Free to Air in an Emergency

by Sammy Satellite.

The digital switchover is now a mere month away and one of the biggest questions I’ve received is “What will happen to my portable analog television?”   We all watch Satellite TV but still millions of people and many of Sammy’s readers have a small portable TV that we use when camping or in case of emergency.    In the mid-west, when the bad weather hits and everyone heads for the basement, will have a way to stay informed after February 17, 2009?

Battery-powered analog televisions are able to receive over-the-air free digital programming, but they must be connected to a digital-to-analog converter box and a separate broadcast antenna. The battery-powered analog television must have an “antenna in” port in order to connect it to a digital-to-analog converter box. Sounds simple enough but wait, it’s an emergency and the power is out. Now what?

Ultimately, you need to find another source to feed power to the digital-to-analog converter box. The TV runs on batteries, but the converter box needs electricity from the wall. Fortunately, you do have a few options. These include external power sources with rechargeable battery packs, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), car battery adapters, or small power generators. There are also a few manufacturers that offer a separate battery pack for their converter box. One of them, the Winegard Battery Pack, allows you to run your Winegard converter box using 6 D cell batteries and will run for about 18 hours.

The other option, the one that will probably cost you the most money, is to shell out for a battery-powered digital television. Look for models that are marked with words like “Integrated Digital Tuner,” “Digital Tuner Built-in,” “Digital Receiver,” “DTV,” “ATSC” or “HDTV.” Your local electronics store has probably received this question as often as I have so that would be a great place to start if you plan to toss the old analog and move up to a digital portable TV.

The last emergency you need during an emergency is to be out of the loop so don’t forget to keep a battery-powered radio with your emergency kit so you can pick up news and weather bulletins.

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The US Goes Digital

by  Sammy Satellite. – Staff Writer for n2news

Congress mandated the conversion to all-digital television broadcasting (DTV) because digital signals will free frequencies for public safety uses (such as police, fire, and emergency rescue).    Digital TV signals take much less space on public airwaves to transmit the same amount of information.  In fact, it is so efficient that digital TV stations will likely transmit multiple different video streams containing different shows.

If you currently watch TV using an FTA Receiver to watch Free-To-Air shows, you have nothing to worry about, the switch to all digital does not affect you.

If you currently watch TV using a box provided by a cable company, the switch won’t affect you but you’re missing out and should seriously consider the FTA hobby.

If you have been watching over the air signals from network stations in your market, now is the perfect time to upgrade to an FTA receiver.   Even if you don’t have a satellite and have no intention of installing one, and FTA receiver is an excellent option for your TV needs.    FTA receivers are well supported and often include PVR functions, on screen guides, and other entertainment options and many are capable of receiving the all digital signals in your local market and showing them on your existing TV.

Q: What date will I need an FTA receiver to help me watch my local over the air (OTA) broadcasts?

A: The US will officially switch on February 17^th, 2009

Q: Can I upgrade now?

A: Yes, you should install your FTA receiver now.  The digital signals are available in every major market already and will improve your TV experience.

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