No more Analog TV...

[veeten]

as of 12:00 est., US television broadcasters will be digital. Still, some will have to get a decoder to get the new signal.

Are some still doing analog TV in the rest of the world?

[MrJan]

We went fully digital at the beginning of May, completely pointless IMO as when there is interferance with an analog signal you can still see some of the picture, interferance on digital means turn it off and read a book.

[steve_spackman]

I plan on continuing watching analog TV here in the US, regardless of the switch. I figure a screen full of snow beats 99% of the available programing and I don't have to pay a cable company for it.

Seriously though, you are correct! The amount of tv channels, yet the lack of decent programming leaves alot to be desired!

[Jag_Warrior]

I plan on continuing watching analog TV here in the US, regardless of the switch. I figure a screen full of snow beats 99% of the available programing and I don't have to pay a cable company for it.

That's the exact reason I haven't gone for HD. And after the last sales call from DirecTV, I think they understand my feelings on that really well now. Why do I need to see greater detail on a show that I'm not going to watch anyway?

Would it be nice if we could see "Grand Prix" or "Le Mans" in HD? Or maybe "The Godfather" or "Once Upon A Time in the West"? Sure! But that's not going to happen, and I don't watch American Idiots, Dancing With the Tax Cheats or Desperate House Hos. So why do I need HD?

[christophulus]

I've been on digital a few years so I'm not too sad to see it go. North West UK switches in November I think.

Besides, the red button coverage on the BBC (especially the F1 practice sessions) is certainly worth the cost of a Freeview box!

[themo]

we are starting to have analog switched off in the next few weeks,only 1 of the 6 tvs we have is ready and can recieve digital now.

[steve_spackman]

and I don't watch American Idiots, Dancing With the Tax Cheats or Desperate House Hos.

[Camelopard]

The switch to digital has been put back a few years here in oz.

[Mark]

We have just started the process of analogue switch off in the UK. They are doing it region by region with starting next year and being complete by the end of 2012.

A few isolated areas have already had analogue switched off.

For most people, myself included we won't notice any difference whatsoever. I've got Sky satellite, and if that doesn't work I've got Freesat, and if that's not working then there's freeview. It takes the breakdown of three seperate services to get me down to analogue

The problems are going to come from two areas. Firstly it's quite common for households to have digital TV in their living room but analogue in their bedroom / kitchen etc. It'll involve buying new boxes and quite often running wires etc as internal aeriels are often not sufficient for good freeview reception.

Secondly is older folk, who are quite happy with their 4-5 channels and don't know what this digital stuff is all about and wouldn't know what a SCART lead was if it stole their pension book!

You can have eduation and advice and adverts, but I think for many of them the only way to fix it will be to go around their house and do it for them! Even then you've got the likes of my aunty who has a freeview box, but it works badly because she hasn't got a good aeriel, and shes in a rented house so getting it fixed is not so easy.

I'm sure there are many who'll wait until analogue is actually switched off, before doing anything, if they do anything at all!

[Mark]

That's the exact reason I haven't gone for HD. And after the last sales call from DirecTV, I think they understand my feelings on that really well now. Why do I need to see greater detail on a show that I'm not going to watch anyway?

Would it be nice if we could see "Grand Prix" or "Le Mans" in HD? Or maybe "The Godfather" or "Once Upon A Time in the West"? Sure! But that's not going to happen, and I don't watch American Idiots, Dancing With the Tax Cheats or Desperate House Hos. So why do I need HD?

You need a zonking great TV to get the benefit from HD. I have a 32" 1080p television, and yes, I can tell the difference between HD and SD but only if I sit with my nose a foot away from the screen.

I'm somewhat glad now that we didn't go for SkyHD (£10 extra per month) and instead got the standard Sky+ and got a FreeSat capable TV. That way we get a little bit of HD, via the BBCHD channel, but don't have to pay any extra per month for something we'd hardly ever use.