Going Digital in the USA

[Busman747]

Are you all ready for the digital switchover? Are you concerned that your equipment is not up to scratch? Can't afford to change from analogue?........Move to the U.S!

Interesting that the American government recognises that some Americans may not be able to afford the updating of equipment, What are the chances in the UK?

[entwisi]

The US has the widest spread of wealth in the world. Vast ghettos of extremely poor people and of course teh richest in the world.

[LancYorkYankee]

Originally Posted by entwisi

The US has the widest spread of wealth in the world. Vast ghettos of extremely poor people and of course teh richest in the world.

That may be true Ian. However, most of us ~80% are in the middle class range.

I believe there are many other countries around the world, especially in Africa/India, with excessively rich leaders/dictators and the rest of their populations ~90% extremely poor.

These 90% are also much poorer then the poorest American. We do not have people forced to starve in the streets, live in shanty towns, nor denied health care. Just to clarify, it is illegal for ANYBODY to be denied health care by any hospital.

Our "poor" for the most part have roofs over their heads, television sets, telephones, indoor plumbing, fresh water, electricity (heat in winter/air conditioning in summer), food, health care, education, etc., all available for them.

[blazey]

Can someone explain the digital switchover to me in English? (in other words please dont link a website to me)

[cashman]

with blazey on this,aint a clue what the hell it entails.

[steeljack]

Originally Posted by LancYorkYankee

That may be true Ian. However, most of us ~80% are in the middle class range.

I believe there are many other countries around the world, especially in Africa/India, with excessively rich leaders/dictators and the rest of their populations ~90% extremely poor.

These 90% are also much poorer then the poorest American. We do not have people forced to starve in the streets, live in shanty towns, nor denied health care. Just to clarify, it is illegal for ANYBODY to be denied health care by any hospital.

Our "poor" for the most part have roofs over their heads, television sets, telephones, indoor plumbing, fresh water, electricity (heat in winter/air conditioning in summer), food, health care, education, etc., all available for them.

Couple of things I will disagree with you on this , Most of the Political elite and/or their families in the US are in the top 5% of earned/unearned income tax bracket, (Remember the old saying ...We have the best politicians money can buy) no way can 80% of Americans be classed as middle class, thats just political retoric, probably nearer 40% , and supposedly anyone who doesnt recieve their TV by cable (average rates in Ca. $50 per month) is seen as living below the 'poverty' line .

[entwisi]

Originally Posted by blazey

Can someone explain the digital switchover to me in English? (in other words please dont link a website to me)

Blazey, in as simple a terms as I can probably manage.

From day 1 TV has been broadcast in whats called analogue. you don't need to know how this carries the picture but it does. It is very inefficient so in their wisdom some techie geeks came up with a way of sending more data (more channels or higher definition) down the same signal by converting it to 1 and 0's this is a digital signal.

The non digital TVs quite simply don't know how to convert this new fangled stream to a picture so you need some new wizzy kit to do it.

In real terms we get TV via one of the following

Aerial
Sky(Satellite)
Cable

Sky went digital years ago (about 7/8 IIRC). Cable also went digital years ago. If you get your TV from one of these you will be fine.

If you get it over an aerial you need a digi box ( usually referred as Freeview )

Basically these boxes take the new signal and convert it into something your TV can understand. Some new TVs have this magic already built in and will have the "Digital Tick" logo on.

Unfortunately people will forget that their Video/DVDrecorders also need the digital signal converting(unless they too are digital ready). You either need to feed the decoded signal through your Video etc first or have a second digi box so you can watch one channel whilst taping another.

There will be some slight generalistaions in the above but its pretty much all you need to consider. If you (or anyone else) wants to say what equipment they have I'm sure myself and others will be happy to recommend what you need to do. I'll start a seprate thread for this purpose


Hope that helps

[Yolanda25]

So, i get signal from the aerial in top of my roof,and i have freeview box, is that it? do i need to change anything?

[entwisi]

You only need to consider how you wartch one channel whilst taping another You will probably end up with 2 freeview boxes, one for the TV one for teh video. See teh other thread I've started.

[shillelagh]

I cant wait till it goes digital then i'll cancel the tv licence and sit back and enjoy my books and use the net more. Mainly because i dont even get channel 5 here so a freeview box is no good for me. And im not forking out for a new aerial, tv etc just so i can watch some crappy tv programmes. The ones i do watch i'll sweet talk my family to tape them for me.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Then you'll have fun convincing the powers that be that you don't need a licence. They used to hound Busman for not having a licence when he didn't even have a TV.

[derekgas]

Originally Posted by Busman747

Are you all ready for the digital switchover? Are you concerned that your equipment is not up to scratch? Can't afford to change from analogue?........Move to the U.S!

Interesting that the American government recognises that some Americans may not be able to afford the updating of equipment, What are the chances in the UK?

About the same as a tax deduction, or council tax reduction for all the money we make them whilst recycling.

[blazey]

Originally Posted by entwisi

Blazey, in as simple a terms as I can probably manage.

From day 1 TV has been broadcast in whats called analogue. you don't need to know how this carries the picture but it does. It is very inefficient so in their wisdom some techie geeks came up with a way of sending more data (more channels or higher definition) down the same signal by converting it to 1 and 0's this is a digital signal.

The non digital TVs quite simply don't know how to convert this new fangled stream to a picture so you need some new wizzy kit to do it.

In real terms we get TV via one of the following

Aerial
Sky(Satellite)
Cable

Sky went digital years ago (about 7/8 IIRC). Cable also went digital years ago. If you get your TV from one of these you will be fine.

If you get it over an aerial you need a digi box ( usually referred as Freeview )

Basically these boxes take the new signal and convert it into something your TV can understand. Some new TVs have this magic already built in and will have the "Digital Tick" logo on.

Unfortunately people will forget that their Video/DVDrecorders also need the digital signal converting(unless they too are digital ready). You either need to feed the decoded signal through your Video etc first or have a second digi box so you can watch one channel whilst taping another.

There will be some slight generalistaions in the above but its pretty much all you need to consider. If you (or anyone else) wants to say what equipment they have I'm sure myself and others will be happy to recommend what you need to do. I'll start a seprate thread for this purpose


Hope that helps

By 1 and 0's do you mean its a bit like Binary code?

[blazey]

Originally Posted by shillelagh

I cant wait till it goes digital then i'll cancel the tv licence and sit back and enjoy my books and use the net more. Mainly because i dont even get channel 5 here so a freeview box is no good for me. And im not forking out for a new aerial, tv etc just so i can watch some crappy tv programmes. The ones i do watch i'll sweet talk my family to tape them for me.

I dont watch tv at my house in Lancaster. Who needs to pay £100+ a year on a tv licence, fork out for a telly and the rest just to watch telly. Think I'm going to need a few more book shelves soon though

[entwisi]

blazey, yes, binary stream thats decoded to a picture and sound.