I know we dont like TV's on boats, but we have one and an Antenna on the mast that picks up local TV stations along with AM/FM airwaves.....My kids watch the 3 channels we get when we are anchored...Does anyone know what the new TV Antenna rules and regs that are to change I believe next year with digital and HDTV reception will have on our Mast disc antenna????.....what Im hearing is we will not receive any signal....does anyone know? Thanks Rob
TV Antenna confusion
- Thread starter Leviosa
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Antenna
The antenna will still pick up the signals, but the TV will not be able to 'decode' the signal. You will need to either buy a TV with a digital receiver, or a converter box (to decode the digital signal to analog that the old TV will be able to understand). Hope this clears up the confusion! David
The antenna will still pick up the signals, but the TV will not be able to 'decode' the signal. You will need to either buy a TV with a digital receiver, or a converter box (to decode the digital signal to analog that the old TV will be able to understand). Hope this clears up the confusion! David
David is correct.....
The digital over-the-air broadcast signals are in the existing TV frequency waveband so that your existing antenna and it's built-in amplifier will pick up the new digital signals just fine. A cable box to convert the new digital signals to the present analog signals will be needed or you can buy a new TV that has an ASTC tuner.
The digital over-the-air broadcast signals are in the existing TV frequency waveband so that your existing antenna and it's built-in amplifier will pick up the new digital signals just fine. A cable box to convert the new digital signals to the present analog signals will be needed or you can buy a new TV that has an ASTC tuner.
do most New TVS have this ASTC Built in??
HDTVs purchased this year for instance???...we just upgraded at home to Verizion all 3, internet phone and TV, and got the 19" HDTV free with signup....plan on putting that one on the boat....so do you think I will still need the converter?....the kids will use it mostly to watch DVD's but getting the news will be nice also......Thanks for the help.
HDTVs purchased this year for instance???...we just upgraded at home to Verizion all 3, internet phone and TV, and got the 19" HDTV free with signup....plan on putting that one on the boat....so do you think I will still need the converter?....the kids will use it mostly to watch DVD's but getting the news will be nice also......Thanks for the help.
I am definately NOT an expert, but....
I think that as of some date in the recent past (2007) all TVs were required to have the new ASTC built in. However, I think there may be some HDTV sets that are just monitors and require an external tuner- I'm not sure of this. I am not up on all the latest connections and video/audio formats. I have run into DVD recorders that do not have tuners! I think that the 19" TV that you received probably has the latest ASTC tuner. Check the specs.
I think that as of some date in the recent past (2007) all TVs were required to have the new ASTC built in. However, I think there may be some HDTV sets that are just monitors and require an external tuner- I'm not sure of this. I am not up on all the latest connections and video/audio formats. I have run into DVD recorders that do not have tuners! I think that the 19" TV that you received probably has the latest ASTC tuner. Check the specs.
I have seen
I have seen some commercials that the guvmit is going to help us with this. Don't know what this help might be, but maybe they will buy all of us with incomes under x number of dollars a brand spankin new TV. Our guvmit at work.
I have seen some commercials that the guvmit is going to help us with this. Don't know what this help might be, but maybe they will buy all of us with incomes under x number of dollars a brand spankin new TV. Our guvmit at work.
Guvmit Response
Rich, I can't say much about our guvmint on here that would be admissable. But it seems funny that they can offer coupons in advance to help buy inverters, when they couldn't get boats to get stranded people off their roofs.
Rich, I can't say much about our guvmint on here that would be admissable. But it seems funny that they can offer coupons in advance to help buy inverters, when they couldn't get boats to get stranded people off their roofs.
Let's try this link again
The link is: https://www.ntiadtv.com/cecb_list.cfm And I am also pasting it in the link box. Somehow in my last post there was an "extra" http://
The link is: https://www.ntiadtv.com/cecb_list.cfm And I am also pasting it in the link box. Somehow in my last post there was an "extra" http://
Its not the anntena, is the tuner.
On February 2009 stations will stop broadcasting analog signals. Analog TV sets hooked up to cable or satellite will continue to receive a picture. Those set with over the air antnnas will need a digital tuner. These black box adapers will go on sale shortly for about $60-$70. There is federal gpvermnet program which will issue two coupons per household with a value 0f $40 to be applied towards the purchase of converters. The converter manufacturers are holding back in the production, storage and sale of the units until the government program gets cranked up which should be in the next month or so. (it started in January but as the coupons have a 90 day expiration people are waiting until the units are out (???)) You can avail yourself of a digital tuner now if you wish by purchasing a DVD Recorder for about $149. There are indications that the antenna reception of the digital signal will not be as good but I don't know if it has to do with distance or picture quality. Do a google for DIGITAL TV CONVERTER and get the info online. TVs aboard are good specially for keeping up with football games.
On February 2009 stations will stop broadcasting analog signals. Analog TV sets hooked up to cable or satellite will continue to receive a picture. Those set with over the air antnnas will need a digital tuner. These black box adapers will go on sale shortly for about $60-$70. There is federal gpvermnet program which will issue two coupons per household with a value 0f $40 to be applied towards the purchase of converters. The converter manufacturers are holding back in the production, storage and sale of the units until the government program gets cranked up which should be in the next month or so. (it started in January but as the coupons have a 90 day expiration people are waiting until the units are out (???)) You can avail yourself of a digital tuner now if you wish by purchasing a DVD Recorder for about $149. There are indications that the antenna reception of the digital signal will not be as good but I don't know if it has to do with distance or picture quality. Do a google for DIGITAL TV CONVERTER and get the info online. TVs aboard are good specially for keeping up with football games.
Picture quality is absolutely outstanding with a digital tuner
But it is all or nothing with digital off air broadcasts. If you get too far from the broadcast towers or the station's output is low, you will not receive anything or just an occasional spurt of reception. I live pretty far (about 40 miles straight line distance) from most of the major Philly station broadcast towers and can get about 80% of the stations with the digital tuner on my sat box. Nice thing is, stations are allowed more than one "channel" so in most cases stations are broadcasting 2 or three different channels at one, effectively doubling or tripling content available. Manny P.S. - You should be fine with your current antenna setup
But it is all or nothing with digital off air broadcasts. If you get too far from the broadcast towers or the station's output is low, you will not receive anything or just an occasional spurt of reception. I live pretty far (about 40 miles straight line distance) from most of the major Philly station broadcast towers and can get about 80% of the stations with the digital tuner on my sat box. Nice thing is, stations are allowed more than one "channel" so in most cases stations are broadcasting 2 or three different channels at one, effectively doubling or tripling content available. Manny P.S. - You should be fine with your current antenna setup
Laptop TV
Since I usually bring my laptop anyway, I bought a digital TV tuner in a small USB stick. (Kworld ASTC 330) Using a simple antenna I get a nice digital TV picture on my laptop. I haven't checked yet but my solution may not be as electrically efficient as a TV only solution. Im in a Mac 26S so the space advantage of not having two devices is a plus.
Since I usually bring my laptop anyway, I bought a digital TV tuner in a small USB stick. (Kworld ASTC 330) Using a simple antenna I get a nice digital TV picture on my laptop. I haven't checked yet but my solution may not be as electrically efficient as a TV only solution. Im in a Mac 26S so the space advantage of not having two devices is a plus.
Digital reception from mast disc antenna
I bought an 20" LG high definition flat screen for my B361 last year. It has an ATSC tuner. I connected it to my Glomex 10" flying saucer antenna that is mounted on the first spreader. When I am in the metro area, the reception of digital, high definition broadcasts is incredible. As I get farther away from the transmitters, I get some annoying disruptions in the reception (the screen image "freezes" until the signal returns). This is usually worse in windy conditions when the boat is pitching or spinning on the anchor. Turning on the signal amplifier that came with the Glomex does not appear to improve the reception. I've gotten so spoiled on the high def picture quality that I can't stand to watch analog TV.
I bought an 20" LG high definition flat screen for my B361 last year. It has an ATSC tuner. I connected it to my Glomex 10" flying saucer antenna that is mounted on the first spreader. When I am in the metro area, the reception of digital, high definition broadcasts is incredible. As I get farther away from the transmitters, I get some annoying disruptions in the reception (the screen image "freezes" until the signal returns). This is usually worse in windy conditions when the boat is pitching or spinning on the anchor. Turning on the signal amplifier that came with the Glomex does not appear to improve the reception. I've gotten so spoiled on the high def picture quality that I can't stand to watch analog TV.
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