Quote:
Originally Posted by smarino
We had an old style CRT TV in our previous place, and I had to buy a converter box and an antenna to get antenna TV programs. It worked pretty well! The new place came w/ a newer flat screen RCA TV (looks like a big computer monitor on a stand). Can I hook an antenna onto this thing and avoid the converter box for getting on the air programs?
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The FCC has issued the following mandates for devices entering the US must include a built-in modern over the air tuner:
By July 1, 2005 all televisions with screen sizes over 36 inches
By March 1, 2006 all televisions with screen sizes over 25 inches
By March 1, 2007 all televisions regardless of screen size, and all interface devices that include a tuner (VCR, DVD player/recorder, DVR).
The new tuners are called "Advanced Television Systems Committee" (ATSC) tuners.
More than likely your old CRT didn't have the correct tuner, that is why you needed to purchase a converter box. There is a manufacturing date on the back of your new TV so you can verify, but, from your description, more than likely it was manufactured after the date above.
Scanning for channels always says that it may require 20 or more minutes. In reality it usually takes a lot less time, but to cover their butts, the TV almost always says to reserve 20 minutes.
The incentive to convince TV station owners to convert to digital by 2009, was that digital broadcasting in high definition requires much less bandwidth than analog standard definition. It became possible to transmit the primary channel in high definition, and as many as 5 subchannels in standard definition. The extra channels become additional sources of advertising revenue for the TV station.
The most common use of the secondary channels is to broadcast old TV series or old Movies, but business shows, other language channels, and multiple other networks are carried.
So the person with an antenna can now get many times the number of channels with an antenna than they used to get even five years ago.
For instance, Allentown PA is an urban area of over 600,000 people which does not have good reception for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, or many other national networks. It is probably the largest urban area in the USA that doesn't get the Big Three networks. In 1976, WFMZ set up an independent local news broadcast. It now has subchannels that carry
Heroes & Icons and
Retro TV
Common Minor and digital multicast networks
Heroes & Icons – Heroes & Icons (abbreviated as "H&I") is a digital multicast network owned by Weigel Broadcasting; launched in September 2014, the network carries classic television series and films intended to attract a generally male audience (featuring a mix of action series, police procedurals, westerns, science fiction/fantasy series and military-themed series). Heroes & Icons maintains affiliations with around 15 stations (nearly all of which carry the network as a subchannel-only affiliation).
Retro Television Network – Retro Television Network (branded as "Retro TV") is a digital multicast network owned by Luken Communications; launched in September 2005 as the first multicast network to rely on older acquired programs, the network carries a mix of classic television series from the 1950s to the 1970s (including some public domain programming), along with recent imported series and feature films. Retro Television Network maintains affiliations with approximately 85 stations (most of which carry the network as a subchannel-only affiliation, and are mostly owned by parent Luken Communications).
Me-TV (a backronym for "Memorable Entertainment Television") – Me-TV is a television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting that airs reruns of classic television series from the 1950s to the 1980s sourced primarily from the CBS Television Distribution, NBCUniversal Television Distribution and 20th Television program libraries, as well as some limited content from Weigel. The network is maintains over 160 affiliates (mainly through digital subchannel affiliations, with a small number of stations carrying it as a primary network affiliation), making it the most widely distributed multicast network and the seventh-largest commercial broadcast network in the United States.
This TV – This TV is a movie-oriented multicast network owned as a joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Tribune Broadcasting; originally owned by MGM in conjunction with Weigel Broadcasting, the network was launched on November 1, 2008. The network primarily carries feature films from the libraries of MGM and select other film studios (such as Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment), as well as limited amount of television series from the 1950s to the 1990s. The network maintains over 110 affiliate stations (primarily on digital subchannels, with a small number of stations carrying the network as a primary network affiliation), making This TV the eighth-largest commercial broadcast network in the United States.
Antenna TV – Antenna TV is a digital multicast network owned by Tribune Broadcasting; launched on January 1, 2011, the network carries classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s sourced from the programming libraries of Sony Pictures Television, NBCUniversal Television Distribution and 20th Television as well as other distributors; the network also carries a limited amount of feature films. The network maintains approximately 95 affiliates (nearly all of which carry the network on digital subchannels).
Movies! – Movies! is a digital multicast network owned as a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and Fox Television Stations; launched on May 23, 2013 and natively transmitted in the 16:9 format, the network features theatrically released feature films from the 1920s to the 1980s primarily sourced from the 20th Century Fox library, as well as select titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, most of which are broadcast in the aspect ratio to which they were originally produced. Movies! maintains subchannel-only affiliations with approximately 45 stations.
Bounce TV – Bounce TV is a digital multicast network owned by Bounce Media, LLC; co-founded by Martin Luther King III and Andrew Young, and launched on September 26, 2011, its programming is aimed at blacks and African Americans between the ages of 25 and 54, featuring a mix of acquired sitcoms, game and talk shows, original programs and feature films. Bounce TV maintains affiliations with approximately 45 stations (the vast majority of which are subchannel-only affiliations), primarily in markets with sizeable African-American populations.
Cozi TV – Cozi TV is a digital multicast network owned by the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations subsidiary of NBCUniversal; launched on January 1, 2013, the network carries classic television series from the 1950s to the 1980s sourced from the NBCUniversal Television Distribution programming library, as well as lifestyle programming and feature films. Cozi TV traces its history to the 2010 launch of NBC Nonstop, a local news and lifestyle programming subchannel format that spread to most of NBC's owned-and-operated stations. The network maintains approximately 65 affiliates (nearly all of which carry the network on digital subchannels).
GetTV – GetTV is a digital multicast network owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment; launched on February 13, 2014, the network focuses on classic theatrically released films from the 1920s to the 1960s sourced mainly from Sony Pictures library, most of which are broadcast in the aspect ratio to which they were originally produced (due to the network's native 4:3 transmission, films presented in widescreen are presented with letterboxing). The network maintains subchannel-only affiliations with approximately 64 affiliates.
Escape – Escape is a digital multicast network owned by Katz Broadcasting; launched on August 8, 2014 and natively transmitted in the 16:9 format (although some programs are stretched to 16:9 if not already available in the format), the network features crime-focused documentary series, as well as theatrically released mystery and crime drama films aimed at a female audience. Escape maintains subchannel-only affiliations with approximately 35 affiliates.
Grit – Grit is a digital multicast network owned by Katz Broadcasting; launched on August 8, 2014 and natively transmitted in the 16:9 format (although some programs are stretched to 16:9 if not already available in the format), the network features theatrically released action and western films, as well as a limited amount of classic television series aimed at a male audience. Grit maintains subchannel-only affiliations with around 45 stations.
WeatherNation TV – WeatherNation TV is a television and online network owned by WeatherNation, LLC; launched on October 27, 2011 and natively transmitted in the 16:9 format, the network features national and regional weather forecasts and analysis; the network's broadcast affiliates also air local weather updates either provided by the station's weather staff or via an automated graphical segment. The network maintains subchannel-only affiliations with approximately 35 stations; WeatherNation is also available on select cable and satellite providers, as well as via streaming on computers, mobile devices and Smart TVs.
TouchVision – TouchVision is a digital multicast and broadband television network owned by Think Televisual, LLC; launched in 2013, it features blocks of national and international news content presented in a newsreel-style format. TouchVision's programming is also syndicated to television stations in a few markets as a substitute for national morning or evening newscasts, and is also carried a daily programming block on Heroes & Icons.
America One – A successor to Channel America, America One is a network featuring general entertainment programming (which is wholly scheduled by the network for its affiliates), with a heavy emphasis on primetime sports programming and events; it maintains affiliations with approximately 40 stations.
FamilyNet – FamilyNet is a general entertainment cable network owned by the Rural Media Group; launched in 1988, featuring a mix secular classic television which continues to hold several broadcast affiliates. It is a former religious network launched early in the cable era which has gone through several owners, including Jerry Falwell and the Southern Baptist Convention before being acquired by the Rural Media Group, the parent of the rural-focused RFD TV in 2013. Most of the network's religious programming now airs only on Sunday mornings and it is programmed as of September 2014 as a mainly secular classic television network which continues to hold several broadcast affiliates, though most religious-focused station groups have ended their relationship with FamilyNet.
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