View Full Version : Analog Broadcast Shutdown


Robert M Wright
June 11th, 2009, 07:23 PM
It seems odd to me that there's no mention of the analog broadcast shutdown tomorrow (in the US).

We'll probably here about a little chaos and confusion among folks that find themselves without any television reception.

Zach Love
June 11th, 2009, 11:26 PM
I was planning on throwing a "Good Bye to Analog TV" party back in Feb. but then Washington DC started worrying about all those lazy Americans and the TV they were about to lose because they didn't know how to follow direction.

I would be trying to throw a party tomorrow night except I've been pretty busy lately & I have to be at the airport first thing on Saturday.

I think I'll at least try to stay up at midnight & watch a count down to the video turning to snow on as many TVs I can fit into one room.

Bryan Daugherty
June 11th, 2009, 11:36 PM
The last station still broadcasting analog in Lexington went dark at midnight, and since I rent (no arial antennas allowed) and live in downtown (too many buildings cutting signals down) I get very few channels...guess i will be getting cable after all...(grrrr)

Thomas Smet
June 12th, 2009, 08:29 AM
Good bye analog TV. It was a fun ride.

Martyn Hull
June 12th, 2009, 09:24 AM
Hard to beleive a country the size of the us shuts analogue in one go,this little place here is shutting down region by region, it would probobly have been best to do it all over the same here.

Jon Fairhurst
June 12th, 2009, 02:58 PM
Hard to beleive a country the size of the us shuts analogue in one go,this little place here is shutting down region by region, it would probobly have been best to do it all over the same here.

We ended up spreading it out. There was a test city. There were a few stations that requested to switch off analog early. Hawaii switched off analog early due to the nesting season of birds near the TV towers (seriously.)

We had the original hard date of Feb 17th, 2009. That was immediately after the new administration took office and had their hands full. The date was delayed until June 12th, but some stations switched off in Feb as scheduled, and some others switched off between the two dates.

So, in effect, it's been a phased transition with digital migrating in over a decade or so, and analog shutting off within well under a year.

Robert M Wright
June 12th, 2009, 08:35 PM
Well, analog broadcasts should all be shutdown by now. The world didn't end, so I guess all is well.

Jon Fairhurst
June 12th, 2009, 09:10 PM
I wonder if there are any analog transmitters on eBay yet...

Adam Gold
June 12th, 2009, 11:10 PM
The world didn't end, so I guess all is well.Well, it might have, but I can't get my local news station so I'm not sure....

Edward Troxel
June 13th, 2009, 09:25 AM
Well, analog broadcasts should all be shutdown by now.

We have one channel still broadcasting in analog with NO digital alternative for that channel. Wonder how long it will be before they get shut down...

Our local ABC channel is now broadcasting a "you need to buy a converter" message on analog.

Andy Tejral
June 13th, 2009, 11:03 AM
We have one channel still broadcasting in analog with NO digital alternative for that channel. Wonder how long it will be before they get shut down...



LPs--Low Power stations including translators are not included in the DTV fiasco. Dunno if that's the case here.

Edward Troxel
June 13th, 2009, 06:40 PM
It's definitely possible that it could be a LP station. It's 3ABN which, I believe, is typically satellite based. The home base for the station just happens to be local to me so it's quite possible it's broadcasting low power.

Adalberto Lopez
June 13th, 2009, 10:25 PM
We have one channel still broadcasting in analog with NO digital alternative for that channel. Wonder how long it will be before they get shut down...

Our local ABC channel is now broadcasting a "you need to buy a converter" message on analog.


It's probably to aid those that still weren't aware or that are having a hard time receiving a digital signal. The ABC and CBS affiliates in my area are running 24hr. PSAs similar to those for 30 days and then they're shutting down completely.


...since I rent (no arial antennas allowed) and live in downtown (too many buildings cutting signals down) I get very few channels...


Just to add my two cents, using the above as part of an example, the major problem I've been hearing about is not that all people left in the dark procrastinated, but that they got carried away with the never ending PSAs of the overly excited people plugging in their old rabbit ears into the converter boxes and getting a crystal clear signal...where in most rural and metro areas that is not the case due to distance and obstructions like tall buildings.

Bryan Daugherty
June 15th, 2009, 11:44 AM
That is very much the case with my family. We are in a ground level property close to downtown Lexington sandwiched between the University of Kentucky (lots of multi-level structures) and the only skyscrapers in the area. I had my converter box since Nov of last year and have tried 6 different antennas of varying size, type, and style. The only option left is an aerial antenna, which are not permitted because I rent. So in order for me to get public access programming for myself and my 6 yr old to enjoy, I have to pay for cable. Something there just doesn't seem right...

Robert M Wright
June 15th, 2009, 01:17 PM
That is very much the case with my family. We are in a ground level property close to downtown Lexington sandwiched between the University of Kentucky (lots of multi-level structures) and the only skyscrapers in the area. I had my converter box since Nov of last year and have tried 6 different antennas of varying size, type, and style. The only option left is an aerial antenna, which are not permitted because I rent. So in order for me to get public access programming for myself and my 6 yr old to enjoy, I have to pay for cable. Something there just doesn't seem right...

Have you tried an RF amplifier?

Bryan Daugherty
June 15th, 2009, 01:42 PM
Have you tried an RF amplifier?

Yes, and oddly enough they actually made the signal worse. When talking to a transition support person at the local PBS affiliate, he said that was to be expected because the amp would increase the noise in the signal too and unlike analog (where you could squint through the snow if you have a bad signal), with digital too much noise interferes with the reception and once you hit the threshold...no signal...

Robert M Wright
June 16th, 2009, 09:28 AM
I have a friend who lives in an apartment building about 40-50 miles from Minneapolis. Even before the analog broadcast shutdown, her only option was cable.

Adalberto Lopez
June 16th, 2009, 11:52 PM
...unlike analog (where you could squint through the snow if you have a bad signal), with digital too much noise interferes with the reception and once you hit the threshold...no signal...

Yeah that's the caveat with digital. When they finally converted all the Live ENG trucks at the CBS affiliate I used to work for that was the first thing they pointed out. The dish on the truck didn't always have to be perfectly aligned with the tower to establish a signal, but if for any reason we were to tweak it during a live shot we had to be careful, or simply avoid doing it and go with what we had, since there wouldn't be no "warnings" like there were with analog.

I have a friend who lives in an apartment building about 40-50 miles from Minneapolis. Even before the analog broadcast shutdown, her only option was cable.

I live around the same range from the towers in my area too. Although, I was able to pull in some channels with an indoor antenna with a 55db amp. But eventually I installed an aerial antenna and even then I still have to install an amp to receive a pretty consistent signal.

Chris Soucy
June 17th, 2009, 01:05 AM
Sounds like I should up stakes and spend some time in the States, make my fortune!

Was (incarnation #15) a "Cable Guy" who's speciality was getting an analogue signal where no analogue signal could be got!

The digital services worldwide have presented an interesting challenge in this respect.

Here in NZ, Australia and back in the UK, they have got around this terrestrial delivery problem by taking it "off world".

A consortium of the "big" channels (networks) club together and shoot their combined feeds to a satelite (funnily enough, here in NZ, the same one as Sky) and beam it back for reception via dish (free delivery, you have to pay for the purchase of dish and box).

Still a bugger if you can't erect an outside aerial tho'.

It's spawned mushrooms of grey dishes the length and breadth of all three countries.

Still waaaay behind India tho', they've been relying on sats for the last 25 years for rural TV delivery!


CS

Robert M Wright
June 17th, 2009, 06:54 AM
My friend living 40-50 miles out from Minneapolis is stuck with cable, because the management company simply won't allow anything else. They aren't even letting the cable company re-wire the building (which is needed).