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dpb

wrote:
On 28 Jan 2009 17:12:08 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

wrote in :

On Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:16:40 -0600, "HeyBub"
....
DTV deniers continually and deliberately ignore the fact that until
the official switch-over occurs, many stations are broadcasting a
digital signal at far less power than they will be using when they
shut down the analog and go completely digital.
Untrue;local station WKMG-TV6 has advertised that they will be REDUCING
their DTV power after Feb.17.I've seen local coverage maps that show that
areas now served will lose coverage after that date.

I can't seem to find any evidence of that on their website, which has
a whole section devoted to the DTV conversion. They don't seem to
mention that at all.

Having poor DTV reception NOW is meaningless.

As in most things, "the devil is in the details"

I'm not a fan of the conversion altho that's only because to date it's
not possible to know what the effect on us is going to be -- if it works
and we can continue to get OTA reception as good or better it will be
fine. If it goes away, not so much.

At present the problem here is there has been essentially no information
available on just what the broadcasters are intending for the
translators -- all their tests have included only the central
transmitters, not the translators "for technical reasons" is the entire
extent of the announcement as to the fact the test won't include these
areas.

So far, at least, if they are broadcasting in digital as well as analog
from these locations, it's not strong enough to be able to pick up w/
the converter box so if they don't increase power we're sol apparently.

The only information that I have seen that has been specifically
addressed to our situation has been a (very infrequent and only within
the last week or so) rollover along screen bottom that the station will
turn off analog on Feb 17 and begin digital on Feb 18. None of the PSA
announcements has ever even mentioned they have these translator
stations so they have been of almost zero use for those viewers.

I've not seen one of the rollovers since the recent Bill passage in the
Senate--don't know if that's because they're deciding what to do or just
haven't been run while I've had the set on for what limited time it is...

Anyway, I expect if one is in a moderately well-populated area and not
in a very hilly or mountainous terrain, etc., there will be little to
worry over. The rest of us don't really count in DC anyway, of course...

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