I had it all planned out. I was going to be the digital television holdout. I already reserved a coupon for a digital-to-analog converter box so I could keep using my TV to get over-the-air broadcasts well past the February 2009 cutoff for analog signals.
I like being non-conformist in some ways. I don’t have a cell phone. We only have one TV in the house (well, technically two, if you count the 1979 12″ black and white TV in the kitchen). I was all set to add “old analog TV” to my list of eccentricities. After all, I don’t need a big screen, and what good is all that extra resolution if you’re going to have a small TV set anyway?
But it wasn’t to be. The TV died. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was failing. It was getting darker and darker. My daughter watched “The Chronicles of Narnia” on DVD the other night… or I should say she listened to it mostly. Even thought the brightness was turned all the way up, any scene that was at all dark in the film was completely black on the TV — just like if the TV were turned off.
So I did it. I bought a new TV. A new LCD TV. A new LCD HDTV. And, let me tell you, I’ve been mesmerized by HD programming ever since. The clarity, the detail, and — since it’s a 37″ television — the enormity. I realize there are larger sets out there, but in our family room, and coming on the heels of our 20″ analog set, this thing is huge. (For the techno-geeks out there, it’s an LG 37″ 720p LCD with an NTSC, ATSC, and QAM tuner.)
I watched the Late Show with David Letterman last night. Dave has a lot of wrinkles on his face I never saw before. And you could distinctly see every hair in Jessica Alba’s eyebrows. I’m not sure why I need to see this fine of detail, but it is nevertheless fascinating. The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams is in HD, too. And PBS — let’s just say I have new-found interest in not wanting WTVP to go dark now.
Perhaps the worst thing is that I work in TV — a big part of my job at Grace is editing video of the morning worship service each week, and editing our big Christmas production each year. It used to be that the picture I saw at work, which is broadcast-quality NTSC on professional TV monitors, was far superior to what I saw on my consumer television at home. Now it’s a different story. I look forward to the day that we shoot Grace Family Christmas in high-definition.
I have the TV just in time for the Superbowl, but we already have plans to watch the game at a friend’s house. But that’s okay. He has a 46″ HDTV.
How is the reception? Do you have rooftop antennae?
Haven’t tried it with an antenna, but I will. So far I’ve been using cable. I get the lowest tier of cable — only about 20 channels for approx. $15/month. Well, it turns out that the FCC requires cable companies to carry our local stations’ digital signals, so I get those through the cable. The only HD station I don’t get through cable is UPN 59 — but perhaps they don’t broadcast an HD signal. I haven’t looked into it yet. I also wonder if the cable company downsamples the HD signals and if it might look even better over the air.
I do have a rooftop antenna, and I have antenna wires coming out of the wall in a couple places in the house, so I assume they’re connected, although I’ve never hooked them up to see for sure. I believe you can get reception with just rabbit ears, though. At least, that’s what others have told me.
I guess that’ll leave me as the last analog holdout. 🙂
I want to get an LCD TV at some point just to hang on the wall so it can take up less space, but not so badly I want to actually pay for one.
(And we use rabbit ears)
Old stlye rooftop antenna will not work. You need a HD antenna but if you have cable connected, it will act as an antenna. At least it does out at my son’s house. I too am a hold out.
You have the same TV we got last year. We love it and the helpful sales guy at Best Buy told us NOT to buty the HD antenna, that any old rabbit ears would do for the HD reception. He was right, and it is hard to watch TV any other way! Enjoy!!
You definetly do not need to buy an HD antenna, but your existing antenna may have connections that have corroded over the years so it may or may not work as is–if at first it does not provide a useable signal, you might try running some new cable to the old antenna before setting up a new antenna–I use a 4 bay “bowtie: antenna in my attic for HD with great success.
I will also confirm you do not need an HD antenna. My house, which is a very old farm house, had an analog antenna from around 30 years ago on the roof which provided amazing HD reception until it was blown off in a wind storm a few months back. I have since replaced it with a new HD antenna and it doesn’t get anywhere near the range. I used to get the Quincy channels but not with the new one. Even the quality or age of the coax cable matters little in picture quality as the cable from the old antenna was as old as the antenna itself.
I will say that whether you use an indoor or outdoor antenna DOES make a difference depending upon where you live and interference that might exist within your house. For instance, you shouldnt have your antenna right next to your TV. You get better reception with the outdoor models.
By the way, American has a 73″ 1080P LCD projection model for sale now. Trying to talk the wife into letting me ugrade from my piddly 52″…
I’m standing next to Eyebrows and EM in the “last analog standing” ranks. Might have to break down and get a new satellite dish that gets local stations, not that I really watch them all that much.
I don’t have a proper HDTV yet either. I do have an USB HD tuner attached to an iMac. I have a set top antennae attached. We have tried a few different set top antennas but they are all somewhat disappointing. Being only 2 blocks from the WTVP broadcast tower, you would think that it would be consistently perfect reception… wrong. I am considering a rooftop one or perhaps trying it in the attic first. HD signals are noticeably more finicky than regular broadcast signals.
You don’t need a special HD antennae either. Any UHF will do.
Glad to see you get into the HDTV. I love watching football games on the 51 inch Hitachi. You can see individual blades of grass on the field or read the lettering on the ball when they zoom in on it!
I second that you do not need a HDTV antenna. I simply purchased a new antenna from Radio Shack last year and since I just had the roof re-done, decided I did not want it on the roof. I anchored it between a row of pine trees, hidden from view, 40 feet from the house, 10 feet up and buried the cable. (Yes, it is grounded) I am near Dunlap and it picks up all Peoria stations, 43, 59 and all Quad cities ones as well. This is not a giant antenna It was a $25 special. The cable comes inside and into a $30 Radio Shack powered splitter and then on to 5 other TV’s throughout the house.
Mahnko – you are too close to 47’s antenna. The signal broadcasts OUTWARD, not DOWNWARD.
11Bravo: There’s a joke in there somewhere about you wife and whether or not more inches would satisfy her. But I am far, far, far to classy a guy to mention that,
I’ll weigh in as yet another person who uses a regular ol’ antenna to pull in OTA HDTV. It’s just a dinky little thing, sitting right behind my TV, but I get perfect reception 95% of the time on the Peoria/B-N channels. WTVP is by the far the best signal for me (I’m in Germantown) and it’s the only one that has HD 24/7 (or at least any time I’ve checked).
I am looking forward to Comcast being a little more helpful in the area of HD. Is that being too optimistic? I purchased my HD 32″ in November, reception was terrible. Insight told me it was the TV. I invited them to come look, I was getting better reception on the built in attenna that on the cable wire. They finally admitted that I needed my cable from the house to the pole exchanged [squirrel teethmarks]. Now getting good reception. Just wish I understood the February 2009 thing. The best thing on HDTV is WTVP.
I don’t think I want everyone to start counting my wrinkles and the hair in my eyebrows. Yikes!
I do love watching HDTV though. I’m just not excited about the idea of seeing me in it someday. Anyone have any suggestions for me?
I got a Comcast flyer the other day. So I went to the Comcast website to see what channels were available here. The website says they do not service my area.
For those who don’t know. Many of the local stations broadcast more than 1 HD channel. I am curious if cable offers the same?
19-1 … ABC
19-2 … CW
25-1 … NBC
25-2 … Weather
31-1 … CBS (there is no -2 )
43-1 … FOX
43-2 … Videos… appears discontinued atm
47-1 … PBS normal broadcast
47-2 … HD shows only broadcast
47-3 … Create network (not religious)
Mahkno — I get those stations over cable except 19-2, 43-2, and 47-1. (I get the analog broadcast of 47, but not the digital equivalent on 47-1.)
Why does one need an antenna with this type setup if you have cable? I don’t get it. What’s the benefit of rabbit ears? Help me to understand.
I could be mistaken as I have satellite and not cable due to where I live, but you typically have to pay more to have HD channels over and above your typical cable selection. If you use an over the air antenna your receive the local broadcast channels for free from the antenna.
Anyone with local cable that can confirm this? I know with my satellite I pay extra to have HD channels above the regular selection. They also don’t offer my local channels in HD which is why I have the antenna.
“Why does one need an antenna with this type setup if you have cable? I don’t get it. What’s the benefit of rabbit ears? Help me to understand.”
Over the air broadcast is …. get ready…
FREE !!!!!!!!!!!!!! FREE FREE FREE !!!!
News Anchor Mom: Keep doing your job as best as you are able, and tell those lame-brain “consultants” who drive women off the air after a certain age to go keep a flying leap ….
Not only is OTA free, but cable and sat providers usually do a lossy compression on the signal. Generally, the OTA picture is actually the best available (assuming you get good reception, of course).
Mahkno:
About getting info on the web from Comcast.
GoTo: http://www.comcast.com/insight.
They have this “backdoor” open until the transistion is complete.