Converter Boxes - it's NOT just about the box.

A recent visitor expressed an understanding of my frustration of the DTV conversion and posted a link to the following WGME report.

http://www.wgme.com/series/OnYourSide/oys_20090203.shtml

While the couple in the piece is right, the DTV conversion is fraught with misinformation, I noticed something in the video that stuck out like a sore thumb.

The Lewis family, near Oxford, Maine, bought a converted box at Walmart - no problem so far. They rely on antenna TV because of where they live. No cable coverage, no satellite TV coverage. But I noticed on the top of their TV was an antenna (rabbit ears, so to speak) which are supposed to work. Well now we have a problem.

When I first got my HDTV and attempted to receive free over the air digital/HD, I tried about 10 different indoor antenna's and only one worked. I tried the one shown in the WGME clip which I got from Walmart. I tried 3 other brands from Walmart and 2 other brands from Radio Shack. Remember I'm talking about antennas, not converter boxes.

And through this blog I have had contact with people who own outdoor, rooftop antenna of various sizes and shapes; all with various degrees of luck and none all too happy.

But it wasn't until I went to Best Buy and bought a strange looking antenna from a company called TERK. It cost be about $70.00. But I can receive every Portland station and several in New Hampshire as well. All are in picture perfect HD quality. If I need to watch the NH channels I just adjust the position of the antenna where it sits on a table right next to my HDTV.

Here is a picture of the antenna I use:

So let me reiterate. Any converter box will do, they all do the same thing. But not all antennas are alike. And you need a good antenna to receive over the air digital TV.

With mine, I can receive WCSH, WMTW, WGME, Maine PBS, WPME (MyNetwork), WPXT(CW), and WPFO (Fox). Keep in mind that WPFO recently ran a test to make sure everything will work when they cut over to WPFO on midnight, February 17. Search this blog for more info on why WPFO is different than the rest.

I hope this information helps. I am not "endorsing" this product and get no kick backs from the company, or anything like that. It was all about trial and error.

To the Lewis family in Oxford. I wish you luck and would suggest your return the rabbit ears you have, if you can, and then buy the TERK model. If you can't get any stations with the TERK, then you're in trouble because nobody cares about the signal strength of their TV station. (Again read other articles on this site).

Obama asks Congress to delay the digital conversion?

"Is the FCC Conversion Extension worth it; and is the FCC program for converter boxes really out of money?"

I'm not sure it will do any good but Barack Obama asked Congress to delay the conversion to digital for a few months. This came on the heals of the revelation that the FCC has run out of money and coupons for the digital converter boxes leaving untold numbers of consumers in the lurch.

However, will it matter? The current time frame is that all regular broadcast television stations must cease transmitting their analog signal on February 17, 2009. However, this does not prevent television stations from ending their analog transmission EARLIER than that. In Southern Maine, Channels 35 and 51 (MyNetwork and the CW) have already ceased analog operations last September. MPBN (Maine PBS) and NHPTV (New Hampshire Public Television) ended their analog transmission on January 11, 2009. You see, many TV stations don't want to wait to the very last day to end analog and the FCC has encouraged stations not to wait until the very end.

So even if Barack Obama convinces Congress to "extend" the conversion, it will take a miracle for Congress to understand exactly out what they are voting on and what effect it will really have. Can TV broadcasters still convert early? Is there some edict that says TV stations CAN'T cut off their analog signal? Do stations that already cut off their analog signal have to turn it back on? And what about stations who have been waiting for the conversion date so that they can do a "flash cut over". This is for TV stations who came into existence after this digital road map was plotted out back in 1996. This extension, from what I can tell, is only going to result in it costing lots of people, lots of money. Huge expenses are involved in either keeping analog AND digital going at the same time. And for cell phone providers and others who need the bandwidth freed up by shutting down analog signals now have to wait 4 more months to take advantage of it. The expenses involved in this are endless.

So if you look at the real dollars involved, this extension was not looked at carefully. And when you consider who many digital converter box coupons were issues (and on the books) but never used, was the FCC really out of money for this program?

I guess we'll see.

The truth about broadcast television's conversion to digital

I feel that I need to make this VERY clear.

February 17, 2009, is not the first day of "digital TV", it is the last day of analog TV.

Over the air TV stations (the one's that broadcast the major networks) must cease all analog transmission over the air by 2/17/09.

Over the air TV stations have been broadcasting both analog signals AND digital signals for quite some time; in many cases for a few years. The FCC has said they must cease the over the air analog signals by the date above.

Over the air TV stations can cut off transmission of their analog TV signal as soon as November 19, 2008 without further approval from the FCC. (SO YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL 2/17/09 TO ACT IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO)

Over the air TV stations can cut off transmission of their analog signal PRIOR TO November 19, 2008 with approval from the FCC. Many have applied and the FCC has never said no. In my area, I already have one network (THE CW) that has ceased analog transmission and another network will cease analog transmission in September. (AGAIN, YOU CAN'T WAIT AROUND UNTIL FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR, THIS STUFF IS HAPPENING NOW).

• According to the "Leightman Research Group" 14% of primary residences nationwide with at least one TV set do not subscribe to cable ... or any other type of multi-channel video service (satellite, telephone company, etc). In addition, 24% of households that subscribe to a multi-channel video service have at least one TV set that only receives broadcast programming. In total, 34% of all US households are at risk of losing broadcast reception to at least one TV set as a result of the pending digital transition if no action is taken.
• Further, among those who have heard about the transition to digital, 30% OF THOSE WHO DON'T subscribe to cable or multi-channel service BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSITION TO DIGITAL WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON THEIR TVs. Also, 41% of cable or satellite subscribers with at least one broadcast-only TV set think that the transition will have no impact on their TVs.

So let me just summarize these two points above. There are a lot of people, even now, who either only rely on over-the-air broadcasting or have at least one TV that relies on over-the-air broadcasting, that don't realize they will not receive any TV signals on those television sets after 2/19/09 or even earlier depending on the TV stations from which they get the over-the-air signals. I know that was a long sentence. Let me state it again only shorter. Some people don't know, or don't believe, they will stop getting TV on their TV.

I am no advocate for cable TV, satellite TV, or any other form of pay TV. I have a digital TV set with an antenna and receive all of the major broadcast TV networks for free in digital and high definition for free. I want to ensure that everyone continues to receive their television signals.

You can do it cheaply with your existing analog TV if you purchase a digital converter box with a $40 coupon provided to you by the FCC (www.dtvanswers.com).

If you can afford it, subscribe to a cable or satellite service and if you can afford it, but a digital TV, but you don't have to.

There has been so much publicity about the conversion to digital TV that I think people have tuned it out. They think they are all set or don't really understand what they need to do, if anything. I mean, who would ever think that after all these years the very nature of television is changing and nothing works like it used to. But, that is what we are dealing with.

Those of you in more rural or otherwise hard to reach locations may have difficulty getting digital TV signals. They are not as strong as analog signals. So those TV stations that you receive that are a bit fuzzy sometimes or have ghost images, they won't even come in when that TV station goes all digital. That is why I want everyone to figure out, and think about their particular situation and make changes where necessary.

Let's face it. For many of us, especially with the economy the way it is, rely on television for our only form of entertainment. Most of rely on TV as our primary source of local, national, and international news. TV is our primary lifeline to the rest of the world.

So please do some research and find out if you need to do anything to keep receiving television signals. There is plenty of information out there but if you can't find the answer, write to me and I'll do my best to help.

Those without cable boxes are not safe from digital forever

This was taken from the FCC's DTV web site. It explains how cable companies are required to carry ANALOG signals of local TV stations and the FCC's rule to move to digital only applies to high powered broadcast TV (over the air).

Having said that, analog won't be around forever. Those without cable boxes are OK for a few years. But at some point, I believe that everything will be in digital because at some point it will be cheaper. Anyway, here is the statement:

"First, it's important to know that the February 17, 2009 deadline for the digital television transition only applies to full-power broadcast stations. The government does not require cable companies to transition their systems to digital. They can continue to deliver channels to their customers using analog signals. Actually, cable companies are required under FCC rules to offer local broadcast stations to their customers in analog, as long as they offer any analog service. This requirement will continue for at least three years after February 17, 2009. The FCC will decide in 2011 whether the requirement should be extended beyond February 17, 2012. This means that customers who receive analog cable service (without a cable set-top box) will be able to continue doing so."

I'll just add "for now" to the end of that sentence.