Analog/Digital

[JopMan]

Has the FCC set a date after which digital TV stations can stop sending out sound data to old analog/converter box sets? When I turned on my ABC station (Joplin, MO) early Sunday morning, there was no sound. I thought the station might be having an audio problem. Perfect picture but still no sound as of early this afternoon. All other local stations coming in as usual, picture and sound.

This old analog set is a 13-incher in my kitchen and is hooked to a rooftop antenna. ABC is coming in normally, picture and sound, on my living room digital set hooked to the same antenna plus satellite service.

I placed a call this a.m. to the station"s switchboard but the engineering department has not returned my call. I would like more info before buying a replacement digital set for my kitchen. Thanks for any help.

 

[navychop]

The sound is digitized also and is part of the ATSC signal. Can you try your converter box on another TV and see if the problem follows the box?

If ABC is good on one set and not another, I'd say the converter is a goner.

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[TheKrell]

If it's the converter, then why would it work on all stations but ABC? I think the station is doing something gnarly and your converter can't handle it, while your other TV can.

 

[Carroll A]

Check and make sure your audio settings on your box has not been changed ie SAP audio or DVS type audio. Happened to me once and being sight impaired was a pita.

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[harshness]

Has the FCC set a date after which digital TV stations can stop sending out sound data to old analog/converter box sets?

Converter boxes don't come with expiration dates; they should work until the next big transition. If you're not getting sound, there's very likely something wrong with your system.

Make sure that your TV makes sound by using the internal tuner to try to tune a channel. Hopfully you'll get some sort of white noise to confirm that the TV audio works.

To provide better diagnostics, we would need to know how the converter box is connected to the TV.

 

[JopMan]

Thanks all for your replies. As suggested, I'll check the old box manual for audio settings and contact the station again. But I, too, am wondering why if it's the fault of the box, all the other local stations are coming in just fine, picture and sound.

 

[harshness]

But I, too, am wondering why if it's the fault of the box, all the other local stations are coming in just fine, picture and sound.

I blissfully ignored that all-important detail in the OP. Sorry.

The secondary audio (SAP) thing is a good guess.