+pcpilot 181 Posted January 2, 2008 The old analog signal is being phased out permanantly Feb 2009. You need a converter box to recieve over the air signals. The goverment is giving out $40 coupons to defray the cost of the approx. $50-$70 boxes. More info here...Feds share coupons to help TV transition Pitfalls on the Road to Digital TV http://www.dtv.gov/ Also, dont be confused about being able to recieve a digital signal and think you have HD capability; two different things. Some comments on the goverment website... -Compare DTV picture quality. DTV comes in several levels of picture quality. The most common are: High Definition Television (HDTV), Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV) and Standard Definition Television (SDTV). HDTV is DTV at its finest. With HDTV, you can enjoy a true home theater experience. EDTV is a step up from basic television. SDTV is the basic display. -Make sure you have all the DTV equipment you need. DTV equipment can be purchased as an integrated set or as separate components. “Integrated” digital televisions have built-in tuners and a monitor to display the programming. If you buy a DTV monitor (without an integrated tuner), you will need a stand-alone tuner, cable set-top box, or satellite set-top box to watch DTV. -HDTV is not the same as DTV. HDTV requires special equipment, so make sure to ask about HDTV-capable equipment and talk to your cable or satellite provider to verify you have the proper set-top box to view HDTV. Say goodbye to the rabbitears...man Im feelin old... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mannie 21 Posted January 2, 2008 Congrets. well its about time. NTSC should have been out of use 30 years ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tank03 1 Posted January 2, 2008 Say goodbye to the rabbitears...man Im feelin old... Since I was the youngest in the family, when I was a kid it was always my job to get up and turn the channel on the TV (seven channels to chose from) and play with the rabbit ears until we got a picture. I can remember using bits of tinfoil to try and get a better picture. I'm with you, I'm feeling old. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Major Lee 18 Posted January 2, 2008 Since I was the youngest in the family, when I was a kid it was always my job to get up and turn the channel on the TV (seven channels to chose from) and play with the rabbit ears until we got a picture. I can remember using bits of tinfoil to try and get a better picture. I'm with you, I'm feeling old. SEVEN??? You had seven? When I was a kid, we got four: NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS, which was new at the time. It was all free, because it sucked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FalconC45 162 Posted January 2, 2008 I'm ready. I have a 60" LCD HDTV by Sony and I have the HD Cable box. Although my tv is 720p where the latest HDTV's are 1080p. I'm getting one soon for my bed room. Falcon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tank03 1 Posted January 2, 2008 SEVEN??? You had seven? When I was a kid, we got four: NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS, which was new at the time. It was all free, because it sucked. Yeah, we had those plus three UHF channels out of Boston (Ch. 38, 56, and when the weather was good 25). 56 was the best because it showed "Creature Double Feature" every Saturday morning with all those campy japanese monsters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tank03 1 Posted January 2, 2008 I'm ready. I have a 60" LCD HDTV by Sony and I have the HD Cable box. Although my tv is 720p where the latest HDTV's are 1080p. I'm getting one soon for my bed room. Falcon Over the holidays I spent hours in front of my brother-in-law's 73" 1080p TV w/ Bose surrond sound watching the Bourne trilogy on HD DVD. It was better than the local theater. Convinced me that I need to upgrade my old 25" picture tube TV to something new. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+DoctorQuest 125 Posted January 2, 2008 (edited) SEVEN??? You had seven? When I was a kid, we got four: NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS, which was new at the time. It was all free, because it sucked. FOUR?! FOUR?! Where I grew up we got TWO (CBS and NBC) and you damn well enjoyed them. Until one of the tubes blew. (Oh, God, please let the repairman get here before Wild Wild West!!!!!) Edited January 2, 2008 by kirbykern Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Fates 63 Posted January 2, 2008 65" Mitsubishi 1080i HDTV HD DVR/Tuner XBox 360 w/ wireless internet I've been ready for a year now... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FastCargo 412 Posted January 3, 2008 45" Samsung LCD 1080p monitor hooked up to my HTPC. Digital OTA HDTV card already in place and installed. Bring it ON! FastCargo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viggen 644 Posted January 3, 2008 God I'm not ready. I'm useing a TV for my PS2 that is older than me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silverbolt 104 Posted January 3, 2008 heheh im not ready too \o\ but they are broadcasting here in HDTV format... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+pcpilot 181 Posted January 3, 2008 (edited) Since I was the youngest in the family, when I was a kid it was always my job to get up and turn the channel on the TV (seven channels to chose from) and play with the rabbit ears until we got a picture. I can remember using bits of tinfoil to try and get a better picture. I'm with you, I'm feeling old. Duuuude! Man, I forgot all about the tinfoil! Yup, that and coat hangers for cryin out loud, LOL! I think in Albuqurque, we got all 13 channels and some UHF which I dont recall ever watching unless it had a cartoon. Ok, heres a story for you...I remember us watching Star Trek when it first came out on a black and white. There was the Ed Sullivan show, Sunday afternoon science fiction theater with all the best 50's B sci-fi, sesame street when it first came out for my little sister, and of course Johnny Quest and the bugs bunny-roadrunner hour for us big kids. We were happy little campers until that fateful Sunday afternoon when my dad takes us all over to one of his friends from work home. There, in all its technological wonder was a genuine High Fidelity color TV! We had heard of such things but never thought much of it until that day. For the first time ever, we saw Star Trek in all its colorful glory. I think I recall Spock actually bled green in one episode, lol. When we got home, our trusty old black and white just didnt seem to cut it anymore; we had been seduced by technology for the first of many more times to come. Two weeks later, Dad rolled in a hifi set just like his friends'! Saturday mornings took on a whole different flavor as we rolled out the hide-a-bed in the front room to eat our breakfast on as we watched cartoons. Evenings, we were allowed to watch Batman after supper before we had to tackle the dishes. Never forget Robin in his green tights...what a goober...just wasnt natural. And then of course Gilligans Island...Ginger and Maryann in all their colorful finery, on a desert island! Never did figure how they packed it all in a suitcase for a 3 hour trip. Aaaaah, the good ole days... Edited January 3, 2008 by pcpilot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Longestpants 1 Posted January 3, 2008 (edited) Duuuude! Man, I forgot all about the tinfoil! Yup, that and coat hangers for cryin out loud, LOL! I think in Albuqurque, we got all 13 channels and some UHF which I dont recall ever watching unless it had a cartoon. Ok, heres a story for you...I remember us watching Star Trek when it first came out on a black and white. There was the Ed Sullivan show, Sunday afternoon science fiction theater with all the best 50's B sci-fi, sesame street when it first came out for my little sister, and of course Johnny Quest and the bugs bunny-roadrunner hour for us big kids. We were happy little campers until that fateful Sunday afternoon when my dad takes us all over to one of his friends from work home. There, in all its technological wonder was a genuine High Fidelity color TV! We had heard of such things but never thought much of it until that day. For the first time ever, we saw Star Trek in all its colorful glory. I think I recall Spock actually bled green in one episode, lol. When we got home, our trusty old black and white just didnt seem to cut it anymore; we had been seduced by technology for the first of many more times to come. Two weeks later, Dad rolled in a hifi set just like his friends'! Saturday mornings took on a whole different flavor as we rolled out the hide-a-bed in the front room to eat our breakfast on as we watched cartoons. Evenings, we were allowed to watch Batman after supper before we had to tackle the dishes. Never forget Robin in his green tights...what a goober...just wasnt natural. And then of course Gilligans Island...Ginger and Maryann in all their colorful finery, on a desert island! Never did figure how they packed it all in a suitcase for a 3 hour trip. Aaaaah, the good ole days... The TV we used to use, and it's now the TV I'm using in my room, was my grandfather's when he was in still alive, albeit in a nursing home. He used to watch Wile E. Coyote cartoons with me when I was really little, so it's kind of a special TV set. When he died his possessions passed along to us, as he used his savings to pay off his bills and the rest went to several charities. Once we had that TV set (the old one was broken a month previous in a horror involving my brother practicing his chip shot) , I, being the youngest, was in charge of swiveling the rabbit ears around until we got a signal. We got 5 channels: 3, CBS; 8, NBC; 17, FOX; 41, ABC; and 52, PBS. On good days we could get channels 43, 50, and 64, too. A Circuit City salesman tried not to long ago to convince us that the unit will be worthless after the switch, and that we should buy a new one! The sale-fishing greaseball deserved a good boxing on the ears, even if he never got it. Edited January 3, 2008 by Longestpants Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted January 3, 2008 Ok, Fox only started up 20 years ago. All the rest of us remember when there WAS no Fox!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sparkomatic 7 Posted January 3, 2008 I am more concerned over who will win the Blu-Ray battle Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jodandawg 18 Posted January 3, 2008 i remember my dad having to get on top of the house and manually turn the antenna to get a better signal. if it was raining, forget about it. he wasnt going up there and get struck by lightning. man, that was the good ol days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
