Last night there was a severe thunderstorm. The Digital TV signal went out entir

[Carl]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3724720

Firespirit  (1000+ posts)        Sun Aug-03-08 05:16 PM
Original message
Last night there was a severe thunderstorm. The Digital TV signal went out entirely.
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A severe thunderstorm producing pretty much everything except tornadoes passed through my area last night rather unexpectedly. We just pick up the free signals, no $100 cable or satellite bill for financial reasons, and this was the first major storm to come through since we installed those converter boxes.

The electricity never went out during the storm, somehow. However the digital signal, on all channels (we're able to pick up 10-12) went out. With analog it would have been fuzzy, but you at least would have been able to see and hear if, for example, they announced a tornado warning. With the digital transmission, there was nothing. Evidently this is how the technology works; you get a perfect picture or a black screen.

I could disconnect the digital box and pick up the analog signal last night to find out if, you know, it was OK to walk around in the house, or if I needed to get to the tornado shelter spot. Next spring, next tornado season, when TV goes fully digital, no one will have that luxury. Looks like you'll have to pay to get public safety information, and if you can't, then when your area is being hit by a storm and it decides to drop a funnel when the poor man's DTV signal is out, you're SOL.

As far as I am concerned, it is a public hazard. No matter how nice the picture, or how many bells and whistles DTV may have when it works, if it makes it harder to broadcast public warnings to EVERYONE with TV -- not just those who can afford cable -- it is a downgrade.

Is there any way to get the FCC to mandate more robust DTV signals be used?

A thief demanding that the government provide for their wishes??
Couldn`t happen on DU could it.?

Firespirit  (1000+ posts)        Sun Aug-03-08 05:27 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. It's a $60 antenna, and I guess you missed the part about no spare cash just lying around.
   There's this thing on called a downturn, and it's actually affecting many people's wallets.

Your deep, abiding concern is noted, however.

Also, analog pass-through won't help when all TV broadcasting goes digital, next year, right before tornado season. Last night wasn't a huge deal. Next year is a very serious concern for me.
   

Firespirit  (1000+ posts)        Sun Aug-03-08 05:37 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. I'm afraid I may have to set aside a fund for a weather radio
   This pay-to-survive world makes me sick, however, especially since so many financial safety nets have been gutted.

Small thread but a boring day on the island and one more thing that reveals the inner soul of a primitive.
It is always about what they want for themselves.

modified by franksolich to correct minor problem with link

[PatriotGame]

Firespirit  (1000+ posts)        Sun Aug-03-08 05:37 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. I'm afraid I may have to set aside a fund for a weather radio
   This pay-to-survive world makes me sick, however, especially since so many financial safety nets have been gutted.

A financial safety net is one thing, a lifestyle based entirely on that safety net is immoral, parasitic, and criminal.
You get what you pay for, sucker.
So much for that liberal rallying cry of "The government needs to do something!".

[Lord Undies]

What "financial safety nets" have been gutted?  Seriously.  When?  I like good news.  How did I miss it?

[franksolich]

What "financial safety nets" have been gutted?  Seriously.  When?  I like good news.  How did I miss it?

I dunno.

Don't the budget numbers show that under George Bush, social spending has increased at a rate that would make Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson reel in wonderment and envy?

[Vagabond]

Yep, satellite signals get rather degraded when you have heavy cloud cover.  Nope, there isn't much that can be done about it.  Satellites only have so much power available to them.  It is possible to put up a commercial satellite fleet with more transmission power available, but it would cost a great deal more.  He should have a battery powered radio of some sort available living in a tornado or hurricane zone anyway, that's just basic gear, AM/FM should do.

Why exactly is this DUmmie admitting to signal piracy?  If the DUmmie had built these boxes that would be one thing, but you just know he didn't.  His retarded post proves that.

[Carl]

What "financial safety nets" have been gutted?  Seriously.  When?  I like good news.  How did I miss it?

I dunno.

Don't the budget numbers show that under George Bush, social spending has increased at a rate that would make Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson reel in wonderment and envy?

Social safety net to DUmmy--------> Everything I wish for provided for free.

[Ree]

I pay for Dish and still lose channels when it storms....Snow is reALLY FUN..

[Lord Undies]

I pay for Dish and still lose channels when it storms....Snow is reALLY FUN..

I had DishNetwork for six years.  It went out every time a bird flew by.

[asdf2231]

"Firespirit" (Pretty fierce name for a deadbeat loser.)

Emergency Weather Radios go for about 20$.

If you can't set aside $20 bucks please kill yourself now so I can stop paying for your worthless ass out of my taxes. 

Oh wait...

Firespirit  (1000+ posts)      Sun Aug-03-08 07:52 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. I didn't realize they were that cheap
 We got two rebate coupons for the boxes, so they ended up being very cheap, and $20 for DSL is obviously not a problem... just can't justify cable in a household where no one really watches much TV in the first place.

These weather radios, do the broadcasts describe in realtime where the spots of bad hail, winds, rotation, etc., are? The local TV station puts up hi-res radar maps with these features labeled. It's incredibly useful. I know how to find these radars online as well, I'm something of a weather geek, but DSL goes out in bad weather and I don't want to be dicking around with the modem (and computer motherboard!) when there is lightning. Any notice of a warning is better than nothing, of course, but I'm just wondering how much detail they go into on the NWS broadcasts.

[Chris_]

DSL goes out in bad weather

How does that work? Does the moron have a satellite based DSL?

[Miss Mia]

What a moron.  A weather radio is a must have item.

[Uhhuh35]

Gee, what will the DUmmie do if he/she/it's TV stays off? Maybe be productive for once?


Naw!

[debk]

We just got rid of Dish after 4 years....now we have Direct....it doesn't go out as much, but it still goes if it rains too hard or storms too much.

I didn't know it could be pirated.... and how the hell is he getting DSL for $20? Mine's a heck of a lot more than that....

Do Republicans get just charged more?

[Vagabond]

Yes, it can be pirated. 

Usually, you need to pay cash for the equipment and then do some programming.  Other than that, it is just a signal being recieved.  That is piracy.

On the other hand if this moonbat had figured out how to build a box to recieve and decode the signals without looking at one of the company's boxes, that would be legit.

The moonbat displays a lack of basic RF communications knowledge, that tells me which of the above two he did.

[Lord Undies]

We just got rid of Dish after 4 years....now we have Direct....it doesn't go out as much, but it still goes if it rains too hard or storms too much.

I didn't know it could be pirated.... and how the hell is he getting DSL for $20? Mine's a heck of a lot more than that....

Do Republicans get just charged more?

I have been very happy with U-Verse.  If it is available in your area, it is worth the change.

[debk]

We just got rid of Dish after 4 years....now we have Direct....it doesn't go out as much, but it still goes if it rains too hard or storms too much.

I didn't know it could be pirated.... and how the hell is he getting DSL for $20? Mine's a heck of a lot more than that....

Do Republicans get just charged more?

I have been very happy with U-Verse.  If it is available in your area, it is worth the change.

It isn't...

We live in a small, private subdivision where the lots are from 1 acre to almost 9, and cable was never installed. All utilities are underground and there's no way anyone is going to pay for cable at this point. Plus it would be really expensive to get to many of the houses. We're almost 300 yards from the street, and the house is in like a small valley-like area surrounded by lots of trees, which also affects our reception.

I'd like to have cable more for the internet access than TV. ATT is not only expensive, it's slow too.

[Lord Undies]

We just got rid of Dish after 4 years....now we have Direct....it doesn't go out as much, but it still goes if it rains too hard or storms too much.

I didn't know it could be pirated.... and how the hell is he getting DSL for $20? Mine's a heck of a lot more than that....

Do Republicans get just charged more?

I have been very happy with U-Verse.  If it is available in your area, it is worth the change.

It isn't...

We live in a small, private subdivision where the lots are from 1 acre to almost 9, and cable was never installed. All utilities are underground and there's no way anyone is going to pay for cable at this point. Plus it would be really expensive to get to many of the houses. We're almost 300 yards from the street, and the house is in like a small valley-like area surrounded by lots of trees, which also affects our reception.

I'd like to have cable more for the internet access than TV. ATT is not only expensive, it's slow too.

The only reason I was able to get U-Verse is because a lawsuit forced a revamp of the antiquated phone grid here.  They installed fiber optics since they were gonna have to do it anyway. 

I'm very happy wiith my AT&T U-verse "fast" wireless internet.  It isn't "flash" fast, but it's 100 times better than my old dial-up.  I'm not spending as much now either.

[debk]

It's all expensive....

[AllosaursRus]

It's all expensive....

I have wildblue..........cost's me 80 bucks a month.....It is well worth it, compared to my 20 dollar a month dial up!

[Chris_]

Heh, the DUmmie still doesn't realize just who controls the weather.   

[ScubaGuy]

This clown isn't talking about satellite TV he's complaining about over the air broadcast digital.  He's right that digital TV is all or nothing, you have a picture or you don't but I think the story is BS.

I don't know if anyone here tried it but it's great.  I have satellite through the rest of the house and a TV with rabbit ears in the office.  I can almost get 3 or 4 analog stations (they're more snow than picture) but i get 17 digital channels all with a crystal clear picture and several of them in high def.

Which is why I think it's another bullshit story.  I haven't seen any degradation from bad weather and the simple fix is GET A BETTER ANTENNA.

[EastFacingNorth]

Yep, satellite signals get rather degraded when you have heavy cloud cover.  Nope, there isn't much that can be done about it.  Satellites only have so much power available to them.  It is possible to put up a commercial satellite fleet with more transmission power available, but it would cost a great deal more.  He should have a battery powered radio of some sort available living in a tornado or hurricane zone anyway, that's just basic gear, AM/FM should do.

Why exactly is this DUmmie admitting to signal piracy?  If the DUmmie had built these boxes that would be one thing, but you just know he didn't.  His retarded post proves that.

As near as I can tell, the DUmmie isn't talking about pirating satellite television, but about over-the-air digital transmissions.  You know, the stuff that will completely phase out plain ol' analog television transmissions next year.

You're right, though, that a cheap $5 transistor radio is all this DUmmie needs to keep appraised of weather.  If there is a tornado warning in effect, then every station in the area will announce that every few minutes.  A weather radio isn't necessary, nor is subscriber-service television.

[Bondai]

I pay for Dish and still lose channels when it storms....Snow is reALLY FUN..

I had DishNetwork for six years.  It went out every time a bird flew by.

Mine isn't quite that bad but I do lose a the signal sometimes when there is a thunderstorm with a lot of cloud cover, otherwise it's very reliable.

[DumbAss Tanker]

So buy a radio, shithead.

 

[Chris_]

I pay for Dish and still lose channels when it storms....Snow is reALLY FUN..

You're channeling Tony Snow?

What's Heaven really like Tony?