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Analog to digital change going too far? Is am/fm radio next?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Tony, Nov 24, 2011.

  1. Tony

    Tony Junior Member

    Many over-the-air television stations have made changes
    in the way they broadcast their TV signals. They have switched
    their signals to digital.

    What this means is if you received your Television stations
    with outdoor antenna(s) or “rabbit ears” only, you are no longer
    able to tune in to those stations, without a digital-to-analog
    TV converter box or buying a newer TV with a converter built in.
    Does this means the end of free TV for people without some
    sort of digital-to-analog converter?

    More information:
    http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/bdt14.htm
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LROOXjpHgY0

    During most of last year and this year, TV commercials told us
    of this over-the-air change to digital and informed us that if we
    receive our TV stations over-the-air to get a converter box or to
    subscribe to cable. I recall seeing TV adds telling people to
    simply call Shaw cable and subscribe to their cable in order to
    not be disappointed when the over-the-air change occurs.
    So one solution according to them, was to subscribe to cable.
    Such as this commercial suggest:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcb8u9thpq0

    As of today (Nov 24) I read the Shaw website:
    http://www.shaw.ca/dtv/ saying cable subscribers will not be effected:
    "If you subscribe to a cable or satellite television service, such as
    Shaw Cable or Shaw Direct, or view your programming via the Internet,
    you will not be affected by this transition."
    And...
    "Remember, if you watch television via cable, satellite or the
    Internet, you will not be affected by the transition to digital television."
    And...
    "Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct customers are not affected because
    your television signals are already being obtained via cable or
    satellite. Any television sets connected to your cable or satellite service will
    not be affected by this transition."

    But now recently, Shaw cable have begun to announced they also will
    make changes in the way they send TV stations over their cable into
    your home. They are switching to digital. This means even people
    already subscribed to Shaw cable with an older TV will have to get the
    digital-to-analog TV converter box or buy a newer TV with one built
    in, anyway. So the previous TV commercial telling us to subscribe to
    cable as one solution, no longer any make sense.

    This means persons who subscribed to basic cable in order to not have
    to get a digital-to-analog TV converter box or buy a new expensive
    TV will now have to get one anyway because of the cable company's
    change to all digital.
    http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110829/bc_story_di...

    If everything's going digital, what's next - AM/FM radio?

    Tony
     
  2. Tony

    Tony Junior Member

    What I should have also mentioned is that the information at http://www.shaw.ca/dtv/
    saying cable subscribers will not be effected is wrong.
    I'm not against digital but against not having a choice. When Shaw completes all of their cable signals
    to digital, people with Shaw Cable and with older TV sets will have to get a digital-to-analog converter box.
     
  3. the mechanic

    the mechanic Active Member

    ... radio already is available digitally via digital cable and satellite. as far as analog am/fm radio stations transferring to an all-digital format, in theory it shouldn't change how you listen to radio at all, should it?
     
  4. Tony

    Tony Junior Member

    Actualy, if cable companies broadcast radio in digital instead of analog, there would have to be a converter to convert the digital signal so a analog radio can tune it in. And as far as analog am/fm radio stations transferring to an all-digital format, it *will* change how you listen to radio if your radio is analog as most radios are.
     

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