- What is ATSC?
ATSC is a new digital format being implemented for OTA (off the air) terrestrial television broadcasts.
The high definition television standards defined by the ATSC produce wide screen 16:9 images up to 1920×1080 pixels in size — more than six times the display resolution of the earlier standard. However, many different image sizes are also supported, so that up to six standard-definition "virtual channels" can be broadcast on a single 6 MHz TV channel.
ATSC also boasts "theater quality" audio because it uses the Dolby Digital AC-3 format to provide 5.1-channel surround sound. Numerous auxiliary datacasting services can also be provided.
Channels that are broadcast using the ATSC format are free to air and available without any monthly fees.
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- When is ATSC being implemented?
The ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) digital television format will have replaced the analog NTSC television system by February 17, 2009 in the United States,and August 31, 2011 in Canada.
Although please note that since many stations available in Canada are received from American broadcasters, the February 17, 2009 date may also affect your reception.
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- What equipment do I need to receive ATSC signals?
You will require a TV or receiver with an ATSC tuner and an antenna.
Most newer high definition televisions manufactured in 2007 or later have ATSC tuners built in. Many high definition Free to Air receivers also feature ATSC tuners. Older analog tv's have NTSC tuners and will not work without a seperate tuner.
We have digital conversion tuners available that will work with all tv's; although these are only standard definition. If you require a high definition tuner it is our opinion that a free to air receiver is a better choice since you will have both a satellite receiver and an ATSC receiver for roughly the same price. The Coolsat 8100, Pansat 9200, nFusion Nuvenio HD, and Sonicview 8000 all have ATSC tuners.
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- What kind of antenna do I need to receive ATSC signals?
You need to have a digital ATSC VHF/UHF antenna; old style NTSC antennas will not work. As a general rule with ATSC the larger the antenna and the more elements it has, the longer your range will be. ATSC antennas can also be amplified to get more gain.
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- Are there any fees associated with ATSC channels?
No, off the air channels cannot be encrypted and are available free of charge. The only costs associated are equipment costs which are one time investments.
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- Where can I find out what channels I can get using an ATSC antenna?
The following sites provide compresensive listings for all of the United States:
www.tvfool.com
www.antenaweb.org
www.titantv.com
Tvfool.com allows you to enter your coordinates so Canadians can find out listings aswell. Just find out your longitude and lattitude and do a search using coordinates.
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