bump

well, its their fault, fucking government was giving them away for like 5 fucking bucks for a long period of time. I got two just for the hell of it.

Last year my digital cable service tried to tell us that they were "doing the switch early" and immediately proceeded to take away all my channels one by one.
The whole thing reeks of money-grubbing bullshit.

I live in huricane zone where everyone has a battery powered tv for emergencies

the cheapest digital battery powered tv costs $300+

lack of foresight in emergencies

I predict alot of failure. Im dumping cable very soon since I can watch everything I need on the internets for free.

If cable channels are forcing everyone to get a set top box, the cable channels should at least broadcast in a 16x9 format.

But no, despite cable channels like TNT and TBS having programs from the broadcast networks that was broadcast in High Definition, they can easily downconvert the stream into a SD widescreen format.

But no, instead they want people who have HDTVs that simply want their programs in widescreen to pay more by getting the HD versions of their channels that is mostly unconverted strechovision shit.

It would not be that hard, have one digital SD widescreen channel for those who do not want the HD version of the channel, and another HD version with the channel.

>>2597781
wow that's a whole lot of retarded.

I'd tell you to wear condoms, but I doubt the opportunity will ever come.

>>2597883
tl;dr

Cable channels can broadcast in widescreen but don't want to because they want to milk as much money out of their faux HD channels as possible.

If you can't understand that, go back to /b/.

>>2598156
Who cares about HD channels.
You should have Speed Racer playing constantly.

>>2597781
Widescreen is shit.

I don't like how weak the signal is. At least with analog, even if the signal is weak and fuzzy, you still can see something. With digital, if the signal is weak, you don't get a damn thing. Also, you can't get all your channels at the same time. You have to move it in certain directions to get certain channels. Sucks, bro.

I'm in Canada, and we get all your commercials for switching to digital and whatnot. Thankfully up here, they will continue to give us the option to use digital or analog, with no loss in programming. sux for all the backwards yokels down there.

you need a min of 98% signal strength for dtv

>>2598162
>You should have Speed Racer playing constantly.

And why is that?

>>2598164

So you're the one they're still making DVD's in pan and scan for.

>>2598185
I'm in detroit. God is CBC channel 9 full of fail. it was good when the kids in the hall were on.
I do listen to CKLW, but only for American programs: Coast to Coast, duke and the dr.

>>2597466
>What about people in rural areas
I guess they don't get their Benny-fucking-Hinn

>>2598219
fuck CBC. I'm a Canadian, and most Canadians think CBC is shit. As far as other networks go, we can watch most if not all without a box. I happen to have a box, but just cuz it's dirt cheap to rent.

>>2598238
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-

>>2598238
but I need to be healed, DAMMIT!!!

>>2598238

A CHALLENGER APPEARS!

>>2598268
You're FUCKED, my friend.

I don't get Fox or CW. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

>>2598584
the only good show on Fox is COPS.

>>2598584

Fox at least has a COUPLE of good shows. CW is pure crap.

>>2598606
BUT WHAT ABOUT HOUSE? I can still get the analog signals though. lol, technology.

>>2598639
i don't watch house. i watch on Mondays:
8 pm: Antiques Roadshow
9 pm: Two and half men (squab!)
???
11 pm: Two and half men (syndicated) or Keepin Up Appearances
11.30: Are you being served (PBS, google it, hilarious)
Sometimes Nightline. Letterman was good, until he started gagging on Obama's nuts

My bro watches House. It's like ER right (j/k, never seen it)

>>2598664

squaaaaaaaaaab!

>>2598664

RIIICHAAAARD!

>>2598664 Two and half men

Sage for terrible taste in TV.

>>2598680
My two funnies moments:

1. Lydia sells homes by the be-ach!

2. Charlie: Jake. What do men have that women dont?
Jake: Beards?
Charlie: no. Lower
Jake: (in a lower voice tone) Beards?

>>2598696
sage for having never sat the fuck down and watched the damn show.

>>2598696
On Tuesdays:
8 pm
9 pm Fringe
10 pm Nip/tuck
11 pm Real Housewives of Orange County

>>2598664
squab!

>>2598717
American Idol at 8 PM.

I think I would be a little more excited about this if it in any way affected me.

I'm not, like, gonna get a better picture, am I?

>>2598768
if you get your tv through the antenna (broadcast) you will definitely get a better picture, plus extra channels
example: I get extra weather channels, the retro channel, and 2 extra PBS channels. it's pretty cool actually. they should have done this years ago

you only need 70% signal for full picture quality

You can continue watching it to as low as 30% with reducted quality and artifacting.

>>2598746
i only watch the early shows , when the retards try and get on. i kinda feel sorry for them.

>>2598782

i don't know ANYBODY who still has rabbit ears in this day and age.

>>2598812
most old people. why do you think they resurrected all the old time brands for the converter boxes: Zenith, Western Electric, fucking Philco

>>2598812
I do. Once in awhile at my parents' I'll flip thru all the bullshit that's on cable and congratulate myself for cancelling mine shortly after I discovered bittorrent.

It's a minor inconvenience sometimes, but I'll still not resubscribe until they have alacarte pricing. Maybe not even then.

YOU BETTER HOPE IT DOESN'T RAIN OR THE SIGNAL WILL DIE.

What a crap standard. Why didn't we just copy the Japanese?

>>2598878
what do they use?

For cell phones and smaller devices, Japan uses 1-seg, or 1-segment digital. I thought 1-seg was going to rock my pants when I bought a USB antenna to tune in during classes but I cant use it at home as there is no reception.
Japan will not go digital until 2011 and even now, there are only a few stations on some digital standard.

>>2599222 The British are given a reason (multiple channels of real programing)

What real programming are you talking about since most of their stuff is imported from the US? Also, lol, TV license.

>>2599293
What about BBC3 and BBC4? or ITV3 and ITV 4?

>>2599481
In America, it's called PBS.

>>2599222
fuckface, for people who don't have cable, or old people who don't use computers, or someone in their living room and don't want to walk over to the computer and would rather watch a local weather station.

>What about people in rural areas who can't get any digital television reception, and cable AND satellite television services are unavailable in their area?

PROTIP: only high-power stations are changing all others are staying as their range is inconsequential.
wide screen is superior formating the academy standard is outdated.

actually i think i'm in the minority when it comes to cable tv. I think its a waste of 30-60 dollars a month. I just go with the good old antennae. Anything else that I really want to watch, I just stream from the broadcaster's website or bittorrent it (if i have to, pain in the ass for me). Otherwise there really is nothing to watch on cable. Give me a good reason why I should pay 30-60 dollars for just a handful of shows I would actually watch? I remember most of the channels I'd have were in Spanish, so called "music channels" where it is just a blue screen with the information of the song shown, or religious programs.

I had a bundle pack when I first moved out into my own apartment, but I quickly realized what a waste of money cable is. I work full time and go to school, so there's really no time to watch TV. It's much easier to watch shows on my comp via bittorrent, save myself about 20 min of ads and credits than watching stuff live. That being said, I applied for one of those converter box coupons and have yet to receive mine. Even though the TV isn't even plugged in, I like knowing I can turn it on and something will be playing.