[Bud Norris]

Digital TV is coming so be prepared. It will cost you!

In Feb 2009 all over the air TV broadcasting (analog signals) will be changed to digital broadcasting (digital signals). Therefore if you are receiving over-the-air TV TV broadcasts now you will need to purchase a 'digital-to-analog' converter box to use your old analog TV set.
If you are using analog tuner VCR's, which almost all of them are, you will also require a digital-to-analog converter box for them also. These converter boxes will in effect replace the analog tuner of the TV or VCR. This means you will select the channel on the converter box not the TV or VCR. This means you cannot use the VCR to record one program and view another on your TV. To use your VCR to record a different channel from what you are viewing on your TV you will require a separate converter box for it.
This will also be necessary if you are now receiving analog TV broadcasting via a cable service and the cable converts it's service to digital also. They are not required to do so yet but you can bet they will convert as soon as possible, so be prepared to add converters to your cable service also.

There is a goverment site with some answers to all the various questions about the analog-to-digital conversion:
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http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html#faq17

Can I hook up more than one TV and video recorder to a single digital-to-analog converter box?
You will need one digital-to-analog converter box for each TV set or other device (such as a VCR) that only has an analog tuner. The digital-to-analog converter box basically replaces the analog tuner in one piece of equipment. So if you want to use your analog TV and VCR at the same time (for example, to watch one program and record another simultaneously), you will need two digital-to-analog converter boxes.
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I personally am now on cable, which broadcasts analog and have 3 analog TV's and 4 analog VCR's. However my cable service has told me they will be converting to all digital broadcasting in Feb 2009 as well. This means I will be required to add analog-to-digital converter boxes either rented or purchased from my cable service for each and everyone of my seven TV and VCR's just to kep the same system I have now. A bleak future, huh?

So I will be looking into replacing my analog TV's with digital equipped TV's so that I can connect directly to my TV's and only require boxes for the VCR's. VCR's with digital tuners (ATSC tuner) would be a good choice but are at least twice as expensive as ones with analog tuners.

Anybody with better answers?

[JohnWill]

Anybody with better answers?

1. Stop watching TV?
2. Don't have so many TV's, how many can you watch at once?
3. Grin and bear it?

[cwwozniak]

Originally Posted by Bud Norris

However my cable service has told me they will be converting to all digital broadcasting in Feb 2009 as well. This means I will be required to add analog-to-digital converter boxes either rented or purchased from my cable service for each and everyone of my seven TV and VCR's just to kep the same system I have now. A bleak future, huh?

So I will be looking into replacing my analog TV's with digital equipped TV's so that I can connect directly to my TV's and only require boxes for the VCR's. VCR's with digital tuners (ATSC tuner) would be a good choice but are at least twice as expensive as ones with analog tuners.

Anybody with better answers?

You may want to double check with your cable company as to whether their digital TV signals will actually be compatible with ATSC tuners. ATSC tuners are usually used to receive Over The Air (OTA) broadcast signals. You may need TVs that that support CableCards if you expect to connect them directly to digital cable.

http://www.cablelabs.com/news/pr/200...on_061004.html

Good luck trying to find VCR with an ATSC tuner or CableCard. I have not actually looked for one but I keep hearing that VCRs have gone the way of 8-Track tapes.

[Bud Norris]

If VCR's are passe how are they going record on DVD/VCR devices? There are some of these devices with 'tuners' so that they can record. What would they "tune" to when over-the-air broadcasting becomes digital if the tuner isn't compatable with digital? The digital signal is the same wether it's broadcast over the airwaves or on a cable.
Sylvania has a DVD/VCR combo that has an atsc tuner in it. The product model is: ZV450SL8.

[cwwozniak]

Originally Posted by Bud Norris

If VCR's are passe how are they going record on DVD/VCR devices?

I had thought you were referring to standalone VCRs in your original post, not the VCR portion of a DVD/VCR combo unit.

Originally Posted by Bud Norris

The digital signal is the same wether it's broadcast over the airwaves or on a cable.

I stand corrected. We switched from cable to satellite years ago and I have not been following all of the details of the FCC's requirements for cable companies to supply ATSC programming to their customers.

[JohnWill]

Originally Posted by Bud Norris

If VCR's are passe how are they going record on DVD/VCR devices? There are some of these devices with 'tuners' so that they can record. What would they "tune" to when over-the-air broadcasting becomes digital if the tuner isn't compatable with digital? The digital signal is the same wether it's broadcast over the airwaves or on a cable.

Actually, that's not really true. Neither Comcast or Verizon supply ATSC compatible signals. Comcast has some QAM channels available on their analog connection, but nothing compatible with ATSC tuners.

However, cable operators in the US (and to a lesser extent Canada) can determine their own method of modulation for their plants.

* Consequently, most North American cable operators have added 256-QAM to the 16VSB standard originally used.
* Cable operators have still been slow to add ATSC channels to their lineups for legal, regulatory, and plant & equipment related reasons.
* 256 QAM is a cable standard, not an ATSC standard; however, over time it is expected to be included in the ATSC standard

[rmay635703]

Analog cable must continue by law until 2012

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...ntil-2012.html

[JohnWill]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Analog cable must continue by law until 2012

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...ntil-2012.html

Correct, but only for off-the-air local channels. Verizon FiOS already has only the local broadcast channels in analog on their service. Comcast still has a bunch of stuff like Discovery, History Channel, etc. in analog, but who knows for how long.

[lexmarks567]

all tvs that are hooked up to cable will work just fine if you have digital cable(cable box).

[JohnWill]

Yep, until they drop the analog output of the cable box.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by JohnWill

Yep, until they drop the analog output of the cable box.

Yep, but there are also converter boxes available to convert digital signals to any analog signal you can muster, probably not very cost effective but available.