Digital TV: How you can get the jump on it.

By February 17th 2009, all commercial television broadcasters in the United States will be required to change the way they transmit their signals. This is being done primarily in order to make more effecient use of available radio spectrum space. Spectrum which is no longer needed by television broadcasters can then be re-allocated to other services such as police, fire departments, etc. Other benefits include vastly improved picture quality, more available channels, and interactive capabilities.

Making the switch to Digital TV (DTV) need not be complicated, painful or expensive. It is not necessary to buy a new television set in order to receive DTV signals. So-called “Set top converter” units are becoming available for use with current analog TV sets(Information here). These converter units will be easy to use, simply connecting between the TV set and the antenna lead or TV cable. Your TV set then functions as always, except that it will receive signals from the converter unit rather than direct.

If you already have cable TV, you may not need to do anything. Your cable provider might provide both Digital and Analog signals on the same cable. Your milage may vary, depending on your cable provider.

Note that if you use a converter box with your current TV set, you will not be able to realize the full picture quality of DTV, but it will certainly be watchable, and will be at least as good as current analog signals.

Another alternative is to replace your current TV set(s) with newer DTV-ready units. This is likely the thing that television  manufacturers and dealers would like for you to do, because it results in higher-dollar sales for them, and they don’t have to support analog TVs any longer. The good thing about buying a new DTV-ready set is that it will allow you to take full advantage of the new picture quailities and other features offered.

For some excellent further information about Digital TV and the transition, go here: http://dtvfacts.com

For Info from the US Government about this, go here: http://www.dtv.gov

 

 

  

Written by Darrell Hagan on January 31st, 2007 with 1 comment.
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Aquygenâ„¢, the U.S. government, and the rest of us

I’ve been following with great interest the progress of a new technology which, if true, could change the balance of economics worldwide by greatly decreasing world dependence upon fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Complete information can be had at http://hytechapps.com/ . Seems that these two chaps, Denny Klein and Peter Dominici, have successfully overcome the technical problems of converting everyday water into a safe, stable, and combustible gas which can then be used as an additive to, or in place of, the traditional fuels we now use to power our vehicles. A quote from the Hydrogen Technology Applications, Inc. website:

“….The future of environmentally friendly vehicles has already begun! Aquygenâ„¢ Gas can be used as a primary fuel source or fuel additive for gasoline, diesel and aircraft turbine engines. The HHOS can be retrofitted into existing engines with very little modification….”

The implications of this are enormous. Imagine being able to fill your car or power your heatpump or possibly even your home with fuel which has been produced from simple water. While all of this is certainly wonderful and for the benefit of all mankind, I can’t help but be skeptical as to whether or not big business and the U.S. government will allow this exciting breakthrough to filter down to the masses. Think about it: If this thing really takes off, then the big oil companies whom have been happily boasting about their record profits as of late stand to lose most, if not all, of their stranglehold on the U.S. economy. This means that essentially, we can tell the Middle East to bug off while we merrily produce nearly 100% of the fuel that we use. Pretty cool, huh?. But as usual, there’s trouble in paradise. Since I’ve concluded that this could really hurt certain entities right in the ‘ole wallet, I’m sure that they too have thought of it. And this is where the U.S. government might come in. You see, the government doesn’t mind how much you experiment with and create new and better ways of doing things as long as they can regulate and control the result(s). And its no real secret that the U.S. government and certain big businesses have cooperatively stifled and/or squelched past attempts to create affordable alternative technologies. Typically, one of several outcomes will occur: 1) - The government will not grant patents to those who invented the technology. They will create reasons, quote obscure regulations, and otherwise do everything possible to insure that they will be the primary distributor and/or regulator of this technology, or 2) - The government will publicly denounce the new fuel in favor of existing fuels and methods, claiming that Aquygenâ„¢ is not nearly as viable an alternative as was initially claimed. 

Remember. Government, big business, and massive oil companies are the ultimate control freaks.

I have a large collection of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics magazines dating from the late 1930s to the mid 1990s. I enjoy reading the ones from decades past, looking at yesterday’s ideas, dreams and technology.

In several of these magazines, especially during the 40s, 50s and 60s, there were lots of articles pertaining to alternative sources of energy. Everything from steam to solar power. One particular article comes to mind which involved highly refined and lightweight steam engines, with some of them even being small enough to fit on a lawn mower!. In that writing, the author claimed to have overcome nearly all of the technical difficulties and safety issues associated with lightweight steam engines, so that they would indeed be a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Over the years, many such ideas have been presented. Cold fusion came along in the 1980s. Never went anywhere. “Safe” nuclear power? that one was talked about for years. How about other liquid fuels? Alcohol? What happened to all of the highly touted research and promises of a better tomorrow?

No wonder myself and others like me are skeptical. On a similar note, just look at the mess which the U.S. government and the big automakers made of the Tucker Automobile in the 1940s. The fact that several of the Tucker ideas and features are now standard on many vehicles tells many people what really happened.

Getting back on topic, I hope that Aquygenâ„¢ is indeed everything which its inventors are claiming, and that it does radically change the way we fuel our needs. Its about damn time. But I won’t be surprised if it suddenly goes away. 

Written by Darrell Hagan on May 24th, 2006 with 12 comments.
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