DTV, February 2009 and you
On February 17, 2009 all full-power broadcast television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital. Digital broadcasting will allow stations to offer improved picture and sound quality and additional channels.
http://www.dtv.gov/
So, what does this mean, to you? First of all the DTV web site contains a host of useful information in regards to what is happening, why it is happening, etc. I'd suggest you visit the web site for information on the DTV transition. I find that the FAQ section is especially helpful for most people.
So, why blog about a change in TV on a blog tied to the church web site? I thought this blog was on Worship, Media, and Technology. How does TV fit into the scope of this blog?
1. People are asking me about it. (For example "Will I have to buy a new big-screen HDTV to get TV after the cutover?") The conversion is certainly being used as a marketing opportunity by retailers. The answer to this question, by the way, is no. The DTV conversion is being used to sell HDTVs just like the recent tax rebate checks were hyped by car dealers as a way to buy a new car. With a convertor box your old 1963 TV will continue to work. The new HDTVs are very cool. The main thing to know is that you may have to buy a digital tuner (converter box) and coupons for $40 are available.
2. The DVD transition will enable wireless communication growth. Each analog TV channel consumed a certain amount of the frequency spectrum aka bandwidth. Analog transmissions also suffered from interference from adjacent channels so there had to be "gaps" in between the channels to isolate the signals. Digital TV transmissions use less bandwidth and can be clustered together without crosstalk. This free bandwidth was recently auctioned by the FCC and won by various telcoms such as Verizon (who had a $9.4B bid) and AT&T
As a result of the new bandwidth in the analog TV 700Mhz band. Telcoms will be able to offer additional voice and data wireless services. The 700Mhz band is better than the existing frequencies in terms of it's ability to travel long distances and penetrate buildings. So wireless vendors will be able to offer better coverage, faster data services, and more comprehensive services to their customers.
How will we as the church use these new capabilities to reach people for Christ? How will we use these new capabilities to connect with one another for fellowship and discipleship. We need to enter into a discussion on these issues. In my opinion, the days of putting a note in the bulletin or a flyer on a wall are quickly coming to a close. Both assume that folks are coming to us and will see our information in physical form. With the new wireless capabilities we will have a number of new ways to stay in touch with people as we "reach beyond ourselves".
3. The DTV transition may break existing technology. There is a great deal of wireless technology that made use of the "white spaces" in the analog TV band. For example some wireless microphones transmit their signal in the TV band. The frequency spectrum is getting more crowded and either DTV signals or wireless signals for cell phones might render our wireless mics unuseable due to interference. This could affect churches, theatres, sporting events, schools, restaurants, etc. As an example here is a statement from Shure to their customers on the potential impacts of the DTV transition. We will be doing a survey of our gear to assess the potential impacts on what we already own.
Technology is like a river, you never step into the same river twice. We'll keep up to date on this and other technology trends. In particular to figure out how we can reach people for Christ in new ways.
So, why blog about a change in TV on a blog tied to the church web site? I thought this blog was on Worship, Media, and Technology. How does TV fit into the scope of this blog?
1. People are asking me about it. (For example "Will I have to buy a new big-screen HDTV to get TV after the cutover?") The conversion is certainly being used as a marketing opportunity by retailers. The answer to this question, by the way, is no. The DTV conversion is being used to sell HDTVs just like the recent tax rebate checks were hyped by car dealers as a way to buy a new car. With a convertor box your old 1963 TV will continue to work. The new HDTVs are very cool. The main thing to know is that you may have to buy a digital tuner (converter box) and coupons for $40 are available.
2. The DVD transition will enable wireless communication growth. Each analog TV channel consumed a certain amount of the frequency spectrum aka bandwidth. Analog transmissions also suffered from interference from adjacent channels so there had to be "gaps" in between the channels to isolate the signals. Digital TV transmissions use less bandwidth and can be clustered together without crosstalk. This free bandwidth was recently auctioned by the FCC and won by various telcoms such as Verizon (who had a $9.4B bid) and AT&T
As a result of the new bandwidth in the analog TV 700Mhz band. Telcoms will be able to offer additional voice and data wireless services. The 700Mhz band is better than the existing frequencies in terms of it's ability to travel long distances and penetrate buildings. So wireless vendors will be able to offer better coverage, faster data services, and more comprehensive services to their customers.
How will we as the church use these new capabilities to reach people for Christ? How will we use these new capabilities to connect with one another for fellowship and discipleship. We need to enter into a discussion on these issues. In my opinion, the days of putting a note in the bulletin or a flyer on a wall are quickly coming to a close. Both assume that folks are coming to us and will see our information in physical form. With the new wireless capabilities we will have a number of new ways to stay in touch with people as we "reach beyond ourselves".
3. The DTV transition may break existing technology. There is a great deal of wireless technology that made use of the "white spaces" in the analog TV band. For example some wireless microphones transmit their signal in the TV band. The frequency spectrum is getting more crowded and either DTV signals or wireless signals for cell phones might render our wireless mics unuseable due to interference. This could affect churches, theatres, sporting events, schools, restaurants, etc. As an example here is a statement from Shure to their customers on the potential impacts of the DTV transition. We will be doing a survey of our gear to assess the potential impacts on what we already own.
Technology is like a river, you never step into the same river twice. We'll keep up to date on this and other technology trends. In particular to figure out how we can reach people for Christ in new ways.
posted by Dave Bolt at
9:25 AM
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