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Digital TV Switch May Cut Off 6 Million Sets
A new study says that DTV signals and set-top boxes are not as strong as some think.
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Centris suggests that consumers depending on over-the-air signals also purchase an outdoor antenna.
February 11, 2008 | by Rachel Cericola

Maybe you shouldn’t run out and get a DTV converter just yet. A new study by Centris says that it may not help ease the digital conversion.

Ready or not, however, when the switch does happen, the research firm says that 5.9 million people could actually receive less channels than they do now—and some may not receive anything. 

Aside from the converter box, Centris says that viewers that depend on over-the-air signals should also purchase an outdoor antenna. Otherwise, as many as 50 percent currently receiving those signals may soon receive nothing.

The FCC has stated that digital signals can travel as far as 75 miles. However, the Centris study claims that the number is less than half of that estimate.

Centris did take its own signal measurements, which seem to show that digital signals are not as powerful as people think. Reception can also be susceptible to interference from buildings, trees and hills. The study (via The Boston Globe) also says that each of those things could degrade the signal. In other words, if you live on a flat, clear patch of land right near the TV station, you have no worries.

The number of TV viewers effected will vary based on location. The digital TV transition is scheduled for February 17, 2009.



Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer
Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.



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Comments (12) Most recent displayed first.
Posted by Regcure Registry Optimizer  on  04/24/09  at  11:15 PM

i’ve got the same problem, and i found the solution here to fix blue screen, just for reference.

Posted by tessa  on  12/18/08  at  04:02 PM

To bring up an old but relevant topic. We actually just created a video on this because a lot of the channles are testing out their digital formats this week:

http://www.howcast.com/videos/109035-How-To-Prepare-For-the-Switch-To-Digital-TV

Posted by Lenny H  on  02/27/08  at  02:33 PM

We live about 35 miles from the nearest transmitter that broadcasts the ABC affiliate currently in both analog and digital.  This particular station we can receive a pretty decent picture in analog with a roof top antenna on VHF channel 4.  They are currently broadcasting their digtal channel on channel 13.  I used to lve about 5 blocks west of where I currently live and could receive this digital signal just fine.  Now I can’t.  the problem?  A big Mountain is in the way.  I would need a 200 foot tower to clear the mountain that is betwen here and the transmitter atop another mountain.  This particular station has no tralators to repeat its signal in this area.  The other network affiliates don’t come in at all on their primary channels in analog or digital any where around here becasue they are broadcast from a different spot.  those stations have translators but the translatiors are not mandated to be changed out to digital until 2012.
This further confuses the situation.  We are not a isolated area in this scenario.

Posted by Don R  on  02/13/08  at  12:21 PM

Frank,
You may just need a different antenna.
While certainly every receive situation is different.  For indoor antennas, there are some unamplified, simple log periodics (that also have rabbit ears for VHF) that do a good job.  Especially in metropolitan areas.  The article makes way too broad of an assumption with respect to transferability of an indoor antenna.  Also - there are some good panel antennas that can be used indoorrs. 
Additionally, it doesn’t back up precisely why these people suddenly need an outdoor antenna.  Nor does it address what quality of indoor was used for the tests.  Nor does it address details of receiver hardware, which generation chipset etc, etc, etc.
While the headlines of such “studies” are attention grabbing, they need to be analyzed appropriately.

Don R

Posted by Nic S  on  02/13/08  at  10:35 AM

Don R,

You hit the nail right on the head. These doomsayer studies are driving me up the wall too.

With a vocher a box will cost 20.00, installation should take ten minutes at the most and you’ll have a cleaner picture and more channels.

Don’t worry be Happy..

N


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