The electromagnetic field contains ranges of energy, (eg waves or frequencies), with various ranges suited to different kinds of energy. For example radio, microwaves, lasers beams, TV signals, etc all exist within their own electromagnetic frequencies or ranges.
The switch to digital TV in part is to free up a range of electromagnetic fields previously used for analog TV, so it can be dedicated for use by the government, for example by agencies like Homeland Security during an emergency. The government also has sold some of the analog frequencies of the private sector. Also, the switch to digital TV has to do with improved TV quality for consumers. A High Definition Television, (eg HDTV), is the product being sold, and a digital signal is used to deliver the picture/sound. An example of a analog system is the use of a modem to modulate and demodulate sound over an electric wire. This is an analog system, because it requires the communications to be modulated and demodulated using sounds, much like people talking on the phone. The numbers and letters of the alphabet that are represented by a string of 8 bits of 1s and 0s, or ons or offs, etc are carried over the wires between two computers via sounds. In a digital system, the 1s and 0s, or ons and offs, do not have to be modulated and demodulated into an analog signal. The 1 and 0, or the ons and offs exist in a pure energy state and are transmitted through space, like between two microwave towers or via pure light over fiber optic cables. The new HDTV are designed to work with a digital signal, but during the transition to digital TV, all newer HDTVs come with a tuner that allows the HDTV to show an analog channel. I suppose the tuner will become irrelevant after Feb 19, 2009 for anyone with a HDTV, as all TV will be delivered via a digital signal, so anyone that still has an analog TV will need a tuner to change the digital signal into an analog one. Regards, LelandJ Pete Theisen wrote: > Stephen Russell wrote: > >> On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 10:33 PM, Jerry Wolper <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>>> don't you need a digital antenna too? >>>> >>> No. The bowtie/halo part of the antenna should get the digital signal >>> that's broadcast on UHF. It's an all-or-nothing proposition, though. >>> Weak signals that came in poorly in analog won't come in at all >>> digitally. >>> >> ------------------------------- >> >> Well it is all on the location of the towers. If the new digital ones >> are closer it will be better. My dad found that the digital reception >> was much better than the traditional because the digital towers were >> close to his house and the old ones were on the other side of town. >> Roswell NM. >> > > Hi Stephen! > > I think the same tower will host the digital signal. Florida companies > are too cheap to do anything else. > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
