Future of Cable TV

While electronically delivering content via broadcast TV is still around, it has changed greatly.

The top channel number has changed from UHF 83 to 50. VHF 2-6 are on the way out, if they aren't already gone. 14-20 are being reallocated as well. Channel 37 is reserved for radio astronomy.

and most of all, the conversion from analog to digital broadcasting.

so, still here? yes. but very very different.

Record shops exists and stay around as a niche. Bookshops also, as the ability to browse is something many people love. I think the deaths of the physical shop is over-blown.

Quote: Dalex64

The top channel number has changed from UHF 83 to 50. VHF 2-6 are on the way out, if they aren't already gone. 14-20 are being reallocated as well. Channel 37 is reserved for radio astronomy.

VHF 2-6 seem to have fallen victim to greed and COMCAST. Despite all engineering recommendations not to use these channels for digital broadcasting, they are still used in large low density Western states. Also WPXI (channel 6, ABC philadelphia), one of the most listened to broadcast stations in the country, in a rare show of greed is transmitting on channel 6. Thousands of customers lost service when the station switched to digital broadcast.

Quote: Pacomartin

VHF 2-6 seem to have fallen victim to greed and COMCAST. Despite all engineering recommendations not to use these channels for digital broadcasting, they are still used in large low density Western states. Also WPXI (channel 6, ABC philadelphia), one of the most listened to broadcast stations in the country, in a rare show of greed is transmitting on channel 6. Thousands of customers lost service when the station switched to digital broadcast.

Am I reading that wrong? WPXI is Pittsburgh, Channel 11. Has been for 30 years or so.

Quote: AZDuffman

Am I reading that wrong? WPXI is Pittsburgh, Channel 11. Has been for 30 years or so.

Sorry. WPVI channel 6. Channel 6 was perfectly good for analog broadcasts.

Before shutting down it's analog signal in 2009, it was transmitting its digital signal from UHF channel 64. Then UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from TV and re-purposed primarily to mobile telephony. ABC simply moved back to it's analog channel for digital transmission. presumably COMCAST got thousands of new customers as many people could not tune in the digital signal.

Quote: Pacomartin

Sorry. WPVI channel 6. Channel 6 was perfectly good for analog broadcasts.

Thanks, not trying to call you out, just wondered if I missed something.

Quote: AZDuffman

Thanks, not trying to call you out, just wondered if I missed something.

There seems to be a disconnect that is growing in my brain. I think 'V' and I type 'X'. I think 'there' and I type 'their'. I think 'too' and I type 'to'. I used to laugh at signs that said 'forth floor', but now I am desperately afraid my brain will undermine me. However, to be fair I don't think someone who makes a sign that says 'forth floor' was betrayed by his brain. He simply didn't know the correct spelling to begin with.

Quote: Pacomartin

He simply didn't know the correct spelling to begin with.

Speaking of signs, for some reason I am reminded of the one at the CC where I took my welding class. It is kind of a vo-tech extension that has welding, an auto shop, and some other things. Normally when a door does not lead out and you do not want people using it you post "NOT AN EXIT."

What did the sign say there? "NOT A VALID MEANS OF EGRESS."

I would always just shake my head. When I make posts about over-education and people ask why I am down on it, what is wrong with college, yadda yadda I want to show them the sign and say "THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH HAVING TOO MUCH EDUCATION!"

Not that it is the biggest deal. I mean, in an emergency someone might not know what it means. But it just looked so silly as to want to smack the person who would write such a thing. Surely they "graduate" to higher and higher jobs where they can write memos and other things equally over confusing.

Quote: Pacomartin

There seems to be a disconnect that is growing in my brain. I think 'V' and I type 'X'. I think 'there' and I type 'their'. I think 'too' and I type 'to'. I used to laugh at signs that said 'forth floor', but now I am desperately afraid my brain will undermine me.

It's very common, it started at about 60
with me. It comes and goes. It especially
happens with left and right things. I looked
it up and a lot of people do it, nobody
knows why.

Quote: AZDuffman

What did the sign say there? "NOT A VALID MEANS OF EGRESS."

I assume you know that "This way to the egress" was a very famous sign used by PT Barnum. He built a museum in which people were known to dawdle for hours creating jams that prohibited him from sending in more paying customers. He hung up the sign and attracted many people to the hallway intent on viewing the "egress" attraction, only to find themselves out the exit and required to pay another fee to re-enter.

So your sign creator may have been trying to show off his education in Americana as well as his command of Latin. Curiously the use of "egress" for the way out is actually 100 years older than the use of "exit" to mean the same thing.

British English sometimes prefers to use the Old English derived phrases "way in" and "way out" instead of Latin "entrance/ingress" and "exit/egress".