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Centris suggests that consumers depending on over-the-air signals also purchase an outdoor antenna.
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.
What nobody is seemingly talking about though is the fact that most people with an antenna currently view VHF programming. These frequencies will no longer carry TV signals as this band is being phased out. Digital is transmitted in the UHF region so unless one already has a UHF antenna installed, he will need to replace his VHF antenna with a UHF one or he will indeed receive nothing.
A new study says that 1/2 of all studies need to be restudied.
What the article fails to mention is:
If the person is only receiving TV via OTA, they are likely not currently watching snow. Which means they have some sort of antenna already, be it indoor, outdoor whatever. The converter box will connect to this existing antenna fine.
I usually like EH, but here they’ve missed it.
D
It’s my impression that blue screen and freeze frame dropouts become annoying on digital broadcats at about 2/3 the mileage range that fuzziness becomes annoying on analog broadcasts.
Who is Centris and what facts are on their study… they are full of crap as regular antenna is subject to the same interference.. digital travels farther
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Jay,
That is technically incorrect. VHF is NOT being phased out. Digital is and will continue to be VHF/UHF. In my market in particular, a channel 9 will remain.
Keep your rabbit ears!
Don