What is your opinion on "digital" television?

Question

Without my digital converter box, I am able to get seven tv stations. Only two are slightly blurry, the others are very sharp. I hooked up my new converter box that I got for $10 tax for $50 (which is bull in my opinion) with my $40 coupon. After hooking everything up, and running autoscan, my TV says no signal. I don't get any stations at all with the box. The government is taking away my TV and charging me to do it! The piece of junk "made in china" box can't have cost $5 to make, especially with inexpensive child labor. I hooked all three cords up correctly (it is pretty hard to mess it up!), and the book that came with it doesn't have any troubleshooting tips except recheck the connections. I hate my converter box, and I can't afford to pay for cable or satellite.

Have you gotten one to work? How did you do it?

Oh yea, and who's idiotic idea was it to switch to digital TV anyway?

Answer 1

Advantages to conversion

DTV has several advantages over analog TV, the most significant being that digital channels take up less bandwidth (and the bandwidth needs are continuously variable, at a corresponding cost in image quality depending on the level of compression). This means that digital broadcasters can provide more digital channels in the same space, provide high-definition television service, or provide other non-television services such as multimedia or interactivity. DTV also permits special services such as multiplexing (more than one program on the same channel), electronic program guides and additional languages, spoken or subtitled. The sale of non-television services may provide an additional revenue source. In many cases, viewers perceive DTV to have superior picture quality, improved audio quality, and easier reception than analog.

Disadvantages to conversion

Impact on existing analog technology

The analog switch-off ruling, which so far has met with little opposition from consumers or manufacturers, would render all non-digital televisions obsolete on the switch-off date unless connected to an external off-the-air tuner, analog or digital cable, or a satellite system. An external converter box can be added to non-digital televisions to lengthen their useful lifespan. Several of these devices have already been shown and, while few were initially available, they are becoming more available by the day. Once connected to the converter unit, operation of non-digital units is achievable and, in most cases, rich in new features (in comparison to previous analog reception operation). At present, analog switchoff is scheduled for February 17, 2009 in the United States and August 31, 2011 in Canada.

Answer 2

Does your box have an analog pass-through in it?  If not, I'm assuming that there are no digital stations in your area yet.  The seven channels you are able to get without the box are analog.  They aren't required to go digital until Feb 2009, so maybe yours haven't gone digital yet.  Going digital frees up a lot of bandwidth that can be used for other communications.