Well, my dear readers, it is getting closer to that point in time when the cutover to digital TV will be complete. While I am certain that anyone reading this blog is already set, there will be those in our lives who, for one reason or another, may need assistance.
Personally, my solution to this has been the continued use of satellite TV. I’ve been a very happy Dish Network customer for some years now, and I don’t expect that to change. That said, though, I did apply for my DTV converter coupons and expect them to arrive in the next week or two.
. . . which brings me to my point.
My Dad bought his DTV converter yesterday, and asked me to come by and install it for him. He, being mechanically inclined, but not electronically inclined, was a tad confused by some of the possibilities, so I stopped by his place right after work to do the installation.
He lives in Selkirk, NY, which is a moderate coverage area according to AntennaWeb. It’s zip code 12158 if you want to see for yourself.
He has been using a rabbit ears antenna for analogue TV, and the picture has been marginal at best. I hooked up the DTV converter using the line connectors, and, judging from his reaction, my reaction, and my stepmom’s reaction, I don’t think he is ever going to use the analogue tuner in his TV ever again.
Channels 6, 10, 13, 17 and 45 (actually broadcast on 39, 26, 12, 34 and 43, respectively) all come in flawlessly. Channel 23 (actually on 7) has an occasional freeze-up from a weak signal. All come in, with their respective subchannels, infinitely cleaner than their analogue counterparts.
Then there is that whole topic of subchannels. With 6 broadcast stations, he is receiving a total of 15 channels not counting the analogue (which would bring the total to 21, close to what was expected). He is particularly happy about the addition of a 24-hour weather broadcast (he is a WeatherRadio junkie to begin with) and a retro-TV channel.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not as good as HDTV, but it is SDTV brought to its logical conclusion. It is, however, well worth it, and better than analogue cable, if you are just looking to weather the DTV transition.
(Incidentally, I have heard some really bad things about the GE converters — don’t buy them. Get the Zenith, Echostar or Apex, from what I have heard. He bought the Zenith, and it looks like it is good. If the Echostar is as good as their satellite receivers, and the Apex as good as their DVD players, then they should both be excellent as well.)