Three Types of Channel Scanners
Friday afternoon or evening, everyone using an antenna must perform a channel scan on your DTV converter box or TV. Every DTV receiver has two modes to scan channels, a full scan and a quick scan. Friday you need to perform a full scan.
A full scan usually wipes out all previous channels stored in the box, and looks for new channels. That’s exactly what you want to do Friday, since WNCN for example will switch from channel 55 to 17, you don’t want the old 55 to stay in the memory. It will store just the current active channels.
A quick scan, or add channels mode, will keep the current stored channels, and add any new channels it finds. This is useful if you have a rotor, or turn your antenna in another direction, it will pick up signals in the new direction, and keep those in another direction. This is the mode you’ll use monthly or so, after the switch. As weather conditions change, you may be able to pick up more stations.
Every week, I run into someone that either 1- Scans often, 2- refuses to re-scan when issues arise, and 3- have no clue why or how to scan for channels.
1- It’s a really good idea to re-scan in the add mode on a regular basis. These boxes are similar to a computer in that it is digital and susceptible to power glitches and basic routinely losing it’s mind. I highly recommend a battery back-up or UPS and a surge suppressor on these units. Even when the box is turned off, it can still be collecting the guide data and in a standby mode, instead of powered completely off. Power disturbance such as bumps and lightning strikes can wipe out the memory or portions of the memory.
2- I have encounter several folks that refused to re-scan. I have never gotten a good reason from them for not doing it. I do caution on a TV set it can take up to 30 minutes to complete a scan since it goes through analog channels, cable mode, and digital scans. I still see no reason not to start the scan before bedtime, and it will be complete when you awake, or while you’re at work.
3- Dunno how. Don’t want to read the instructions. Well, I hope you have a 6 year old to help you. One issue a lady in Durham has encountered I should mention. She called for help with setting up her box. When she selects channel 3 on the TV, it jumps back to the last used channel after a few seconds. You may have to manually add channel 3 to your TV before you can properly setup your box.
We’ll have our phone bank set up next week to help you get ready for Friday’s switch during our 6 PM and 7 PM newscasts. I have invited a special guest each night to join us and discuss all the options. They will be answering phones as well. I’ll also be streaming “behind the scenes” on the video tab above, or use keyword dtv on www.mync.com, and my video channel on www.livestream/mvnn. You can use the chat feature on the stream, as well as YIM or AIM to chat to me, DTVRuss.
Let’s get this party started!
It looks like this time we’re really going to do it! June 12th is almost here! I really wonder what Mr. Philo T. Farnsworth would say about the digital conversion. I’m betting he’d be proud of what his invention has involved into and I doubt he ever imagined back then what inventing the first electronic TV would become. You know, one of the greatest inventions of our lifetime. The TV, right? Remember it? You have a much more comfortable chair in front of the TV than your computer?!
It’s also one of those things we take for granted. It has always been there, glowing in the living room whether we were paying attention or not and it comforts us to hear noise. Random sounds, images, and some really interesting stuff. Unless you’re up at 3AM and aren’t interested in the latest German battery operated hand tool that cleans the colon and cuts shapes out of paper. Where else can you get stupid lines like “You know the Germans always make good stuff” like in the Sham-Wow commercials, or even make a popular video from it like Rhett and Link?
With digital, you’ll actually be able to see how the latest car polish really can’t cover that scratch and blend the color like it appeared to do in analog. Digital TV may make advertisers more honest, because they won’t be able to hide those little flaws like they could in analog video.
But wait! There’s more! If you use your government coupon from www.dtv2009.gov or 1-888-388-2009, you’ll get forty dollars off that digital converter box and be enjoying crystal clean television. Easy hook-up right out of the box! Enjoy crystal clear TV tonight!
(Some assembly required. Antenna not included. Manufacturer is not responsible if you did not read the instruction manual, understand the instruction manual, or lost the instruction manual. Your reception may vary between channels. Side affects of poor reception are blocking pictures, drops in audio, nausea, anger, and that lost feeling that nothing is ever going to be right again.)
Most of us will not have a problem, though. Because we already switched and are using the new box and learning how it works for a while now. This week I have talked with several viewers that are a little scared, have “heard” conflicting information, but seem to be on the right track now with a little help. Don’t worry, we will do everything we can to help you get through this.
Next week, we will have another phone bank between 6 and 8 PM for you to ask your last minute questions before the switch on Friday. The FCC tool free number 1-888-CALL FCC is available, and electronics retailers have great resources for you to turn to.
After Friday June 12th, you’ll be saying wow every time!
Digital Culture Shock
Today I went to see mom for the day in Bertie County, NC, and catch up on the latest regional news. Like my cousin’s son who just got married and he and his bride are living with his parents. Neither one has a job, you know. She’s really educated, and can’t seem to stick with menial jobs in the area for more than a week at a time.
My cousin from Greenville also stopped by to see how everyone is doing. She’s been in med school off and on for 20 years or so, and is qualified to do several jobs, but still attends school at ECU as her main career. After spending a week home with her dad she’s ready to get back to Greenville and away from his pity party.
For sanity’s sake, I went next door to my cousin’s house who is building a ramp on his deck for his father-in-law to be able to visit. Uncle Bill came over, and we all talked about digital TV for a little while. I explained why the new TV receivers and boxes need to scan for TV signals. He didn’t understand why when he selected a stations’ analog channel number on his digital set, nothing shows up. That’s because we all aren’t on our final channel assignments until June 12th. The box has to search for channels, and you can’t punch it in unless you know, for example, my station is on channel 55 right now. They asked about antennas, which they are already set with the best there is, since they are not close to any stations at all. They all have a problem getting the ABC affiliate in New Bern at that distance. They asked about power efficiencies and how they get more channels per stations, and I explained bit rates, etc. They actually had some great questions.
Somehow we got on the subject of Star Trek and evolved to Gunsmoke. None of us could remember if James Arness, who played Marshall Dillon, was still alive or not. I pulled out my Blackberry and opened up Google, and searched for James Arness. Yep, he’s still around, has his own website, and is very much alive. His brother Peter Graves however, passed away in 1994.
We kept talking, and they both admitted they hated their cellphones, and needed to upgrade. Not to a smart phone, to one they can use to actually talk on. You remember, actually calling someone and talking instead of sending text messages? It hit me that I use my phone for data and texting a whole lot more than using it for conversations.
I went back to mom’s and sat in the swing for a few minutes, before my cell phone got a text message one of my analog transmitter cabinets went down. I went to the car, pulled out the laptop and connected to the Verizon Wireless EVDO data network, and logged into the station’s VPN. I opened a program and typed in the address of my transmitter, and reset the transmitter from the yard. Know Ye that mom does not have internet, and if she did, it would be dial-up.
We went inside to eat dinner, and watch my sister station’s 6PM news on WNCT in Greenville. I realized on the way home, I had covered the full range of how people get news and information in one day. Gossip, face to face conversations, internet, and TV. Uncle Bill did make one comment I found funny in a way, when he said “(he) could certainly live without some of this technology” He admitted his cell phone usage is mainly calling a neighbor about going fishing.
Technology makes my job easier when it behaves. When it crashes, I can’t function! My uncle would be happy sitting in the boat all day without his phone, but I on the other hand, would feel more secure knowing I could call for help if I needed it. I guess we all have to find how digital technology can enhance our lives, without taking it over.
The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award for May is….
Surely I can’t be the only one here that remembers the “flying fickle finger of fate” awards from Rowan and Martin’s Laugh in. The award given to elected officials and other deserving individuals for their actions, talent, or lack of talent. Much like Karma has done to My Name Is Earl, even when it’s not deserved.
Today’s announcement that Time-Warner is spinning off AOL makes America Online as the perfect recipient of the F.F.F.O.F. award for ‘09. Technology in general is fickle. Who hasn’t bought a new computer to have another one introduced a few weeks later that makes yours look like an Abacus with an LCD screen? Yes, I remember when there was only a couple of ways to access the Internet. America Online or CompuServe, and I remember the first peer to peer file sharing was done by dialing into a friend’s computer directly.
AOL was big. It made a lot of money. So much so it bought Time-Warner and created the biggest media company ever. But fate and Karma sometimes do not play well, and the marriage was not perfect after the honeymoon. Today, Time-Warner says no more. Go and make your own way AOL. See, with broadband connections we no longer need an interface like AOL offered. The software was a huge resource drain on your PC anyway. It took over your networking, and generally caused frustrations after each updated version was released. Trust me I know.
So with the speed and fickleness that technology evolves, is investing in new technology a good thing to do? Is the government going to get the next award? You can bet your sweet bippy on that, but they have at least tried. I wasn’t a big fan of delaying the conversion, but the number of households not ready has been reduced by half to a little over three million households in three months. The rest will get ready on June 13th.
We sometimes forget how much we depend on something until it’s gone. Don’t let those coupons expire. Get a box “just in case”. Buy a new TV or whatever your budget allows. Don’t be the next recipient of the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate!
It’s Only Zeros and Ones
For some people, DTV is a lot more zeros than ones. The assumption that things will be perfect next month is not exactly correct if they aren’t so perfect now. What exactly is perfect though?
If beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, then certainly DTV is a clear winner. You can see details never before possible. I remember seeing shows in color for the first time, and noticing wallpaper patterns that I’d never noticed before in black and white. Question is though, how much detail can your eyes see?
I encounter folks every week that say their TV is just fine now, and there’s no reason to change it. Then others that are raving about the picture looking so realistic it’s like looking out a window. The human eye is easily fooled, and different people perceive details differently.
I was just reading an article on Switched.com about a company that plans to produce film for the Polaroid instant cameras. There is some merit to it, especially when you consider the ease of sharing pictures in your hands versus holding up a 1.2″ cell phone camera screen to a room ful of viewers. It’s not just nostalgia, it’s a cool look and feel the pictures have. They weren’t incredibly sharp or detailed, but something about them just looks good. It’s the same as some of my musician friends that prefer the rich sound of a tube amp over a solid state amp. Different people are “tuned into” to it differently.
We have fallen in love with lo fi music players with ear buds, and many have forgotten what a true hi fi stereo sounds like. With many TV sets coming with small tinny sounding speakers, you might not know how great a 5.1 surround sound system can be.
But for some, those small speakers are just fine. That analog TV is just fine. Even that VHS machine is perfectly acceptable. The good thing about digital technology is scalability. You can fit what you want into your budget, and upgrade one piece at a time to build the ultimate home theatre. And yes, I do suggest that investment. You can do it at your own pace and the end result will be phenomenal.
Learn to walk first, get the antenna setup right, then add on components to build your system. You will get used to the clarity and crisp picture, and be amazed when that airplane sound comes through the middle your room as it flys toward the camera.
Seventeen to go!
17 days to the switch! I received some good questions today I want to share with everyone. Here’s an excerpt from a reader that posted a comment.
I decided to let cable go to save money and then realized all the shows I watch are on regular TV anyway. Will miss the DVR but I will see if Best Buy can help me find something to replace that. In the mean time will use my VCR once I remember how to work it
We exchanged several emails today, and I got a pretty good picture of her situation. They had cable, and decided to drop it for free TV. Hey, my kind of people, but don’t get me wrong. Cable and satellite are very good options and people have the right to choose. If you do follow Ingrid’s process to convert from cable to free TV, here’s a couple of issues you need to adjust.
Cable frequencies are different than broadcast frequencies. That’s why there is an AIR or CABLE setting on most TV sets in the menus. That has to be changed. The UHF channels are in a higher band of frequencies, and as I have mentioned, the higher channels do not travel through wires as easily as lower channels. A satellite dish down converts the satellite signal to a lower frequency to reduce loss going into the receiver. Cable does the same thing by keeping their frequencies in order and as low in the spectrum as possible. Channel 17 on cable would actually show up around channel 69 in the cable frequency plan.
You have to go into the menus on the TV and change from cable to air, then rescan the channels. That puts things back in sequential order and removes the unused channels in between to make using the channel up/down buttons faster to surf through all channels. (Not that anyone does that)
The second thing to remember is that cable is a closed system. The actual cable wire is shielded to prevent all the outside signals from mixing into the cable channels. For example, if you live close to the towers, a signal over the air will not interfere with the same channel on cable. It really does not make a good antenna, although some signals will get into it. I advised her to go to the side of her house where the cable comes in from the street, remove the cable and install the antenna feed there. If you go back to my video where I worked on my own antenna, that’s exactly what I am doing. That feeds all my TV’s in the house from a single point.
She is lucky that she only lives 4 miles from the transmitters, but a lot of folks could get by with hiding an antenna on the ground by the foundation behind a bush. Certainly worth trying, and in her case, a small set of rabbit ears should work. It just needs to be weatherproof. I went to the Best Buy website, and you can buy a lot of ten dollar antennas and replace it every 6 months for the price of one outdoor model. They range from 80 to 150 bucks.
As for missing the DVR, there’s several options to choose from. I have a TiVo with a lifetime subscription data package, but there are options that use the PSIP data to get program info free, and I’m sure TVGOS I mentioned in an earlier post will have a free option. Just don’t rely on an older analog unit working you pick up on Ebay. In short, pick your new DVR by studying the data plans, and how much they cost in the long run.
That’s pretty much it for converting from cable to free over the air TV.
I also talked with a lady in Durham today having trouble setting up her box I want to mention. In her case, she did not see anything from the box. It turns out every time she selected channel 3, the TV would jump back to the last used channel automatically. In her case, she has to go into the TV menu, and add channel 3 in the lineup manually. She did get to see the menu asking for the language setting on the box, so once she gets it to stay on channel 3, she’ll be fine.
I have mentioned several pages back, when all else fails, find an 8 year old to program these things for you!
R U RDY 4 DTV?
If you can read the title properly, then you are likely ready for June 12th. Are you ready for DTV seems silly to ask only a few weeks away, but it’s a fact that not every house is ready. The FCC released the statistics from last Thursday’s Nationwide soft test, and North Carolina ranked high in the call volume. Charlotte placed in the top 10 of callers to the FCC help line. I didn’t really see any surprises except the category “Did not know about the transition” is still listed, and still picks up numbers. Albeit small percentages, but my goodness people! Where have you been to not know analog TV is going away over the air next month?
I was not surprised the biggest number of callers were about reception issues, followed by converter box set-up, coupon questions and scanning channels. Um, yeah, that’s what I’ve been posting here for a while now. Get a good antenna and converter box and you’ll be fine.
I do have to say I totally understand the confusion on this stuff. It’s new, it’s different, it’s something new to learn. It does not behave the same way as analog TV did. Just don’t let fear make it more difficult than it really is. It’s something you can do yourself. Just jump in and play with it.
One viewer called in about the test because he didn’t see it. If you haven’t seen it, all the stations put up a screen on the analog signals giving information about the conversion, and the FCC number to call. This gentlemen I spoke to did not see the color bars, and continued to see the programming as usual, but he was confused because different folks had told him different things. If you didn’t see the color bars at 7:28 AM, 12:28 and 6:28 PM last Thursday, you’re fine. Your TV, cable or satellite provider is ready and no changes need to be done.
There have been some questionable marketing techniques by some providers attempting to up-sell customers to higher digital packages and set top boxes, but I am not aware of this happening in our area. Cable can be particularly confusing by the nature of how they provide some services. If you just want basic channels, they have a package for you, and most TVs will tune in the free channels fine. If you want premium movie channels or pay per view movies, then you do need to upgrade your box or purchase a cable card, but you can certainly wait a little while if you want to. You do need to do some homework, but you can keep what you’re getting now with no upgrade if you want to. The transition only affects those of us with antennas. Cable and satellite will not be any different after June 12th than what you have right now. If you are happy now, you’ll be happy next month!
Down in the Digital Dumps
I have to admit, I’ve been feeling mighty poorly this week. Not about DTV, but physically sick with allergies or just plain lazy from the nice weather. I haven’t been able to get my signal truck back together to get out and check on problems reported in Orange and Northern Chatham Counties. (Yeah Reuben, and Moore County) The older I get, the more stuff gets in my way, or I can’t jump over it like I used to!
Thursday at 7:28 AM, 6:28 PM and 7:28 PM be sure to check your on air signals to be sure you don’t see those anoying color bars for 2 minutes. If you do see them, it means you are not ready for next month. If you’re getting it from a cable system, please let me know! They should all be passing the correct digital signal by now. We really want to make sure all small systems and apartment complex systems are on the right track. You can comment, chat or email us and as always we appreciate your feedback. The FCC wants you to call them at 1-888-CALL FCC.
I hope you all pass the test!
TV Gone
I love technology, computers, and handheld gadgets. I drive the wheels off the stuff just to see what it can do, and naturally, just for fun. We can do some very cool stuff today that was never dreamed of only a few years back. Our website www.mync.com is a prime example of how anyone can take control of how they get news and entertainment that’s important to them. Anyone with a camcorder can also report the news in your backyard with a few mouse clicks. Zeros and Ones are flying through the air, down copper wires, on plastic discs, and around the world. It’s very exciting what we can do today.
Technology is a fickle thing sometimes. I wrote how the TV was an integral part of the family, and missing shows can be a major tragedy for some die-hard fans. I remember when Betamax and VHS came out. My first camera had a separate VCR you had to lug around, but I could record anything I wanted, and didn’t have to worry about film processing, etc. Editing was cumbersome, but for home productions, it was good enough.
We tend to hang onto home entertainment products as long as possible. Merging old stuff with new technology sometimes presents issues that aren’t worth fixing. A new DVR would be much better than that 10 year old VCR sitting on the TV now, and it may have some serious shortcomings real soon. As things got more complicated to use, manufacturers came up with easier to use features.
Tivo really set things on fire with the first tapeless recording system, but it required data to work correctly even with analog TV. That data is in the form of the program guide, and a subscription is required to get it. Free TV started to be pay TV. Here’s a cool box that even records things you didn’t even know you wanted, based on your personal viewing habits called suggestions. Well, maybe not so cool because my Tivo has recorded some weird stuff I would never watch in a million hours of TV viewing, but I can always delete it and record more. I used to buy VHS tapes by the case. Now I scoff at a hard drive with less than 1 Terabyte of storage on it.
To compete, companies came up with their own systems to make recording easier. Guide Plus or TV Guide On Screen, or TVGOS came along, and sent the data usually by a local PBS station’s analog signal for free. Your VCR or DVR could use it to record without having a phone line connected to the box and without a monthly fee.
The problem is it is going away with analog TV. Many have already felt the crunch of no guide data when our local PBS stations dropped carrying the signal in preparation for this transition. The signal is now carried by WRAL, but once they shut off analog channel 5, that data is gone unless a low power station in the area picks it up. So if your old DVR or VCR uses TVGOS, you should be prepared to upgrade.
Home electronics usually lasts a lot longer than other forms of technology, so we aren’t always prepared when it becomes obsolete. Those folks standing in line for the new me-gadget, were upset 6 months later when a better me-gadget was released. Now they’re all waiting for the new version 3.0 me-gadget to be released and you can be sure another company is waiting to unleash me-gadget version 3 killer. (Palm comes to mind, but netbook computers are getting smaller and cheaper, so who knows where it will stop)
Home entertainment products are still your best and longest value for your money. Getting stuck with something that you can’t use in a few months is rare. I read today the old Playstation 2 outsells the newer fangled Playstation 3 even though the newer unit have some awesome capabilities. But word has leaked out that a price reduction is coming for the Playstation 3, so things may turn around.
I’ve been asked why are they making this stuff so complicated? Actually, it is really getting simpler, and we can make it as complicated as we like, or as simple as we like. A converter box hooked to your old TV is fine for most people, and it looks great. They are relatively easy to use, and your old VCR can sill work if it is connected to the box. If you want to record one channel, while watching another, then it gets complicated since you’ll need 2 boxes, one for the TV and one for the VCR. Buying a new digital recorder is the best option and not much more expensive.
If you have that sweet Playstation 3 with the Blu-Ray drive connected to the Internet, then you have some new programming avenues you can enjoy. If you have an Apple TV box your computer can had over and record programs or you can build your own media PC if you’re into the do it yourself thing. You can make DTV fit your lifestyle. You can do some amazing things and it’s totally up to you how complicated your home system is. It’s also easy to upgrade one piece at a time.
Honestly, a converter box is no harder to operate than a VCR is, and it connects pretty much the same way. Take a few minutes to read the manuals and you’ll be fine. Just don’t forget the importance of a good antenna!
Looks like somebody’s got a case of the Mundaze!
I guess I don’t need to tell you I am not a fan on Mondays. It’s always my busiest day of the week, but at least the Sun came out even though it was a little unseasonably cool this morning. I don’t really mind being busy when it’s a productive busy, and I had a pretty productive day.
We had a strange problem this weekend I’d like to share, and also thank our alert viewers for being proactive and emailing us imedeately. Let me take this time to repeat we welcome your comments. Good, bad, and otherwise. I am on AIM and YIM if you want to chat, DTVruss and it’s forwarded to my cell phone even if I’m not logged onto the computer, as well as dtvanswers@wncn.com or use the feedback form on www.mync.com or my boss at myreview@wncn.com. You have no excuse to not let us know what’s happening out there, and I am very grateful we have a vocal and interactive audience. That makes things a lot easier, especially when crazy problems pop up.
I was born and raised in the flat lands of Northeastern North Carolina, but I have been in this area a long time now, and have had the pleasure of visiting almost every part of Central North Carolina. Each area is different, and perfect. I love Chatham County, Moore County, and all around. I am less of a fan of fire ants than Mondays, but I do know how to avoid them after learning the hard way in Fayetteville!
I know Moore County has a lot more going for it than just world-class golf courses. You’d have a hard time finding anyone there that does not love horses, have horses, or lives next door to a stable. So when the Preakness comes on, it’s a big deal. It’s bigger than the Super Bowl thing I’ve heard about.
I got an email Saturday that almost gave me another heart attack: “What is going on?!?!? I’m trying to watch the race and your stations goes off the air?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!” I was about to leave for dinner, and I quickly turned on my TV to check as I had not received any alerts from the transmitter computers of any issues. Luckily it was fine, so I replied it was fine at my house, and planned to investigate on Monday. Another viewer sent an email to our General Manager with a little more detail, that Dish Network had put up a slide saying something about the TV station had blocked it out.
To quote my viewers, are you kidding?!? I still have not heard back from Dish Network, but it appears they were told to block the race by some station, but I have no idea how or why they got confused with us. All the pre-race coverage was fine, and as soon as they got to the point the horses were in the starting gate, they shut us off. I know we get a lot of confused vendors mixing WNCN in Raleigh with WCNC in Charlotte. I don’t know if they ordered the block or what, but it didn’t come from us. I’m not sure how to find out exactly, but we’ll keep trying to get an answer to prevent it from happening again.
I totally understand this viewer was upset. ?!?!? usually indicates anger, and that’s cool so please feel free to express your feelings. I’ve said before I compliment waiters and waitresses for great service as quickly as I would complain. I can take it either way, so don’t be shy. If you have a digital TV problem, just ask for help. You will not hurt my feelings unless I can’t do anything to help.
Another viewer wtote in about over the air reception, stating that 5, 11, and 17 broke up often, and is this going to be fixed next month. See earlier post. Yes some issues will be resolved. But with any change, some new issues may pop up. If you have a stable signal now, you’re fine for next month. If you are having problems now, the keyword is antenna!
Your antenna is the thing. It is the only thing. It is the difference between great TV and Fail TV. Antenna!?!?! See, I can throw !?!?! back atcha!
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