You’ve Got Questions, but….
Tonight was the first of our 5 part series on DTV and the analog shutdown this week, taking your calls live during our 6 PM and 7 PM Newscasts. We really enjoyed taking your calls and talking with each of you, and a few actually stumped me, the “Digital Expert”.
I certainly expected antenna questions, and there were plenty of those, and lots of questions about getting coupons and where to buy boxes. A couple of the callers had legitimate issues about the coupons which I can’t figure a way around.
One person stated she had 3 families living in one house, and each family needed coupons. The way the program is set up though, is one set of coupons per address. The address must be a valid street address, and not a Post Office Box. Once a coupon was issued for that address, the other’s couldn’t apply. I asked if she could try (house number) -A, -B, and -C, and she said she tried. They were not legitimate mailing addresses. I’m stumped on how to get around that issue. She said she’d talked to several folks, and I suggested she contact the FCC directly on their website, www.FCC.gov
Another man allowed a friend to use his phone to order his coupons, and when asked if the address of that number was the correct address, his friend said yes. But when he tried to order his coupons, that address was already assigned, and he could not apply. In his case, he may be able to give his friend’s address and get it that way. Making matters worse, both of these viewers were disabled and really have no way to turn.
Another topic people brought up was trying to determine if they needed a coupon. I say yes, every American household should get the coupons, even if you have cable or satellite. Early on I posted these systems do fail, bills may not get paid on time, and after Feb. 17, 2009 you will be out of luck. Even worse, after the coupon program ends, you’ll have to pay full price for the box! Go ahead and get those coupons now, even if you don’t use it, you may be able to help people in a jam like those I just mentioned.
I got a lot of calls from folks who were having issues with the boxes, scanning channels, and general reception issues, but few with my station. Fortunately I know what is happening at the other stations, and assured them things should be fine after 2-17-09.
The rest of the calls ran from young people asking about reception in downtown, and older folks trying to make sense of the menu structure. Clearly, we’ll need some help, so I’m urging everyone to pitch in and help each other. Not everyone has a computer, and can see this blog and the various sites offering help. Wilmington’s transition proved the need for hands on help. We are going to do the best we can to organize that help. I will be on a conference call with those Elon University students I wrote about earlier, Friday morning as they disclose the data they collected in Wilmington. I can’t wait to hear what they have to tell us.
We’ll be taking calls all this week during our evening newscasts, so please call in and we’ll do our best to help, and if you have any suggestions about the address thing, please let me know!
Scan, Scan, Scan! It is the thing to do!
I love the Spring and Fall seasons, but Fall will always be my favorite time of year. After the leaves from the neighbor’s tree falls in my yard, (and no, they are not those large leaves easy to deal with, but Pin Oaks with the long narrow leaf the blower has a hard time moving). Cool thing is I get my sight back, line of sight that is between the transmitters and my antenna. Trees are retaining water now in preparation for their Winter’s nap, which does block UHF signals, but now is a good time to check the airwaves for hidden treasures.
I’ve mentioned this before, but with digital receivers you need to re-scan the channels from time to time, even on cable. Time-Warner moved our signals to a new QAM frequency last week, and often make upgrades requiring rescans. Just do it. I have sit there watching the progress bar as it scans, but I suggest starting it before bedtime, and it will be ready in the morning, or do it while you’re doing something else.
I’ve had a couple of people contact me recently that did not want to rescan for channels. I’m not too sure why, but it is somewhat normal and a good thing to do.
The power company lines run through the woods and down highways, and from time to time a glitch in the power will come into your home. These glitches can affect the memory in your set or box, causing some data to be corrupted or lost. Only a rescan will bring it back. If you have a small UPS laying around, it could be handy to plug your new TV or box into it. These devices are basically computers, and a UPS can protect it from losing data the same as with your computer. Also the lamp life in a DLP set could be increased dramatically!
For my main point on why to scan now, reception conditions are ideal in the Fall, and you may discover hidden channels you did not know were available.
Don’t be scared and just accept it is normal. Most boxes have an option to add channels without losing channels. Some TV sets have it as a quick scan versus a full scan. It’s not that hard to do, and something I recommend you do a few times a month until things settle down.
Yes, we are entering a “messy” time with over the air signals while stations make their last minute preps we walk through this month. Some stations recently switched to alternate antennas to enable replacement of their final systems, and there will be a flurry of activity in the next several weeks to be ready to throw the switch in February.
Go ahead and scan for new channels today. You might find a surprise or two hidden in the leaves!
IP-011 - Last Internet Pumpkin!
Tim in Beulaville wrote in about some reception problems, (not with us this time!) and replied back with several good Internet Pumpkins.
1- Most CECB’s for sale today, has a feature I mentioned about Mom’s box, to allow users to scan channels and only add new channels, without losing the original data. It’s extremely important if you use a rotor because on older boxes, it would wipe out all the channels and only display those it found where the antenna is pointing. When you rotate to another direction, it would lose them and add the new ones. In my RCA CECB, the scan menu will wipe out the previous data. I have to press down to ADD channels to the lineup. I can’t remember the menu on Mom’s Zenith box, but it has the same feature.
Sometimes it is best to remove all channels, and some people will remove the antenna and scan to get a blank database, before starting a new scan. When UNC Public TV had 5 channels going, and reduced that to 3, the box remembered the channels they dropped over the air. Since I get 3 PBS stations, that’s 15 channels in the memory instead of the current 9 active streams. Wiping out the memory is about the only way to clear them.
2- Getting information, as in details of what features a CECB has is like pulling hen’s teeth. Like I said, most versions on the shelf today are configured the way you’ll want it, but make sure it has analog pass through, and ask if you can add channels to the existing database. I’m happy with mine, but it was a surprise since the outside of the box and web sites have little details to offer on what’s inside.
3- Several stations will be switching to lower channels at midnight Feb 17th, and everyone will need to rescan channels when they get up on 2-18. CECB units usually do this in a few minutes. TV’s will take up to 30 minutes to scan channels since they are looking for analog too.
4- I recommend rescans every week or two anyway. With the leaves falling off the trees, you may pick up something new you couldn’t get last week. TWC moved our QAM frequency last night, so even on cable you’ll need to rescan periodically.
5- (yeah, Tim was on a roll!) He swapped his RG-6 with RG-11. While he gained 1 station, he lost another. Normally, RG-6 cable is ideal and rated for broadcast frequencies. We do use the larger RG-11 for long runs from satellite dishes here at the station. Keep in mind it has a huge center conductor, and once you plug it into an RF connector, it opens it too wide to be used for RG-6 again. We usually use a barrel and a short piece of RG-6 so we don’t make the RF input connector unusable.
6- Tim said “Tinkering” with the antenna and seeing what I can get had been an old hobby that I thought gone until DTV brought it back to me, so I’m very much enjoying the info and videos on your blog.”
Thanks and glad you are enjoying the videos. I figured I’d do something no one else is doing; giving hands on advice. I have pulled in some interesting distant signals in the early morning scans, so by tinkering I expect to lock onto those signals better. I’m having fun with it, and so should you.
It looks like the weather will be perfect this weekend. Get out and get those signals NOW!!!!
IP-010 Technikal Differcultys, pleeze stand bye
We do our best to avoid on air technical issues, but sometimes “it” happens. Something goes 
wrong and it can be very difficult to determine exactly what caused the problem.
In November, I’m going to share with you the details of how we are going to make the conversion to digital, as well as cable and satellite companies. Getting TV off air isn’t as simple as it used to be, having to navigate menus, tweak antennas, and learning a whole dictionary of new terms.
For the average viewer, troubleshooting issues can be nearly impossible, and even worse on cable and satellite due to the complex delivery systems they have. We will take a look at these systems, how to determine who to call, and when to scream and shout “I give up”!
Thanks for the great questions during our Internet Pumpkin toss during October, and sit back and enjoy seeing the pain behind the scenes in November!
Happy Halloween!
IP-009 Analog Versus Digital
I was thinking of ways to compare analog to digital technology, and came up with this video parody of the Mac versus PC ads. I wrote the script in about 10 minutes, and sent it to my buddy Patrick Priest to play the DTV role. I will make sure the chroma key wall is flatly lit the next time I use a green screen ettect, but we had a ball doing it. Here’s our interpretation of analog versus digital.
So much intertainment for free!
IP-008 Housecall
I noticed Dr. Vardy’s TV in the lobby at his Chiropractic Clinic was right on the digital cliff and needed a little help. He was using an old rod style antenna so we put it to better use and replaced it with a good amplified antenna designed to work in his situation. The TV is near the front window in a corner, and between the materials in the building walls, and cars parking out front, it had multiple sources for multipath. We also discover in this video the similarities between the vertebrates in the human spine and the digital TV backbone!
A big thank you to Dr. Vardy and his staff for allowing us the opportunity to see how the packets of digital data line up and are delivered to the antenna.
IP-007 Why?
America needs change. I’m Russell, and I approved this Internet Pumpkin message.
Change can be a double edged sword. It can be good, and it can be bad. Having been in Electronics for thirty muffled years, I’ve seen my fair share of change. In most cases, it’s been for the better. I remember the horizontal and vertical hold controls were right on the front panel of the TV because you had to adjust them you changed channels. Often even in the middle of a show! Manufactures found a way to sync the picture better, and those controls moved to the rear of the set and seldom needed to be touched. Today, the only such controls are to center the picture left, right, top and bottom in a menu, and perhaps a frequency control to match a PC resolution.
Carol Evans, former Assistant Chief Engineer for WITN-TV always quoted “The only thing in television that remains the same, is that everything changes”. It has been my motto ever since, and is still true not only in TV, but everywhere. Each Manager at NBC 17 has a triangle on their desk. Not to remind us where we live, but as the mathematical symbol for Delta, Δ, or change. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade, or bake a pumpkin pie with that IP.
Many people fear change, and with fear comes anger and a whole lot of emotions both good and bad. “It’s been working fine all these years, why mess with it now?” I’m in my comfort zone, leave me and my TV alone. How much is this going to cost me? Why?
Some of us will run the gambit of emotions before we reach the pinnacle of enlightenment and experience the “ah! factor”. That point when you get all the signals scanned in crystal clear, and then you say to yourself “how did I put up with snowy pictures all this time”? It’s very similar to the grieving process, and yes, I believe the TV is part of the family as I have posted earlier, but in this case, we are giving Gramps a face lift, new legs, and a clear voice. It will be better. It is better.
The earlier you embrace the change to digital TV, the better. Get those emotions out of the way now, and don’t wait until February 18th to dial the hotlines for help if you are having problems. I know, I know. I already covered procrastination.
This revolution is happening worldwide. Canada makes the switch August 31, 2011 and Mexico has a schedule that covers the country in stages. Many countries have already switched, and things are just fine.
Most people will plug these new receivers in, scan for the channels, and get the “ah! factor” right away. That is great, and we need you to go next door and help your neighbor get it. Then they will go next door and help another neighbor. Remember August was Help A Digital Newbie Month? We’re all in this together, and we can help each other make the switch. Don’t be selfish about it. When was the last time you actually visited your neighbors anyway? I have great neighbors, and it’s common when you see them outside, to go over and talk to them. Many evenings you can ride by and see 2-3 households represented standing on the corner talking to each other. And if we can’t stop when we drive by, at least we wave!
We have to help ourselves, and we are very concerned about those that can’t do it on their own. The elderly, people with special needs, and those that can’t afford it to name a few. We need to come together and find others that are not ready for digital over the air, and see what we can do to help. It could be as simple as dialing the 888-DTV-2009 number and ordering their coupon for them, or online at www.dtv2009.gov
We need to change. It’s up to us to make it work, but please don’t expect Washington, DC to fix it for you. Don’t expect the TV stations to fix it for you. You have to take the first step, and embrace the change to digital yourself, then drag your neighbors into it!
IP-006 I Need to Spend How Much?
Look, I’m and Engineer. I know how painful it is to fill up a vehicle just to get to work and when it takes over twenty dollars to fill up my lawn mower, things get extremely tight. That’s part of my message in all these posts. Start small, cheap, and move up when you can. Reader Mark tossed an Internet Pumpkin asking how much should a good antenna cost?
Antenna prices vary, but if you have an indoor antenna laying around, try it and you may succeed for free. Keep in mind the old fashioned “V” shaped rabbit ears aren’t usually going to work well, but push the rods in to about 24″ and see what it does. If you’re close enough to the transmitter, it can work.
If you’re out around 30-40 miles or so, you will need a more directional style UHF antenna. Terk makes a good one, and you know I fell in love with the Silver Sensor by Phillips. (Zenith, LG, etc.) These run in the $40 range and will work for most viewers.
Out past the 40 mile range, an attic mount or outdoor antenna might be best. Those can get pricey at $70-$120, and a rotor will run around another $70.
I’ve also stressed you need to experiment a little. I get emails from viewers in Fayetteville using indoor antennas as well as outdoor antennas. Quite frankly, I was stunned that indoor units would even work that far away, but it just depends on what is in way. That line of site to the towers is important, and buildings, trees and hills play a major role in whether you get it or you slide off the digital slope.
You probably already know about www.antennaweb.org but my favorite is www.tvfool.com because they have actual signal strength overlays on Google Maps that show the signal contours for most major stations. Check out our analog coverage map presented on their site here. They have our digital coverage for our current ch 55 coverage here.
They also have links to download most TV market’s coverage data from the FCC so you can overlay it using Google Earth. I have been playing with that version and it’s pretty impressive to be able to “fly” to your neighborhood and see the signal coverage in detail. You’ll need Bit Torrent client software to download the market data, but it is impressive what you can do with it once you load it. I’ve spot checked it and it has been exactly on the money in the areas I have personal knowledge of.
Bottom line is, get the coupon from www.dtv2009.govand buy an inexpensive CECB (Coupon Eligible Converter Box) from your favorite retail store, and spend a little money on an antenna. We’re all going to be sitting home a little more with the economy in its’ current state, and investing in home entertainment makes perfect sense. I’ve heard of the term disposable income, but I really have no clue what that is like, but if you have it, go ahead and get the nice flat panel TV and Dolby surround sound. Again, it’s an investment in your family’s entertainment, not a waste of money.
IP-005 What is the “Digital Cliff”?
Reader Patricia wrote me to toss an Internet Pumpkin asking if I can explain the digital cliff she’s been hearing about, and exactly what causes it, and for that matter, what can be done to avoid it.
I’m no Graphic Artist, but I play one on TV, so maybe a picture will help visualize what happens. The graph on the right plots picture quality versus signal strength in an analog world. As the signal strength goes down, the picture quality goes down and you see noise or ghosting in the video. The weaker the signal gets, the worse the picture gets, until you loose audio and video totally. Up until the last gasp of signal, you may be able to make out what’s on the screen or what show is on, and it wouldn’t be easy to watch, but you actually might be able to bear it long enough to follow the program.
With DTV, the picture quality does not change at all as the strength gets lower, until it hits the “cliff”. As the signal strength decreases below the level your receiver needs, the picture quality suffers very quickly. At the mid-point of the slope, where you might still be able to tolerate a weak analog signal, the DTV signal would be breaking up so badly, you’d turn the TV off or change the channel. Digital break-up is extremely annoying while trying to watch a show.
How annoying depends on your receiver. Some will mute the audio and some will allow an ear piercing pop, garbled digital noise, and repeated blips of dialog for several seconds. As you know, I am not afraid of heights, but I really want to stay away from the digital cliff at all costs and avoid the slippery slide down into the abyss of aggravation.
The only way to avoid the cliff is a good antenna. If you’ve read my blog for awhile, you know I recommend an outdoor antenna wherever possible. The attic will work to hide it, and lastly a good quality directional indoor antenna. Again, don’t be duped by the “Super Deluxe 50-60 dB gain amplified HDTV bunny ears on steroids with a spare tire looking center cap all in one snake oil powered set top antennas”. Look around the house and see what you have first. Try it, you might like it. Remember Kyle’s antenna? How about building one for yourself for a few bucks?
Then go shopping for an advanced antenna and grill the store salesperson about how many returns a certain antenna generates. I’ve found BB and CC to be very honest and open about this, at least with me, so talk to them and see what is working for most of their customers. The brand new Best Buy in Knightdale has the most impressive display of indoor antennas I’ve seen during my shopping sprees, and I’m sure most stores have what you need in stock.
While a CECB or even an HDTV is a purchase a “man shopper” can handle just fine, I urge you to talk to the sales people in the stores about the antenna options. If you don’t get the answers you’re looking for, move on to the next store and so on until you have enough information to make the right choice. Even then, ask what their return policy is if it does not work for you.
Do I have to type in all caps to drive home the fact that the antenna is the most important part of your new DTV home theatre? Check out www.antennaweb.org or www.tvfool.com and click on my Index page to view links to all my blogs on antennas, which has been a major part of our discussions! Just stay away from the edge of the cliff!
IP-004- What’s the point in having the box?
It’s the same programs on the box with maybe a few more channels, but nothing really new or different. It’s just something else to have to mess with.
OK, thanks for shooting your son in the foot, Mom! 
I appreciate you tossing the Internet Pumpkin during October, anyway! I’ve been getting some great suggestions, so keep tossing those IP’s by sending me an email!
Take a good close look at it. Digital TV has crystal clear pictures like you have never seen on your old TV. You now have a 24 hour weather channel, and networks you’ve never watched before. You have a program guide to tell you what’s on now and coming up next, with detailed information at the press of a button.
Should I remind you your hearing is a bit diminished, and the box enables closed captions to help you understand the dialog better? Your old TV did not have this feature when it was manufactured. It brings it into the 21st century very inexpensively. Sure, it’s something new to learn how to use, but it’s no different than the VHS machine…. oh wait, you haven’t mastered it either.
OK, how about FREE? More TV FREE! No hidden costs. A $10-20 dollar box brings you several new channels; and there are some $40 boxes in stores you can get for zero bucks with that coupon you got from 888-388-DTV-2009 or www.DTV2009.gov
NO MONTHLY FEES! I know you like free stuff.
Well, I can say after February 17th, 2009 you will have no choice. If you practice using it now, you will not be one of those calling the 1-888-CALL-FCC information line on the 18th trying to figure out how to use it! Now’s the time to use it and see what it can do that your old TV simply couldn’t.
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