>>> >>>>>>Really?  I thought I'd heard on the radio the other night that
>>> >>>>>>the proposed four-month delay wasn't going to happen. I hope
>>> >>>>>>the transition is delayed so that accessibility issues can be
>>> >>>>>>addressed and resolved.
>>> >>>>>>Tom
>>> >>>>>>
>>> >>>>>>_______________________________________________
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>>> >>>>>
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>>> >>>>>
>>> >>>>>
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>>> >>>>>1/30/2009 5:31 PM
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>>
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