Alert For Wee Hour Viewers
The antenna work went as scheduled, and WNCN and WLFL did not have to shut down as planned. All systems are functioning normally, and we thank the tower workers for their consideration and safely completing of their tasks.
Early Friday morning December 4th, between 1:40 AM and 4:30 AM, WNCN will be off the air as a courtesy for maintenance at WRAZ. All stations on the Auburn tower will shut down during this period to allow WRAZ to work on their antenna.
This does not impact Time-Warner customers, but other systems will be affected, such as DirecTV and Dish Network. The signals should be back on air near the end of the maintenance window.
Only WNCN, WRAL, WRAZ and WLFL will be off the air during this time.
QAM via Time-Warner
If you are still missing NBC 17 via QAM on Time-Warner, perform a re-scan for channels and it should place everything back to normal. Knowing that can be a hassle with re-setting favorites, etc, you can enter it directly. The avsforum reports we are now on 93-2 instead of the 75-2 channel blocked by the filters.
Time-Warner moved us to a new frequency on their system last Thursday morning Nov. 19th. It turned out many homes had filters in place that blocked that frequency. After researching a resolution, Time-Warner moved us again Tuesday morning Nov. 24th.
Digital signals do not depend solely on channel numbers like the old analog system did. Digital uses the PSIP table to tell your receiver what the signal is, and it displays the streams correctly. The TV needs to scan the channels to read those PSIP tables to determine how to display the video and audio, as well as guide data, and so on.
I’m working on a post to show how this is done, but first I want to make sure you are back in action and ready to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in HD, as well as wishing everyone to have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!
How Connected Are We?
One of the coolest things about the Internet is the ability to interact with the audience in almost real time. As a “writer” I try to post things that are of interest and concern to get you timely information. If one viewer is having issues, then surely there are many more experiencing the same issue. The whole point in this particular blog is to get you that information quickly, and in a format that suits your needs.
Being from the male perspective, I try to include pictures and video to help visually demonstrate what I am talking about, because let’s face it, science can be boring without a few explosive experiments to go along with the lectures.
During the pre-transition months, we had phone banks set up to answer questions, and we still have hotline in place today to answer your questions. We heard many people say they did not have any form of Internet. As a matter of fact, many were adamant they didn’t even want Internet access in their homes.
Personally, I can’t survive without it. Maybe I am addicted, or a victim of my work, but I have to have that connection most of the time. I can log into my transmitters from anywhere and control them instead of having to jump in the car and drive out to the site, which could take close to an hour.
The Internet can be a pain, also. I recently got hit by a virus on my home PC and had to wipe it clean and re-install everything. Sure, I have the firewalls and anti-virus software in place, but I stupidly opened something I shouldn’t have the software did not detect. It’s just another lesson that frequent back-ups and restore points are a good practice, so I didn’t loose anything but a few hours of time.
Thankfully most hardware drivers are available on the Internet! (Thanks Dell!)
But, getting back to you, I was very curious how you get this blog. I can post videos all day long, but if you are using a dial-up connection, it doesn’t help you unless you are willing to download all night and view the next day.
So let me know how or if you connect to the Internet. Some people only get connected in Libraries or at School, while others like me, are connected 24/7 with high speed Internet, EVDO and Smartphones. Take a few seconds to take the poll below to let me know how the best way to deliver information to you might be. I try to post text to cover the topics any videos I post demonstrates, but I’m not sure if that’s necessary, so let me know how you connect, and leave a comment on how connected you are.
You can also click on the “Getting to knoe you” page above for more polls!
100th Post!
I wanted to do something special for this post. Being post number one hundred is another milestone, and something i am truly grateful and thankful to be able to share with you all.
This blog has made me rich. Not with money, but with friends from all over the globe. Folks in foreign countries have read this blog, and seen my videos. Best of all is when they write, comment, and share their experiences with the digital transition. Some of the most viewed posts came from your submissions, and a few accidents along the way.
I gave you a tour of our transmitter site, which has 2,084 views on Youtube and on MyNC.com. Replacing an antenna video has 4,660 views and the number one most watched video of mine is….
First, it was a totally fluke, and an accident. I was shooting footage while working on my antenna, and decided to take a few minutes to show how to install an F-connector. I shot so much footage, I spun it off into a video on its’ own. That video has been seen 5,814 times on Youtube!
On the text side, I tried to post details with pictures to help explain some complicated and crazy things RF does in the atmosphere. I have been able to sharpen my Adobe Photoshop skills over the year and a half and it’s been fun and productive.
Not to mention HTML tags and such! The most read posts were inspired by a reader in Madison, Wisconsin and last year’s Internet Pumpkin Toss we played. Gene Falck kept the questions coming and thankfully so, made the most popular posts on this blog.
The F-connector post and the quick battery operated TV comes in as a tie for the number 3 most read posts. How a UHF loop antenna gets many hits per month, and the most complicated, geeky post of all comes in as number one in a lesson on wavelength and Earth science.
And you said you hated math, physics, and science in High School!
As for me, my favorite is the NC State student that took a fan motor apart to create his homemade antenna which worked fine. I’m sure he has bought an antenna since then, but it was a great lesson on “less is more”.
I just upgraded my video editing software, and I’m playing with the new effects, so who knows what is next. I don’t have much free time these days, so anything that streamlines the process will be welcome.
I know this has been rough on many folks switching over to digital, but hopefully we have covered solutions that have worked for you. As always, you can contact me directly here, email, or call our digital hotline at (919) 835-6250.
And. please, let’s not dwell on all the things that went wrong, or bad things that happened to us over the past year. Try to be thankful for what you have, even if it isn’t much. Love your neighbors and yourself, or at least be thankful you are not in their shoes.
And, by the way, no turkeys were harmed in the making of this blog post.
By The Pricking In My Thumbs, Something Wicked This Way Comes
I hope everyone has a safe Halloween. It’s one of those nights it’s just best to stay at home and watch TV. And for a change, I’m not necessarily going to watch over the air TV, but lots of my Favorite DVD’s from the past. So I am a sucker for the Sanderson Sisters in “Hocus Pocus” starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. Definitely might view “The Burbs” starring Tom Hanks, and naturally animation flicks “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and Charlie Brown collecting rocks in “It’s the Great pumpkin Charlie Brown“.
That’s about as terrified as I’ll get, except for the Ghouls and Goblins ringing my doorbell. I just hope I don’t eat all the candy first!
I will be doing something a bit out of the ordinary also, watching a live seance on weirdthings.com at 9PM Oct, 31st, when Justin Robert Young, Andrew Mayne, Brian Brushwood and guests try to contact Houdini live on the internet. That’s going to be something to see! (from a safe distance)
Naturally I’ll be raking leaves this weekend, since after the last rain they started falling faster. That’s good news for folks having Fall reception problems, but a pain in the lower back getting them to the street or mulched up for the flower beds.
At least we get an extra hour of sleep this weekend, but it’s always fun to see who shows up at church an hour early or later. Don’t forget to set your clocks back, and replace those smoke alarm batteries!!!
Plus, I have to do something special. You see, this is the 99th blog post on this site, so I have to come up with something amazing for the 100th post. Not sure what it will be, but stay tuned! Feel free to make suggestions, comments or email me.
Where Did The Signals Go? ip 10.23.09.003
TV signals are funny invisible things that don’t always behave. Well, maybe they behave, but not like we want them to! October is a good time to examine invisible things that go bump in the night, as well as those ghastly creatures that will be ringing your doorbells next weekend.
The Fall and Spring seasons are wonderful, unless you happen to be a TV signal. There are lots of things that can cause trouble. My favorite explanation for disappearing channels came from my Twitter friends @ChathamNC which suggested the Devil was stealing the signals at the Devil’s Tramping Ground South of Siler City. When I asked them if the Devil watches TV, they responded “most likely reality TV”. I’d think more likely any show with Dancing in the title.
But think about it: the area most affected by disappearing signals is from Siler City North to Orange County. So is the Devil stealing your TV? Well, some say he lives in it, but I doubt he has anything to do with the 40 foot circle of dirt in the woods where nothing grows, and it is said the Devil walks around thinking up ways to cause problems on Earth. Do we really need anyone to think up new problems for us? It seems we do a pretty good job of that on our own!
I went out today and made some signal measurements, and quite frankly, all the signals are there in abundance, floating in the air past the golden leaves gently swaying in the breeze. OK, so yeah, I go some great pictures today from Northern Chatham and Southern Orange Counties!
Not only were our local Raleigh signals coming in great, but also the Greensboro area signals were coming in great. Very strong, as a matter of fact. And that’s where your problem is in Chapel Hill, Durham, and in the surrounding area. Those signals are much stronger than usual due to the atmospheric conditions this time of year. It’s called tropo ducting or Dxing, and is very common in the Fall. You can visit the Tropospheric Ducting Forecast Website and see maps forecasting days in advance, but to be honest I can’t read these things, but they are pretty!
To combat these signals, you only need a directional antenna pointed to the towers you want to receive. Most indoor antennas will pick up signals from all around, and that’s not good when you are trying to watch TV 17 and TV 19 is booming in stronger. You have to aim the antenna.
If that is not to your taste, then you could try to have a seance, boil some eye of newt, and add some pumpkin for spice to a Calderon on an outdoor fire. Dance wildly around the fire being careful not to step on the coals. I doubt you’ll have much luck, so I do not recommend it.You can find some amusing videos from the Devil’s Tramping Ground on Youtube, but don’t expect to see him or your missing TV channels there!
I do recommend trying to call an expert, and Channel Master has a deal on their online store you may want to take advantage of. You can call them and talk to an expert at 1-877-746-7261 or visit them online at www.channelmasterstore.com They can suggest the right antenna for you, and any other equipment you might need, and for a limited time, if you use the coupon code “broadcastspecial” they will give you 10% off your order, and shipping is free on most items. It’s a pretty good deal to be able to talk to the experts with over 60 years of experience, even if you don’t buy anything.
Is that a flying pumpkin? IP 10.16.2009.002
Naw! Just balloon Boy!
Perhaps if he or his parents knew how to use the v-chip and TV ratings system in place today, he could have been watching TV. Maybe, perhaps, that’s what he had in mind! He could have been adjusting the antenna in the attic, or had developed a plan to strap an antenna to the balloon to get more channels. Yeah, that’s the ticket!
Actually, the TV ratings system is a bit convoluted, and totally difficult to decipher, as one reader tossed an Internet Pumpkin asking “What does all these TV ratings things mean?”
We are used to the Motion Picture Associations ratings of G for general audiences, PG and PG-13, as well as R and X. But TV went further with Y and all sorts of crazy letters.
 |
All Children |
| This program is designed to be appropriate for all children. Whether animated or live-action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages 2 – 6. This program is not expected to frighten younger children. |
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Directed to Older Children |
| This program is designed for children age 7 and above.It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy violence or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children. |
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Directed to Older Children – Fantasy Violence |
| For those programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative than other programs in this category, such programs will be designated TV-Y7-FV. |
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General Audience |
| Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages. Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations. |
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Parental Guidance Suggested |
| This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D). |
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Parents Strongly Cautioned |
| This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D). |
 |
Mature Audience Only |
| This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. This program contains one or more of the follwing: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L). |
The system is designed to aide parents in controlling what their young children watch, but since most people have no clue how to activate the v-chip settings, it is not used that often. Especially parents who would let their kids play with an inflated Helium balloon that could float off into space!
The TV can be a great babysitter. My folks used it on me and I turned out right good if I say so myself. And I watched shows with tremendous violence in them like “Bugs Bunny & the Roadrunner“. I’m pretty sure I have a good grasp on what is possible, and what is impossible. Falling off a cliff in a cartoon does not and has never struck me as something I wanted to duplicate. But watching them today, after the networks removed all the so called violence, seems to make them much less effective and I have no interest in them. I prefer the originals where the coyte’s legs buckle as the anvil hits his head. Ever tried to drop an anvil on your friend’s head? They are pretty heavy things.
Parents have to play a role in bringing their kids up. You can’t expect the Government or TV stations to protect them from unsuitable content. You have to learn how to use the tools at hand, and teach them something schools can’t. How to use common sense.
Oh yeah, and to not throw up on national TV!
Creatively Resting: IP 10.4.09.001
October is Internet Pumpkin Month, where you throw me an idea, question, or subject and I toss back a blog post for you. You have already tossed some great ideas my way. One in particular I am acting on. “Hey Russ, why don’t you take a break?”
Well, maybe it was more like just go away you moron, but people tend to interpret text differently, so I figured it meant take a vacation. Being a work-a-holic I’ll still be blogging and shooting video anyway, so don’t count on me being gone! Some of my best writing has come from Mom’s swing and while sitting on the beach!
So not much meat in this posting, except to say keep those cards and letters coming! Email me here or post a comment for any topics you want to know more about, or any problems you are still having after the DTV transition. You can even submit a guest post and I’ll gladly feature it on this page about your experiences in the age of digital!
Wake me up when September ends
Not that I have been lethargic on these cooler Autumn days, but it has been perfect weather to sit out on the deck and read without a major bug invasion buzzing around my head. I do love Fall most of all. The smell of fields being harvested, the running nose, stuffed head, from Ragweed blooming on the side of the roads. It is just perfect.
If you need to get on the roof to fix that antenna, or tweak it in the attic, the temps are just right to get it ready. For what, you may ask? Well, the trees have already begun their annual transformation from green to mean. Soaking up the last bits of sun and water before going to sleep. And sleeping trees seem to always absorb RF TV signals that were perfect only a week ago.
Such is life in our area, but we wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!
My favorite part of Fall began last year when you and I tossed Internet Pumpkins back and forth. You sent in questions and comments, and I tossed back a blog post on your subject. Some of the highest viewed posts have were written during last October from your feedback.
Again, this October, toss me any IP idea you like, and I’ll toss back an answer. Small or large, technical, or not, throw it in and let’s see how things are different after the digital transition. Reception, breakups, anything. I will respond, or find an expert to post in order to get you the right answer.
It’s possible that the Great Pumpkin might make a visit!
A Smear Campain
This week viewer Terry wrote in about a problem with his plasma display. Normally a plasma TV is the top of the line. The best you can get in picture quality. But the problem he is reporting, is shared by “a lot of angry people” as he put it, and I can certainly see why. It’s a problem called “line bleed” and once you see it, it’s like a hole in a tooth you can’t keep your tongue out of. It draws your eye to it and I can see why folk’s blood would boil. It’s a little difficult to explain in text, but I found this great example on the avsforum about it. This example mentions Panasonic, but it is also includes Samsung and other manufacturers, although not every set they make has this issue.
As a matter of fact, I went to a local Big Box store to see if I could see this problem on new sets, and sure enough, in the center of the displays was a Sammy and a Panny side by side with the issue big as day. None of the other plasma screens had the problem, including Samsung and Panasonics, but it only took 30 seconds of watching the store’s Blu-Ray demo disc before it popped up on two different sets. In normal programming, it would be difficult to see, but when the set menus are displayed, or high contrast graphics like above, you’ll see the smear across the entire screen.
Samsung responded to several complaints, and stated it is “normal” for a phosphor display to exhibit this affect. Many of these folks had their sets replaced a couple of times, and it still occurred. Whether this is “normal” or not is irrelevant, it is annoying and I can certainly see why folks would be angry with this happening. There does not seem to be any repair for sets with this issue, so many are just “putting up with it”. I’m sure though, when they replace those sets, it will be from a different manufacturer!
So if you’re shopping for a new HDTV, don’t rush into the first pretty face you see. Make sure it has a great picture. Make sure it has enough inputs for your future needs. And make sure you look for “line bleed” and if it has it, look at the next one. The stores demo discs are pretty good at featuring lots of content, so keep your eye on the screen for a high contrast scene like above. You might want to go into the menu and note if you see the streak from the menu text. If you do, go to the next one until you see a sharp picture with no smear.
You can read the entire thread on the avsforum and at Techarena.
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