Analog TV moving?
Did you know that all your channel-branded TV stations - WCBS/2 in New York, KPIX/5 in San Francisco and every other "Channel (fill in a number)" that has been around since the 1940s - are going to be marched off those channels and onto new ones in 2009? And that your TV will no longer get anything at any of the over-the-air channels those stations occupy today? WCBS will be on channel 56. KPIX will be on channel 29. Every station, somewhere else.
For reasons outlined well by Scoble, I'll believe this when I see it - and I'll be astonished if I see it at all.
Comments
Not so sure, might happen in the UK
[Tim] February 23, 2007 3:12:15.920
Well if the UK is any example, it might just happen, thanks to Freeview! (Thats free digital tv, for the cost of a set top box).
I believe the cutoff date is 2010 here, and the last results they published seemed to indicate the uptake had been huge, and the Freeview TV's, recorders and set-top boxes had been selling like hot cakes - far outstripping their expectations!
You're writeup didn't mention it, but if you guys use a system like europe - your TV is fine, you just buy a little $50 box that plugs into your ariel and into your TV and voila you have clear reception and the killer bit is the 7 day program guide with reviews etc. If you buy a recorder its even better - from the guide you can just click on shows you want to record in the future and they get dumped onto the built in hard disk.
I honestly believe that this system simplifies things a lot, and so even my granny can press the menu button on her remote, find a show she likes and record it - its far simpler than using a VCR - so in many ways I think it probably will signal the end of Anaolog TV. And oh yeah - if you want you can plug your VCR into the same box and record like normal (although its a pain like any vcr).
If your really geeky - build your own box - visit MythTV.org and build up a linux box (I tried Ubuntu 3 years ago - and it was pretty easy although now it looks even easier still). I think its easier in Europe becuase of DVB cards and Freeview.
Tim