R2 Thoughts for You Analog To Digital – Human Ingenuity – Present Living
We are changing from an analog signal to a digital signal in television. Why? Well, we will be able to increase the number of television signals by 100%. The pictures will be clearer. Etc., etc……
Now, many are seeking a convertor box to change the digital signal to analog. How ironic, since recently I have been changing analog taped music to digital music so I can listen to it on my computer. Oh, well.
This whole conversion of analog to digital process that is currently taking place reminds me of going from LP records to tape. During college, I had a roommate that bought the best reel-to-reel tape machine that he could afford and proceeded to convert all of his LP record music to reel-to-reel tape. He was convinced that all cars would have reel-to-reel tape players in them within two years. Well, that didn’t happen but soon cars had “eight-track” players in them. And, of course, he wasn’t able to convert his music to the eight-track tapes. He was so mad but, in time, he bought a lot of the same “eight-track” music he had converted earlier so he could listen to it in his car. Then what happened? Along came cassette-tapes. And, wouldn’t you know it, he could convert the LP records to cassette-tapes. He was convinced that there was someone planning the scenario so it would cost people like him more money.
I don’t think my roommate was correct. I don’t think there is some elaborate plan to cause us to go “willy-nilly” through life spending money that is unnecessary. I think it has to do with our point of view and human ingenuity. Both, our point of view and human ingenuity are influenced by our capitalistic/free-enterprise system. Consider the VHS – Betamax video systems. Some considered the betamax system superior but VHS eventually won. If we were a socialist or communist society there is, in my opinion, a good chance that betamax would have won.
Currently, on our television, we receive some of our local TV stations in both analog and digital. The difference between them in clarity is amazing with the digital being the best, by far. But, when a digital station is “not coming in well,” in other words, there is interference, then the digital can not be understood. The picture becomes “pixelated” and the sound becomes garbled. Whereas, the analog, when not coming in well, can still be seen, though fuzzy, and the sound is generally clear.
What’s my point? Well, I think we should accept that, overall, we are improving our television experience and that, with the use of future human ingenuity, the digital signal and television will be even better. Let’s have faith in humanity — we will learn from the past, live in the present and make the future better. If not that, then at least, LIVE IN THE PRESENT. :-)
R2 Thoughts for You 
hey, I remember when getting cable was easy. All you had to do was get a friend to climb the pole and reconnect the two cable ends. Of course, I don’t think that was ethical. grin
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