WHY ARE WE FORCED TO HAVE HDTV ??

This report is for cable only. The old cable system can only hold "X" amount of bandwidth, and that's it. Once you use it up, you can't get more. You can put more info by compressing the signal, but you can not produce more bandwidth. The cable company will eventually have to put new optical cable down to replace the defunct cabling system.

 

Thanks but there should be no compression. Compression is garbage, if there is not enough bandwidth upgrade!

 

Once all the analog channels are shut off, there will be a lot of bandwidth for local providers to increase signal strength, hence coverage distance. Also rabbit ears suck!. Put up a $25 5 ft. antenna in your attic.

Read the Wiki. It's pretty informative. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television

Here's a few good points:
Digital television is more flexible and efficient than analog television (f.i. it can increase the maximum number of channels by more than 100% in a cable distribution method).

Advantages to conversion

DTV has several advantages over analog TV, the most significant being that digital channels take up less bandwidth (and the bandwidth needs are continuously variable, at a corresponding cost in image quality depending on the level of compression). This means that digital broadcasters can provide more digital channels in the same space, provide high-definition television service, or provide other non-television services such as multimedia or interactivity. DTV also permits special services such as multiplexing (more than one program on the same channel), electronic program guides and additional languages, spoken or subtitled. The sale of non-television services may provide an additional revenue source. In many cases, viewers perceive DTV to have superior picture quality, improved audio quality, and easier reception than analog.

 

@gullzway

I let you know come February! Thanks for the info. I have instructions off the web for making an attic HD antenna out of wood and coat hangers and Al foil.Will try that if rabbit ears fail. It's for my office and not that important.