As someone who enjoys this forum a great deal and also with a collection of AM radios and tube type TVs I beg your forgiveness if I have this muddled. These are merely concerns and I will be the first to admit I don't understand all the things involved. I like to watch three over the air TV stations on my analog TV set. And listen to some of my old AM radios. The old broadcast band and short wave. I also have a C band satelite system. Anyway:
I have been under 'attack' recently by the media saying all C band transmissions are going digital. My 'unscrambler provider' has tried several times to sell me a 4DTV box at several hundred dollars. I have resisted.
I have been offered two converter box coupons,free I think,worth $40 each towards the purchase of a box to convert digital to analog. Will these work for my C band system?
Will there be any AM signals for my old radios and TV to pick up when all this is accomplished?
Could this all be a thinly disguised attempt to sell me a new wide screen hi-def plasma digital set?
Along with all manner of set top boxes.
Just a few concerns of an old TV repairman.
"Getting old ain't disgraceful, but it sure is unhandy."
I can't tell you how much I enjoy the posts and how much I have learned from your comments. Thanks everyone.
Ivan Copas

:As someone who enjoys this forum a great deal and also with a collection of AM radios and tube type TVs I beg your forgiveness if I have this muddled. These are merely concerns and I will be the first to admit I don't understand all the things involved. I like to watch three over the air TV stations on my analog TV set. And listen to some of my old AM radios. The old broadcast band and short wave. I also have a C band satelite system. Anyway:
:I have been under 'attack' recently by the media saying all C band transmissions are going digital. My 'unscrambler provider' has tried several times to sell me a 4DTV box at several hundred dollars. I have resisted.
:I have been offered two converter box coupons,free I think,worth $40 each towards the purchase of a box to convert digital to analog. Will these work for my C band system?
:Will there be any AM signals for my old radios and TV to pick up when all this is accomplished?
:Could this all be a thinly disguised attempt to sell me a new wide screen hi-def plasma digital set?
:Along with all manner of set top boxes.
:Just a few concerns of an old TV repairman.
:"Getting old ain't disgraceful, but it sure is unhandy."
:I can't tell you how much I enjoy the posts and how much I have learned from your comments. Thanks everyone.
:Ivan Copas
:I too have been struck by the dollar driven media and the furious advertising on all sides. It is nearly impossible to tolerate the tide of commercials on any of the broadcast media. Just a few years ago we had over the air TV programming and a few commercials. Now we are almost forced to subscribe to direct broadcast and also beseiged by such a tide of advertising it is tiresome to watch. Just hang in there, I predict it will get much worse... if it ever gets better. It seems to get worse as we get older.
Lafe

::As someone who enjoys this forum a great deal and also with a collection of AM radios and tube type TVs I beg your forgiveness if I have this muddled. These are merely concerns and I will be the first to admit I don't understand all the things involved. I like to watch three over the air TV stations on my analog TV set. And listen to some of my old AM radios. The old broadcast band and short wave. I also have a C band satelite system. Anyway:
::I have been under 'attack' recently by the media saying all C band transmissions are going digital. My 'unscrambler provider' has tried several times to sell me a 4DTV box at several hundred dollars. I have resisted.
::I have been offered two converter box coupons,free I think,worth $40 each towards the purchase of a box to convert digital to analog. Will these work for my C band system?
::Will there be any AM signals for my old radios and TV to pick up when all this is accomplished?
::Could this all be a thinly disguised attempt to sell me a new wide screen hi-def plasma digital set?
::Along with all manner of set top boxes.
::Just a few concerns of an old TV repairman.
::"Getting old ain't disgraceful, but it sure is unhandy."
::I can't tell you how much I enjoy the posts and how much I have learned from your comments. Thanks everyone.
::Ivan Copas
::I too have been struck by the dollar driven media and the furious advertising on all sides. It is nearly impossible to tolerate the tide of commercials on any of the broadcast media. Just a few years ago we had over the air TV programming and a few commercials. Now we are almost forced to subscribe to direct broadcast and also beseiged by such a tide of advertising it is tiresome to watch. Just hang in there, I predict it will get much worse... if it ever gets better. It seems to get worse as we get older.
:Lafe
:The move to reassign the frequencies is mostly profit motivated I think. Digital transmissions will not so much help the consumer. The government probably does want to use more bandwidth as they like to call it. This is no doubt a fact. But digital TV lends itself better to scrambling and descrambling and will produce more profits than the old analog. I beleive it may take more bandwith. And certainly sell new equipment. Wheather the AM radio band will long survive is an open question.
Marty