Digital TV Facts: The Latest

A technology columnist sounds the death knell for digital TV broadcasts:

And despite protests to the contrary, digital television—whether you care to purchase a high-definition set or not—will be an exclusive club for cable and satellite subscribers only. Over-the-air digital broadcasts simply don’t work. Not if we hold digital TV to the same expectations as flimsy analog signals.

Blame the persnickety nature of digital.

…Here in my office, only two of the five national networks (including PBS) come in reliably, and I’m just 30 miles away from a major city.

It is a bit of a rant. (By the way, the shutoff date for analog broadcasts is Feb. 18, 2009, and not “possibly 15 months from now,” as the Sun-Times has it). But the man’s complaint deserves to be heard: For some viewers, the end of analog TV will be, in effect, the end of free TV.

Since the author didn’t complain about having to install a rooftop antenna, I’ll bet he didn’t try. Really, though, if you didn’t have one in the ’60s, would you want one now? Not that anyone ever asked.

Earlier:
• As digital TV reception controversy dims, E-VSB gets another look
• Antenna aimed at digital-TV multipath reception problems
• Will digital TV reception problems doom broadcast TV?

• Link: Chicago Sun-Times