Man Shoots TV Over Converter Confusion
Missouri man angered about losing cable and being unable to get new converter box to work
OK, so the DTV transition hasn't been perfect.
While the early analog-cutoff of 421 TV stations on Feb. 17 has gone relative smoothly according to most reports, that was not the case of at least one Missouri man, according to KARE-TV Minneapolis-ST. Paul.
The station reports that a 70-year-old Joplin man was arrested and charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm after shooting his TV set. Responding to a report of shots being fired, the station reported, the police found the man angry that he had both lost his cable and had been unable to get his new DTV converter box to work.
According to the man's wife, he had been drinking.
Digital TV is here!
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The entire HD issue is terrible - PBS has already converted all of their stations to HD (apparently they want to please their high-brow audience since they can afford the expensive equipment), so, I'm essentially unable to see their programs without watching a picture that is s-t-r-e-c-h-e-d beyond the width of my screen, making the picture quality look terrible...
To be honest, I don't know why everyone raves about HD - we have a HD screen at work (and my Brother-in-Law has one too), and the picture quality is no better than my old analog good quality color picture - IMO...
I know the analog transmission was based on 1950's technology, but to me the HD issue is a problem made worse, since the HD picture aspect ratio is set to landscape instead of portrait (similar to Windows), making the picture look stretched (sometimes even on HD screens) and as a result the brightness is reduced from the "glow" seen on the old analog screen - not good for those of us over 50 who suffer from "old eyes syndrome" since the dimmer HD screen is harder for "old eyes" to see...
In my opinion, there's now too much technology - similar to our new copy machine at the office, that is so complex that it won't make a simple copy unless you do everything exactly right - unlike the copy machines of the 1970's, where you'd put the paper on the glass, press the start button, and out would come the copy...
And, this from a person who has an FCC license and even has his own web site and talks to folks via Twitter.com, so, it's not to say that I'm stuck in the old days, since I've done the best I can to stay up with the times, but...
I'm not saying shoot the TV, especiailly since my old analog TV isn't to blame, but, it seems we are overrun with technology - it needs to stop somewhere, since we are already slaves to technology in so many ways...
Frank
To be honest, I don't know why everyone raves about HD - we have a HD screen at work (and my Brother-in-Law has one too), and the picture quality is no better than my old analog good quality color picture - IMO...
I know the analog transmission was based on 1950's technology, but to me the HD issue is a problem made worse, since the HD picture aspect ratio is set to landscape instead of portrait (similar to Windows), making the picture look stretched (sometimes even on HD screens) and as a result the brightness is reduced from the "glow" seen on the old analog screen - not good for those of us over 50 who suffer from "old eyes syndrome" since the dimmer HD screen is harder for "old eyes" to see...
In my opinion, there's now too much technology - similar to our new copy machine at the office, that is so complex that it won't make a simple copy unless you do everything exactly right - unlike the copy machines of the 1970's, where you'd put the paper on the glass, press the start button, and out would come the copy...
And, this from a person who has an FCC license and even has his own web site and talks to folks via Twitter.com, so, it's not to say that I'm stuck in the old days, since I've done the best I can to stay up with the times, but...
I'm not saying shoot the TV, especiailly since my old analog TV isn't to blame, but, it seems we are overrun with technology - it needs to stop somewhere, since we are already slaves to technology in so many ways...
Frank
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Brent
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Re: Digital TV switch=Its official the delay to June 12
I guess it depends on the type of TV you have. I get scrambled HD(that aren't advertised but the digital tuner picks up) of ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX on a TV I bought last year and the picture quality is beyond amazing. I couldn't believe how good it was when I first found them. It blows the analog signal away which a lot of times has some snow or lines or something on the screen.
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DanKellFla
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Frank, I agree with you. It is like there are no analog sets out there anymore. I have a nice HD set in my family room, but in my bedroom and the play room I have two regular old TVs. They both work fine. I have no plans to replace them.
You should be able to fix the brightness issues with any TV. I agree with you about the technological choices.
Personally, I love having multiple options. I won't even get into my Home Theater Set-up. But, I think that there are too many choices out there. A few are OK, but I feel that many of the choices are there have no purpose beyond the marketing of the product. (e.g. 1080p... Other than games, there will never be material originally made in 1080p.)
Brent, that is the QAM signal. Cable companies hate it. Google it.
You should be able to fix the brightness issues with any TV. I agree with you about the technological choices.
Personally, I love having multiple options. I won't even get into my Home Theater Set-up. But, I think that there are too many choices out there. A few are OK, but I feel that many of the choices are there have no purpose beyond the marketing of the product. (e.g. 1080p... Other than games, there will never be material originally made in 1080p.)
Brent, that is the QAM signal. Cable companies hate it. Google it.
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cycloneye
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Re: Digital TV switch=Its official the delay to June 12
Bumping thread as June 12 is almost here.Does all here are prepared to recieve the digital signal or still are members that haved not prepared for the change? I am ready.
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cycloneye
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Re: Digital TV switch date is June 12
More than 2 millon households unprepared for transition to digital
PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer - Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:10PM EDT
NEW YORK - More than 2 million households are in danger of seeing their major broadcast TV channels disappear into a fuzz of static when analog service ends Friday, according to surveys.
That is nearly half the number that were unready in February, when most analog TV broadcasts were originally scheduled to be turned off. The shutdown was delayed for four months at the behest of the Obama administration.
Research firm SmithGeiger LLC said Thursday that about 2.2 million households were still unprepared around the beginning of June. Sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, it surveyed 948 households that relied on antennas and found that 1 in 8 had not connected a digital TV or digital converter box.
Nielsen Co., which measures TV ratings with the help of a wide panel of households, put the number of unready homes at 2.8 million, or 2.5 percent of the total television market, as of Sunday. In February, the number was 5.8 million.
"We know some viewers will wait until the very last minute, or even after June 12, until they take action," said Paul Karpowicz, second vice chair of the television board of the NAB.
Requests for $40 converter box coupons from the government have spiked this week, according the to the Department of Commerce. On Monday alone, it received requests for 179,000 coupons, nearly twice the daily rate it saw a month ago. However, those coupons won't get to viewers by Friday. It takes nine business days. Without the government discount, converter boxes generally cost between $40 and $60.
Nielsen said minority households are less likely to be prepared, as are households consisting of people under age 35. Households with people older than 55 are far more likely to be prepared than the average.
The Albuquerque-Santa Fe area continues to be the nation's least ready market in the Nielsen survey, with 7.6 percent of TV households still unprepared.
Nielsen does not survey Puerto Rico, which is also believed to have many unready households. Both the Caribbean island and New Mexico have relatively few households connected to cable. Households that have all their sets connected to cable or satellite service are unaffected by the analog broadcast shutdown.
Both the Nielsen and SmithGeiger surveys count households as unprepared even if they have taken some steps toward getting digital signals, like ordering a converter box coupon.
Stations will start cutting their analog signals Friday morning, but many will wait until the evening. Nearly half of all U.S. stations have already ended analog transmissions, though most big-city stations have held off until Friday.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090611/ ... transition
PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer - Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:10PM EDT
NEW YORK - More than 2 million households are in danger of seeing their major broadcast TV channels disappear into a fuzz of static when analog service ends Friday, according to surveys.
That is nearly half the number that were unready in February, when most analog TV broadcasts were originally scheduled to be turned off. The shutdown was delayed for four months at the behest of the Obama administration.
Research firm SmithGeiger LLC said Thursday that about 2.2 million households were still unprepared around the beginning of June. Sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, it surveyed 948 households that relied on antennas and found that 1 in 8 had not connected a digital TV or digital converter box.
Nielsen Co., which measures TV ratings with the help of a wide panel of households, put the number of unready homes at 2.8 million, or 2.5 percent of the total television market, as of Sunday. In February, the number was 5.8 million.
"We know some viewers will wait until the very last minute, or even after June 12, until they take action," said Paul Karpowicz, second vice chair of the television board of the NAB.
Requests for $40 converter box coupons from the government have spiked this week, according the to the Department of Commerce. On Monday alone, it received requests for 179,000 coupons, nearly twice the daily rate it saw a month ago. However, those coupons won't get to viewers by Friday. It takes nine business days. Without the government discount, converter boxes generally cost between $40 and $60.
Nielsen said minority households are less likely to be prepared, as are households consisting of people under age 35. Households with people older than 55 are far more likely to be prepared than the average.
The Albuquerque-Santa Fe area continues to be the nation's least ready market in the Nielsen survey, with 7.6 percent of TV households still unprepared.
Nielsen does not survey Puerto Rico, which is also believed to have many unready households. Both the Caribbean island and New Mexico have relatively few households connected to cable. Households that have all their sets connected to cable or satellite service are unaffected by the analog broadcast shutdown.
Both the Nielsen and SmithGeiger surveys count households as unprepared even if they have taken some steps toward getting digital signals, like ordering a converter box coupon.
Stations will start cutting their analog signals Friday morning, but many will wait until the evening. Nearly half of all U.S. stations have already ended analog transmissions, though most big-city stations have held off until Friday.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090611/ ... transition
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Re: Digital TV switch date is June 12
cycloneye wrote:NEW YORK - More than 2 million households are in danger of seeing their major broadcast TV channels disappear into a fuzz of static when analog service ends Friday, according to surveys.
Too bad.
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DanKellFla
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Re: Digital TV switch date is June 12
BREAKING NEWS: DTV transition delayed till November.
jk.
jk.
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Re:
...if there'd only be something worth watching on TV...
I prefer the 'net, but of course computers are even more of nuisance to keep up with. How long will my #2 tower be able to hang on w/ Windows 2000? How long till I have to break down and replace the ones with XP?
When I really want to feel safe I sit down with an old book. The ones written 100 years ago still read fine without any updates!
I prefer the 'net, but of course computers are even more of nuisance to keep up with. How long will my #2 tower be able to hang on w/ Windows 2000? How long till I have to break down and replace the ones with XP?
When I really want to feel safe I sit down with an old book. The ones written 100 years ago still read fine without any updates!
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Brent
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Re: Digital TV switch date is June 12
cycloneye wrote:More than 2 millon households unprepared for transition to digital
PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer - Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:10PM EDT
NEW YORK - More than 2 million households are in danger of seeing their major broadcast TV channels disappear into a fuzz of static when analog service ends Friday, according to surveys.
I have zero sympathy. Where have these people been living all year? Under rocks? There have been so many reminders on TV pretty much hourly for months about this(not to mention it was delayed FOUR MONTHS).
Good riddance to analog TV!
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Category 5
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Re: Digital TV switch date is June 12
cycloneye wrote:More than 2 millon households unprepared for transition to digital
Boo, freakin, hoo.
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Stephanie
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Re: Digital TV switch date is June 12
Oh well. They'll get the converter when they miss getting the channels.
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DanKellFla
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Re: Digital TV switch date is June 12
Brent wrote:cycloneye wrote:More than 2 millon households unprepared for transition to digital
PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer - Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:10PM EDT
NEW YORK - More than 2 million households are in danger of seeing their major broadcast TV channels disappear into a fuzz of static when analog service ends Friday, according to surveys.
I have zero sympathy. Where have these people been living all year? Under rocks? There have been so many reminders on TV pretty much hourly for months about this(not to mention it was delayed FOUR MONTHS).
Good riddance to analog TV!
Heck, I'm in Canada, not affected, and I can tell you, I saw hours of commercials about this (Norm Abrams from This Old House comes to mind...)... you snooze, you lose I guess...
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