Comments on: Analog, over and out

By: Don@IdahoRadio

Don@IdahoRadio — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:29:33 +0000

KTVB: http://www.ktvb.com/video/index.html?nvid=371374

By: elchupacabras

elchupacabras — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:55:35 +0000

Speaking of Farnsworth, it is worth the drive to Rigby, where Farnsworth came up with the idea for TV, to see the museum they have dedicated to him. It has some great old radio and TV gear, mostly donated by KIDK.

I found this pathetic package done by a BYUI student that gives a look at the museum:

http://vimeo.com/5127580

BTW, Did anyone catch the transition from digital to analog to post it to YouTube? It would be fun to watch.

By: Doc Brown

Doc Brown — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:35:44 +0000

How long do you all think it will be until one of the broadcasters SUES the FCC and US Government for lost revenue due to the digital transition??

Fisher and most of KBCI’s newscasts over the last week we’re hinting that with the analog transmitter being shut off will cut down their signal pattern by nearly 30%. In turn, the station will be unable to reach the same amount of people with it’s digital signal than it once did before with it’s analog transmission before the digital transition.

In 6-12 months, I’m willing to place bets of what broadcaster sues the FCC and the US Government for damages to their sales and advertising revenue.

By: mel

mel — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:26:26 +0000

Jac – not sure if it’ll get better. I live near BSU and can’t get all the digital stations w/ my converter box (and storms make digital come in way worse). I’m hoping the technology will evolve.

I had no idea McCall could even get analog! We always had to get cable just to get local channels (local being Boise). But a good sendoff for analog, although I’m sad to see it go.

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:55:04 +0000

Correction that’s ERP – effective radiated power.

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:52:45 +0000

The answer is no, it probably won’t get much better. The power needed to pump these signals into the Treasure Valley is tremendous (360,000 watts EFP for channel 2 alone) for the UHF band, but the signals don’t carry as far. I’m told that there are people in Caldwell who can’t get the local stations at all.

By: Jac

Jac — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:06:16 +0000

For someone who recently switched from cable to my new converter boxes…I was kind of hoping after the switch the signals would get better. I still can barely get any sort of tv in my house, especially if there are ANY sort of clouds outside.. At least with analog you got a little fuzz…now it just doesn’t work. Does anyone know if this will get better?

By: RadioActive

RadioActive — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:10:00 +0000

Don- Very happy to see you do a article about this as I was thinking of the sign off last night on 7. I turned on my set at 8pm Friday night….dead air for most of the Boise stations but KTVB was still running the hockey game. I wondered if any of the other local stations did anything special to say good bye to analog.

Kudos to the crew of KTVB and all who took the time to at least acknowledge the end of analog on your station. I had spoken to Mr. Tuttle years ago and it was fitting that someone with his historical connection to the station had the honors of throwing the switch (or in this case clicking the mouse.) Bob Kruger’s appearance was also fiting since he was very much a part of the day to day operations of the station for so long.

Not sure if the other stations bothered to do anything special. Post it here if they did crew.

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:42:09 +0000

Saw the last minute of KTVB’s analog broadcast on my old RadioShack handheld. End of an era. Also, KBCI channel 2 is still available via UHF channel 35.