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Pete C. Pete C. is offline
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Default Review: Zenith DTT901 DTV converter box


David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 10/31/2008 4:10 PM Pete C. spake thus:

dpb wrote:

dpb wrote:

...

Oh, one more thing...in analog pass-thru mode the signal was
significantly poorer, to the point of being virtually unwatchable.


Remember that at or shortly after the cutover date, most of those
digital signals will get a lot stronger. Most of the current digital
signals are transmitting from secondary antennas at quite low power
levels.


I wonder about that: previously, I could get only the closest broadcast
stations, some of them not very well. With the converter box, I get a
lot more stations, including some farther away ones (like San Jose; I'm
in Oakland), and they all come in pretty clearly. And this is with the
same set of rabbit ears as before. So aren't the digital signals
actually stronger? Or are they just inherently clearer because of the
frequency band they're in?


Most of the digital signals are currently transmitting a lot lower than
their final power levels. What you're seeing is the characteristic of
digital transmissions where they can recover the data at quite low
signal levels and if they can get the data you get a clear picture. With
analog transmissions your picture gradually degrades and you get a lot
of snow when you get down to those signal levels.