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Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008

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Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital
By JOELLE TESSLER (AP Technology Writer)
From Associated Press
December 24, 2008

WASHINGTON - Nearly a fifth of the nation's full-power television stations will no longer reach at least 2 percent of viewers now covered by their existing analog signals after they switch to digital broadcasts in February, federal regulators say.

The Federal Communications Commission report comes amid mounting concerns that some consumers who rely on analog-only television sets could lose some or all over-the-air broadcast channels following the Feb. 17 digital transition even if they have purchased and hooked up digital converter boxes.

That's because many television stations will shift their broadcast footprints with the mandatory transition by changing transmitter locations, antenna patterns or power levels. The FCC is not requiring television stations to replicate their analog coverage.

Some viewers could also lose signals because of what's known as the digital "cliff effect." Unlike analog signals, digital broadcasts either come in clear or not at all, meaning that those on the fringes of analog coverage areas will lose that reception entirely after the transition. Currently, they can still get fuzzy analog signals.

Some viewers may therefore need more powerful antennas - in addition to converter boxes - to continue receiving certain channels.

In a report released late Tuesday, the FCC said 319 of the nation's 1,749 full-power television stations, or 18 percent, will have a digital signal that reaches at least 2 percent fewer viewers than their current analog broadcasts.

Those numbers do not reflect viewers who will continue to receive channels after the transition because they subscribe to cable or satellite service - roughly 85 percent of viewers overall - or rely on so-called "translators" or repeaters to get reception.

What's more, many stations will be gaining viewers elsewhere even as they lose some of their existing viewers. About half of those 319 stations will reach more people overall after the transition.

Other stations will also reach fewer existing viewers, but below the 2 percent threshold. All told, 196 stations, or 11 percent of the 1,749 full-power TV stations, will reach viewers overall, while the rest will see gains.

Broadcasters can take a number of steps to restore service for those who may lose signals. Options include using translators or "fill-in" stations that operate on a different channel, using another station's digital spectrum to retransmit a signal, maximizing the station's power, changing the station's channel or changing its antenna pattern.

The National Association of Broadcasters had no comment on the FCC report.

The transition from analog to digital broadcasting is expected to free up valuable spectrum that can be used to deliver high-speed Internet access and other commercial wireless services and to connect police officers, fire fighters and other emergency workers.

Earlier this month, Congress passed a law requiring analog broadcasts of public safety announcements and information about the digital transition for 30 days following the transition. The information to be broadcast will include details on how consumers can convert their television sets to receive digital signals.
---
On the Net:

FCC reports:

http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/markets

http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/markets/report2.html

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

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(396532)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Olog-hai on Wed Dec 24 21:33:21 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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Curses. Foiled again.

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(396544)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Mr Mabstoa on Wed Dec 24 22:14:09 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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Sounds like good news!
Maybe people will start to read more!

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(396545)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Train Dude on Wed Dec 24 22:20:13 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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Hence, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

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(396558)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Dec 24 23:36:39 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Mr Mabstoa on Wed Dec 24 22:14:09 2008.

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
yawn

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(396560)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Dec 24 23:42:40 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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not only that but now i can recieve san diego tv stations with analog
it is not as clear as the los aneles stations but you can see not bad
we will lose all san diego stations when digital comes in
no way to pickup just a few hundred miles away
will miss seeing san diego

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(396561)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Dec 24 23:44:48 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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still no battery operated hand held tv sets from casio or nobody else
and thisis supposed to be progress
??
and that one dtv radio shack set is a big junker clunker

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(396564)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Dec 25 00:08:29 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Dec 24 23:42:40 2008.

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A good yagi antenna with an amplifier and rotor might work on da roof. If you were able to get analog from down south, only a matter of boosting the signals if they're there anyway. :)

How much would you NOW expect to pay? But don't answer yet, you also get the fabulous wind chimes in this special teevee offer! Heh.

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(396565)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Dec 25 00:12:24 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Dec 24 23:44:48 2008.

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You might find this article interesting ...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Low_cost_Battery_powered_portable_widescreen_HDTV/

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(396566)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Mr Mabstoa on Thu Dec 25 00:17:29 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Dec 24 23:36:39 2008.

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Read a book you hobo! How about this one!


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(396568)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Dec 25 00:20:31 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Mr Mabstoa on Thu Dec 25 00:17:29 2008.

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Advocating sucking the taxpayer teat like some bank. Tsk-tsk! :)

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(396587)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by LuchAAA on Thu Dec 25 04:02:54 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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Fuck 'em. If they don't subscribe to cable/satellite, or go out and buy a new tv, they are of little value to advertisers anyway.

Only Univision and Telemundo are scared shit about this transition. Especially in LA, where KMEX is numero uno, and less than 50% of the Hispanic market has cable or satellite.

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(396600)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Thu Dec 25 06:08:54 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Dec 24 23:42:40 2008.

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Not that I ever really watched them often, but on Long Island we could often get a few Connecticut stations.

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(396607)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Thu Dec 25 08:07:13 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by SelkirkTMO on Thu Dec 25 00:12:24 2008.

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bookmarked it
thankz

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(396612)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Thu Dec 25 08:15:45 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Thu Dec 25 06:08:54 2008.

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its like the same thing especially to those of us who wanted to see
out of county tv stuff etc ...
even a football game not being broadcast in los angeles
same whith you now you wont get those few Connecticut stations.


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(396616)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Dan Lawrence on Thu Dec 25 08:34:15 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Train Dude on Wed Dec 24 22:20:13 2008.

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The "Digital Switch" is another shining example of the old saying "If you want to screw up a going concern, get the Government involved!"

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(396778)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Dec 25 20:23:45 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Thu Dec 25 06:08:54 2008.

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Not that I ever really watched them often, but on Long Island we could often get a few Connecticut stations.

Your antenna pointing north towards New Haven. CT ? You must be receiving Ch's 3 & 6.

Bill "Newkirk"


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(396782)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by LuchAAA on Thu Dec 25 20:34:41 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Dec 25 20:23:45 2008.

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Don't forget 8.

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(396787)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Dec 25 20:42:40 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by LuchAAA on Thu Dec 25 20:34:41 2008.

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Don't forget 8.

ABC affiliate ?

Bill "Newkirk"


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(396788)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Thu Dec 25 20:49:38 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Mr Mabstoa on Thu Dec 25 00:17:29 2008.

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lesko is a scam fraud like you are

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(396842)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Spider-Pig on Thu Dec 25 23:00:31 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Dan Lawrence on Thu Dec 25 08:34:15 2008.

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Except that in this case the government was always involved.

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(396866)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Dan Lawrence on Thu Dec 25 23:35:01 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Spider-Pig on Thu Dec 25 23:00:31 2008.

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The assorted telcos were behind the whole shebang. The recent "auction" of the analog frequencies went to the several wireless companies who wanted them for more services to charge the users for. It's basically the same financial stuff that brought down the banks and real estate firms, brought to us by the current administration.

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(396905)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Dec 26 07:13:54 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Dec 25 20:23:45 2008.

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It was channel 8 and 61 (years back for 61), and I don't have nor have I ever had an antenna living here. I had cable since day one, but on a TV not connected, yes, you could get channel 8 (ABC) and 61.

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(396910)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by AMoreira81 on Fri Dec 26 07:53:21 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Dec 25 20:42:40 2008.

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WTNH of Hartford.

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(396911)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Dec 26 07:55:37 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by AMoreira81 on Fri Dec 26 07:53:21 2008.

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Yes, that's the one I could get in Suffolk. It wouldn't come in on an antenna within NYC though. I only got that out on the Island. Channel 61 also would come in, which was an indpendent station. I don't know if 61 is still around.

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(396919)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by AMoreira81 on Fri Dec 26 08:47:14 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Dec 26 07:55:37 2008.

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WTIC should be a Fox affiliate owned by Tribune.

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(396925)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by BrooklynBus on Fri Dec 26 09:50:52 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Mr Mabstoa on Wed Dec 24 22:14:09 2008.

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Now you sound like those people from Transportation Alternatives who think if we ban cars, everyone will start biking.

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(396926)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by BrooklynBus on Fri Dec 26 10:05:43 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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I just bought one of those boxes and spent about 7 hours trying to test and hook it up to 3 TVs. (One TV is very inaccessible and much time was taken just to move it out of the bookcase.) I was trying to determine if it was worth buying a second box since I have one TV with an outdoor antenna and another with an indoor. I could only get 3 of the present 8 stations that I get clearly using the indoor antenna. I expected to get all of them with the outdoor one, but I had the same results with the outdoor antenna. Just as I was ready to give up, after one more final scan for channels, all of them came in except PBS. Now NBC comes in sporadically. Part of the problem is that I never reoriented my antenna from the WTC to the Empire State Building after 9-11, because everything is just so rusty. If things don't improve by 2/17, I'll probably just get sattellite rather than investing in a new antenna which may be the reason for this whole thing, to get the remaining 15% of the people to start paying for TV whether by sattellite or cable.

I guess even if I purchase a new TV, I still will have trouble getting weak digital signals.

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(396930)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Hank Eisenstein on Fri Dec 26 10:34:32 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Newkirk Images on Thu Dec 25 20:23:45 2008.

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Back when I lived with my parents and didn't have cable, we could occasionally get stations from Philadelphia (our TV had a dial, we had to get up and cross the room to change channels, but at least it was color, a major improvement over Grandma's house.)

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(396973)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:40:18 2008, in response to Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by vfrt on Wed Dec 24 15:45:35 2008.

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Clearly the government wants you to get cable or satellite services and is trying as hard as it can to make retaining your old "coathanger" service as inconvenient as possible.

Free broadcast television's days are numbered.

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(396974)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:41:25 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Train Dude on Wed Dec 24 22:20:13 2008.

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With that attitude, we'd all still be driving Model T's.

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(396975)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:42:58 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Dan Lawrence on Thu Dec 25 23:35:01 2008.

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Dan, you ignorant slut. The switch to digital broadcasting was conceived during the Clinton administration and has been postponed several times.

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(396976)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:44:19 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Thu Dec 25 06:08:54 2008.

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Yet in Queens I could never get WLIG (ch. 55) until I got cable in 1991.

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(396977)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:45:58 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by LuchAAA on Thu Dec 25 04:02:54 2008.

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That percentage will decrease dramatically in the months following the switch.

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(396993)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by LuchAAA on Fri Dec 26 14:39:27 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:40:18 2008.

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I'm not sure about that. I'm thinking of getting an HDTV, dumping cable, and getting Verizon high-speed for internet.

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(396997)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Robert King on Fri Dec 26 14:50:27 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:42:58 2008.

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The switch to digital broadcasting was conceived in the 1980s and that's when the groundwork began to be laid for it.

-Robert King

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(397003)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Spider-Pig on Fri Dec 26 15:33:24 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:41:25 2008.

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I'm sure that the Model Ts would be broken by now!

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(397114)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by Dan Lawrence on Fri Dec 26 20:46:19 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by LuchAAA on Fri Dec 26 14:39:27 2008.

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Unless Verizon has wired your area for fiber, you'll be stuck with DSL, which cannot match either cable or satellite for speed. For non-fiber areas, Verizon is pushing DSL. Their ads say up to 1GB, but that speed depends on how close you are to the Dslam router in your neighborhood.

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(397171)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Sat Dec 27 07:49:12 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:41:25 2008.

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Or listening to records, 8-trax, or cassettes....

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(397172)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Sat Dec 27 07:52:35 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Fri Dec 26 13:44:19 2008.

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Your point is correct. I was just stating that it was possible (not that I ever watched Channel 8, as Channel 7 came in clearer).
I got cable within a month of when Time-Warner wired my old street back in 1986 or 1987....and never looked back.

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(397180)

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Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Sat Dec 27 08:12:56 2008, in response to Re: Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Sat Dec 27 07:52:35 2008.

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To be clear, I also wanted to state that I didn't get Conn channels when I lived in NYC, and had cable from day one when I moved out to Suffolk, however, on a TV not connected to Cable (which I had in my garage for a while), is where I got Channel 8 and 61. Actually, out here you have to have a roof antenna if you want any real reception, which i never had. You don't get even NYC channels with rabbit ears....but you could get Channel 8, and of course, 55, 61, 21, etc with a uhf antenna if you wanted to.
But all my TV's have cable now anyway, so it's moot. Although I only have a box for IO on two of the 4.

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