Digital v Analogue

[tell-me-more]

How do you feel about switching to digital radio/tv?

If you've switched, do you recommend it? And if so, for what reasons?

Should those who haven't switched be forced to do so some time soon - as seems to be the plan - or do you think that would be unfair?

[ugly_bob]

It's a nightmare.
slightest dodgy wheather and the digital signal breaks up - and we're only 10 miles from Sandy Heath transmitter - can even see it!
Unless they up the power to digital signal when analogue stops, it's gonna be ****.

[vehelpfulguy]

I have Sky. I like watching football and digital makes it great.

When they have a match on live I can press the "red button" and the screen goes into a multi-mode where I can make various choices.

I can watch the highlights so far, change the camera angle, change the commentary and so on. While still watching the match I can find out the players playing and who are substitutes etc.

After there has been a lot of matches (Saturday or Sunday) in the evening they have a program Football First where you can press the red button and choose from all the games that have been on which one you want to watch.

You can even jump from match to match when you know a goal is going to be scored or some incident occurs.

None of this is possible without digital.

[vehelpfulguy]

On BBC digital you can press the "red button" and get a choice of 8 small "widows" all showing video . You can choose between News, Sport, Entertainment, World Events, Weather etc.

My wife likes to watch the weather each morning. She presses the red button, chooses weather, and there is a continuous weather report which last about 3 minutes. Once its finished it starts again.

No more waitng till the weather is on "live"

Again, not possible without digital.

[vehelpfulguy]

To answer your question about should we be forced to switch.

While I agree that some old people or poor people may find it a problem we have to accept the world is going digital.

Computers, cameras, phones, music (CDs) and films / video (DVDs) are all now digital.

Some of the TV technology (the red button) is just not possible without digital.

High Definition (HD) is not possible without digital.

All analogue TVs can be converted to digital with a cheap "freeview" box (as low as about �25 now)

Most TVs soon will ship with a digital "freeview" box built in.

It may cause a few problems but we have to do it.

Moving to decimal coinage was also a pain but nobody would ever go back to pounds, shillings and pence (unless they were a complete luddite)

[bednobs]

i find it crappy that its cheap to convert a tv with freeview, but dab radios/clock radios/car radios are really expensive!

[ugly_bob]

vehelpfulguy - good points. There's a lot more choice and availability with digital TV, the only problem I have with it is the seeming lack of robustness with the signal. The idea of digital tv is that it is more resistant to noise, however this doesn't seem to be the case at this time.
The inherent 'all-or-nothing' nature of the digital signal is supposed to be an advantage but it appears that they are not willing or able to make the signals powerful enough to use this.

[tell-me-more]

In my experience, digital TV offers greater choice, but is inferior in quality to analogue (leaving aside the content of some of the extra channels). Teletext-style services are slower to get going, and interrupt not only the picture but the sound as well, which personally, I find a nuisance.

I am neither particularly old nor poor, but I'd still like to retain the choice between analogue and digital broadcasts until I'm convinced that the analogue services are no longer worthwhile. We don't have to accept that they'll be stopped, however likely that may be at the moment.

The introduction of CDs and digital cameras was different because I can still use my cassette players, VCRs and old cameras. That won't be the case with analogue TVs - they'll all have to be converted to receive digital.

Why do we "have to" change to digital? And why is there such a push to promote it?

[tell-me-more]

Thanks for all your comments guys. I'm particularly keen to hear peoples' experiences of digital radio as well. Does that suffer from similar problems to digital TV? A friend of mine claims it uses a lot more energy.

[ugly_bob]

not used digital radio a lot, but had no problems with it when I did. Much better choice of channels, no reception problems. Different area to TV though.

[bednobs]

thye certainlty take more energy than ordinary radios - i took mine on holiday last year and went through the (new)batteries in a week, compared to the batteries ive had in for 5 years previously!

[justwilliam]

To Vehelpfulguy Could you put me in touch with one of those small widows please? Brunette if possible.

[vehelpfulguy]

justwillliam

I am afraid all 8 widows are working for the BBC and far too busy to go out with you.

[camioneur]

Isn't it great when you find out that the know alls don't quite know everything eh?