TV Converter

DTV SUCKS

Well, it's been something like a year since I got my first Digital TV Converter Box. Since I have two TVs and was able to get a second coupon, I bought a second box as well.

Interestingly though, about 2 months ago, the first box started to change channels by itself. I wasted so many hours trying to figure out what was wrong with the damn thing but couldn't. Finally, I swapped the two boxes and the oldest box still changes channels by itself in the new room.

Now the new box is having trouble as well. Frequently it loses sound and so all I get is a steady stream of beeps that continue for hours, days, weeks...

In addition to that, I now get all sorts of snow-like interference which somehow seems to be connected to the interface between the device and the antenna. I can get it to go away, but it always returns and often is so bad as to make the picture completely unwatchable.

Then of course there are the constant problems with the poor picture. One day it's crystal clear, the next, there is no signal. Change channels and you have to monkey with the antenna, so I don't bother watching any other channels. I just want to leave the antenna set so I can get the channel I usually watch, but this is no guarantee that I'll be able to get anything but a bunch of stupid little blocks on the screen.

So, $80 later, I can honestly say that I'm in much worse shape than if we had left TV alone. Like I said back then, I shouldn't have spent the money. I don't really need fucking TV and I'll be damned if I am going to pay for the shit. My gut reaction was to NOT spend anything and not care that I'd no longer be able to watch TV. Well, $80 later, that's exactly where I'm at anyway.

FUCK TECHNOLOGY

Digital TV Conversion Not Worth $20

Posted originally to TechDirt here:

I was able to use my coupon a couple of weeks before it expired but there was absolutely no choice involved. Only two retailers offered boxes locally: Radio Shack and Best Buy. I only bought the Best Buy one because the salesperson was moderately helpful there rather than condescending at the other shop.

I hooked the thing up without reading any directions and yes, it was to my old 'rabbit ears' style antenna from last century. It seemed to work just fine, so I thought I would be okay. I tape PBS shows for background noise and some for actual viewing. But for some reason, it seems like the channel on the converter box changes, so I spend lots of time double checking that it's pointing to the right channel - I never had to do that before.

But what really galls me is sometimes the signal is okay (and only drops sound momentarily). But other times, usually when the weather is clear, up to 80% of a show can be lost -- no sound and of course the picture is worse than the poorest quality jpeg. I've been told "it's to be expected."

Since it works fine some times, I doubt a new antenna would help. Maybe we just need better planning laws to keep people from erecting buildings one night that get in the way of the transmission and then tearing them down a couple days later???

I'm baffled why the quality is so damn inconsistent on a single channel. End run is I'm out $20 and get to watch 20% of what I used to -- now that sounds like progress to me!

And no, I'm not going to pay even $15/month (Comcast's cheapest local plan) to get a better signal. But it seems pretty clear to me, they have offered 12% of the population a half-assed solution thinking it will be all that's needed to get 100% of the American public subscribing to TV via cable and satellite. They won't really be happy until everyone is paying for TV twice -- once for a subscription, and then again when we purchase all those products and services that are so heavily hawked during the shows.