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DTV to Go Bright for One Day

Do some other types of DTV testing.
  (+3, -1)
(+3, -1)
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I am a little frustrated by the DTV transition that we have in the states because I can't get a full signal to my TV. Up until last week they would periodically do these tests that they called "going dark" on the analog stations. Basically the test was to see who is not prepared for the transition by stopping the analog signal transmissions for 3 to 5 minutes. If your TV went to snow.. or "went dark" then you are not ready.

Anyhow, I upgraded my TV sets, purchased converter boxes, bought the antenna and on Feb 18, I discovered that everything had been postponed. And they said that they won't run a full power signal until June. So in the mean time, why not do FULL POWER tests? They have already shown us what will happen if we are not DTV ready but what about if we ARE? Can they show those of us with choppy signals what it would look like once everything is in full effect?

Jscotty, Feb 19 2009

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       my guess of why they aren't using full power is because the frequency used for DTV overlaps with the frequency of the analog signal.   

       If this is the case, it should be possible to perform full power DTV tests while the analogue signal goes dark.
xaviergisz, Feb 19 2009
  

       Hell yes, I'm all for this! The choppyness is really bugging me, especially since I discovered that with the converter box I get access to one of favoite shows that I wasn't previously getting. Yet every now and then, the signal gets all choppy and it says "No Signal" and I have to %^&* around with my antenna to get the signal back, meanwhile missing parts of my show. +
21 Quest, Feb 19 2009
  

       I guess I don't understand what your idea is other than a public service request?
blissmiss, Feb 19 2009
  

       If your digital telly in the america is anything like our DVB-T experience here in the UK, the trick to avoiding disruptive choppy interference or break-up in the picture is to eschew ordinary coax and use twin-screened satellite cable throughout from aerial to box. People who kept their decades-old brown coax because it was already in place suffer breakup every time a motorcycle goes past, etc. Twin-screened satellite cable (eg, CT100) is the way to go. Transmission power usually isn't the factor in such cases - even at full power it'd be the same.
Ian Tindale, Feb 19 2009
  

       The choppy signal is especially annoying when I am watching the Maury show. It seems to cut out right in the middle of him reading the results of the paternity test. Then it takes me about 60 seconds to figure out whose dancing and whose crying.
Jscotty, Feb 20 2009
  
      
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