Be a mentor: I declare August as Help a Digital Newbie Month!
“A man never stands so tall as when he leans over to help a child.” - Abraham Lincoln
OK! Sounds like I’m stealing from Maryann’s blog but she’s a good friend I’ve known for years, and alway’s a happy person and fun to be around. If you ever feel down, check her out and you’ll be inspired to do anything. The transition to digital over the air TV is scary to some people, and some are just plain mad. Some just don’t get it or can’t. That’s why as your Chief Engineer with a heart, I am declaring August 2008 Help a Digital Newbie Month. Go to your local electronics retail store, and when you see someone with a dazed look of confusion on their face, walk up to them and offer your support. Chances are, they are not just the customers, some will be working there!
That’s fine. The retailers are learning, and getting better, but there’s still a need for training. When h.h.gregg opened in Raleigh, I went in as a “secret shopper” and was pleasantly surprised when the salesperson answered some difficult questions, and being new, pulled in another salesperson to help when I stumped him. He admitted he was new and just learning, and I then introduced myself and offered some suggestions. I’ve also been eavesdropping in Best Buy and Circuit City, and they seem to be getting better at this stuff as well, but there’s always room for major improvement for everyone because people are asking more technical questions which they surely learned from this blog, as well as other sites while doing their homework. The stores are not making a huge profit on these converter boxes we are urging you to buy with your $40 coupon, and naturally will steer you towards buying a new 16:9 wide-screen TV.
You do not need a new TV just yet. All you need is the converter box which will cost around $10 bucks out of your pocket depending on the model you choose. It will look just fine on your old TV. (You did apply for your coupons like I asked you to, right?) Don’t be ashamed of them, this is not Welfare or a Public Assistance Program, it is money Congress set aside from your taxes to help citizens with the change to all digital television. As Martha Stewart would say, “it’s a good thing”.
Customer service ain’t what it used to be. People have emailed me back when I responded to their emails totally astonished someone took the time to respond, and even better, to report I helped them with their problem. We have DTV Experts available to come to your community centers and meetings to talk to you about the switch. I’m trying to get you educated enough to make your own decisions and plans for your home entertainment center on a budget and on time.
Help a Digital Newbie Month, or HADNM in Internet language, is a great time to share what you have learned and listen to other’s advice from their experiences. We have to help remove the confusion and fear factor from this new frontier and enjoy TV like George Jetson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons
So have a great time this August with HADNM and enjoy the Olympics in HD if you can, or invite yourself over to a friend’s house that has it and see what the future of television is all about.
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Comments
Question:
We purchased our DTV converters and were thrilled with the quality of the picture and programming options. However, we tend to “lose” the signal on certain channels. And it seems to be an “all or nothing” situation that moving the antenna doesn’t really help.
At first the picture pixilates and then the sound comes and goes with a distorted sound. I predict this will become a big complaint when others move on board with converters. Any thoughts or ideas on how to handle this?
[...] co-worker and friend of mine just recently started a blog. His reasoning behind starting the blog was to help other people. He is our Chief Engineer [...]
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You have motivated me to help others with this transition…thanks!