WMTW Portland Maine - Still broadcasting in SD like it's 1999?

If you watch any local programming on WMTW, Channel 8, in Portland, ME, you would think you think that time travel exists and you would think you are in 1999.

The local news programs produced by WMTW look as if they were produced in the 1990's and quite possibly are still using video tape instead of anything remotely "digital".

Ever since the digital TV (i.e. High Definition) revolution began, WMTW has been behind the times.  They were the last TV station in their market to convert to "HD" in terms of broadcasting from the ABC network, and the last to convert to what THEY consider to be high definition for local news broadcasting.

I gave WMTW some heat on this blog concerning their late arrival but was pleased when they at least figured out how to broadcast the ABC prime time programming in HD (albeit 720p instead of 1080i, but that's an ABC network issue that I'll address later).  But even at that time, the local WMTW news was still in SD.

If you look at Channel 8's local news, you would still think they aren't broadcasting in High Definition, and I'm not convinced that they actually are.

As you probably know, you can see what they consider to be High Definition and compare it to Standard Definition easily by switching between the two channels (whether it's over the air on channel 8.1 and 8.2, or on your cable system comparing the lower channel to the "HD" upper channel).

While WMTW's "HD" channel appears to be better slightly better quality, is it?

Here's what I think is their trick.  Old fashioned SD television was in a 4:3 picture ratio (4 down by 3 across).  HD signals use a 16:9 ratio (16 across by 9 down), hence wider flat screen HD TVs.

If you watch a 4:3 (SD) picture on a 16:9 (HD) TV, there are two options:

• leave the 4:3 ratio and fill in the rest of the screen (sides of the picture) with black bars
• STRETCH the picture to fill the screen but everyone looks short and fat, and generally the image is just horrible

After broadcast TV was forced to go digital in 2009, things changed slightly.  Typically you can watch an HD signal in non-HD mode on your TV but now there will be black bars on the top, bottom, and sides.  The picture doesn't fill the screen but the ratio (16:9) is correct.  So while the picture might be clearer and look right, it doesn't fill the screen and you can't force it to unless you plan to not see the entire picture.

The ONLY other option is for a TV station to broadcast its Standard Definition signal in 16:9.  We usually associate the 16:9 ration with HD, but TV cameras have the capability of recording in the 16:9 ratio even if you are using Standard Definition.

16:9 ratio programming in SD almost looks like HD except the picture quality when compared to real HD is severely lacking, and when compared to old-fashioned 4:3 Standard definition is about the same.

I don't believe that WMTW is broadcasting its locally produced news (or other) programming in real High Definition.

Do a quick comparison.  Watch a newscast on WMTW in HD.  Compare it to any other local channel's news cast.  The difference will ASTOUND you.

Continue watching WMTW and wait for a "remote location" shot.  You will see that the picture quality is even worse because WMTW can't seem to spring for better offsite cameras.

Even if WMTW were broadcasting in full HD, it would be 720p.  This is a choice made by America's broadcasting networks.  NBC, CBS, PBS, and the CW chose 1080i (a better quality picture all around regardless of what some "experts" say - just take a look for yourself).  Fox, and ABC chose 720p.  So each network's affiliates invested in the technology that matched their Parent Company broadcaster.

Some people say that 720p ("p" meaning progressive) is just as good as 1080i ("i" meaning interlaced).  Without going into the difference between progressive and interlaced technologies, in my personal experience in watching TV (which I admit is extensive), 1080i is far superior to 720p especially on larger TV screens (over 32").

But I digress.

The picture quality of WMTW's local news programming SUCKS.  And, their remote shot picture quality is even worse, if that's possible.

I had been laying low because I knew WMTW moving into new studios is Westbrook in September 2014.  I thought that finally, things would improve.  I was disappointed when nothing changed.

As much as I dislike both WCSH channel 6 news, and WGME channel 13 news, I prefer to actually watch either of them over WMTW because the picture quality on WMTW is so bad.  I don't know what WMTW is doing wrong or not doing right.  I just know that what I said many years ago is still true:

"When it comes to TV ratings, whoever has the best HD picture wins"

It's not that complicated.  This is true of cable TV as well.  My cable system does not offer every cable channel in HD.  The non-HD channels are down in the lower numbers.  The High Def channels are on the upper channel numbers.  When I'm channel surfing, I start at the first HD channel - 702 for me - and work upwards.  I don't even look at channels not in HD.

So, for anyone at WMTW, we know that you broadcast in 720p so we understand why your prime time programs are of a lesser quality.  BUT, can you explain why your local news looks no different than it did prior to your "switch" to high definition?

Post DTV transition in Maine - having any problems?

Maine finished its DTV transition on June 12 (for all except low-powered TV stations) along with everyone else. There are still a few "nightlight" broadcasters that will maintain an analog signal for a few short weeks.

As of June 13, I no longer an able to receive WMTW Channel 8 which I had always been able to receive before, and I mean receive the DTV/HDTV signal. So what's different? Channel 8 is the only station in Southern Maine to change the channel on which they broadcast their digital signal.

All digital signals actually emanated from the UHF (channels 14-69) spectrum. Your TV would still show the correct channel but it was actually being broadcast on a different channel. It's sort of like when you go to "google.com" you are actually going to an IP address of 64.233.161.99. That IP address can change but if it does you don't need to know it. You just keep going to Google.com. The same has been true for digital TV. Your digital device (TV, Converter Box, etc) picked up TV station WMTW on 46.1, but all you see is Channel 8.

However, WMTW changed their broadcast signal to be on VHF channel 8.1 instead of UHF channel 46.1. There are pros and cons to a TV stations keeping things as they are versus changing to a VHF channel. It has positive affects for some and negative for others. For me, it is negative. I used to get channel 8 via my UHF/VHF antenna but now I don't.

I'd like get some comments from folks on what they are experiencing after the transition. Good or bad, I think it will be helpful to track some of the positive and negative affects of the DTV transition in hopes of relaying that information to someone who can fix problems.

Thanks again for stopping by.

Southern Maine get's ready for the final "final date" of DTV transtion

Only 4 days left until June 12, 2009 - the new "drop dead" date for all Americans to be ready for Digital Television.

As a common lay person not involved directly with television broadcasting or the television industry, this has been the longest 2 years of my life. When I started writing, investigating, and talking to as many people as I could over 2 years ago, I had no idea what I was in for.

It was a long, arduous journey up to February 17, 2009 when we THOUGHT that analog signals for high powered, over-the-air Television Stations would end. Then, the FCC and the Obama Administration "extended" the drop dead date to June 12, 2009, to give those involved (since 1996) a few more months to get it right.

Even Michael Copps, Acting FCC Chairman, said that the FCC was NOT able to accomplish much and was not able to make much of a difference during the 4 month extension. Why? Well, in my opinion it was "over exposure". The American public was sick to death of hearing about the transition. Those that were going to do something about it already did and those that procrastinated continued to do so.

The FCC and the National Association of Broadcasters have already admitted that there is not much they can do now but wait and clean up the mess (reference Broadcasting & Cable Magazine, June 2009). After June 12 they will start dealing with reception problems. Do you know what that means?

For those who rely on antenna TV it means that the number of stations they received under analog TV will be reduced, in many cases significantly, to one or two if they are lucky. And there is not a single person or agency they can call who will care. I know that because people who visit this site have reported to me on numerous occasions that they have DTV reception problems with the DTV converter boxes. And in calling the TV stations involved, have received little, if any, help at all.

The local TV stations point fingers at the FCC, who point fingers back at the TV stations, who point fingers back at the Association of Broadcasters in their area, who blame the government, who blame the TV stations who blame the public. It is as vicious a circle as I have ever seen.

For those of us in Maine, a large portion (about 14%) of the population rely ONLY on over-the-air reception for television. And it just so happens that a great deal of these people seem to live on the "cusp" between where the analog signal used to reach and where the digital signal will reach.

FCC Commissioner Copps himself has admitted that his own DTV converter box worked fine over this past winter; but when spring came and the leaves came, so did the DTV signal interference. So if we're going to have problems with leaves being in the way, I don't think the State of Maine is where you're going to be most happy with over-the-air Digital TV.

To bring one more layer of confusion, some TV stations will change the channel number from which they broadcast their digital signal on June 12, 2009. I am having a tough time nailing down which channels in Maine will and which one's won't change. From what I can gather at this point here is the run down of the stations I know about in Southern Maine.

(The channel number that is displayed on your screen when you channel surf is called the PSIP; which can be different from the actual UHF broadcast channel)

WCSH (NBC) Channel 6 will remain UHF 44
WMTW (ABC) Channel 8 will change to VHF 8
WGME (CBS) Channel 13 will remain UHF 38
WPFO (Fox) Channel 23 will remain UHF 23
WPME (MYN) Channel 35 will remain UHF 35
WPXT (CW) Channel 51 will remain UHF 43
Maine PBS - depends on where you are. Check http://www.mpbn.net/About/DTV/tabid/251/Default.aspx for details.

For me, the only one of these I need to worry about is WMTW because that's the only channel in Southern Maine that I receive that is changing. So instead of doing an entire rescan (which can cause more problems that it's worth) I will simply manually change my DTV to look for channel 8 on Channel 8.1 instead of 46.1. I would suggest you do the same unless don't know how to do this in which case you better stick with the full re-scan of channels on your DTV device.

Good luck to you all. I have heard there are some things going on at the State and Federal level to help improve signal strength of digital TV but I doubt you will see the benefits of that for many months.

The way HD life is supposed to be

It finally happened. After more than two years of working at this I finally have all of my high definition in one place and can easily channel surf them all.

I never thought it would happen.  Last week, my cable company, Metrocast, added WPME (MyNetwork), WPXT (the CW), and WPFO (Fox), to my HD channel lineup.  I thought that these stations would be banished to the analog tier forever.  So now, to be able to use my DVR to record "24" in high definition instead of recording the analog broadcast, is something awesome.  I hate standard definition TV.  And before Metrocast made this change, I would have to switch over to my antenna to receive these channels over the air in HD but then I couldn't record shows that way.  And WPFO didn't begin over the air HD until February 17.

So now it's pretty cool to be able to channel surf and use my DVR to record ALL OF MY HD CHANNELS instead of just some of them.  Two years ago when I started this blog I never thought this day would come.  It sounds so trivial when you compare it to what is going on in the world right now, but you've got to take your victories wherever you can get them.

I still support and believe in free, over the air TV.  If there was a way to purchase a DVR myself and use it however I wanted (meaning I could record from any number of Input devices like Antenna TV, Cable with a Box TV, Cable without a Box TV) things would be different.  But so far, from what I can tell, that technology isn't really viable right now.

It's a small victory but I congratulate my nemesis, the cable company, on FINALLY getting something right.  And congratulations to all of the Portland TV Broadcaster who finally go their signals out in HD on all fronts.

Digital and HD TV - the week in review

Maine viewers are very upset that they can no longer get MPBN (Maine PBS) over the air in many places. And Joe Riley, VP for Television, seems to think it's no big deal. He claims they had no idea how many viewers would be affected by a loss of their signal. He also claims they had no way of knowing how much of an impact the switch to digital would have on MPBN viewers who receive them via antenna.

Then in a newspaper article, Mr. Riley suggests that viewers (in an effort to justify MPBN's lack of digital signal) use a web site called TV Fool to get get a very detailed map of the digital TV coverage spectrum. You can zoom in on a single street, just about, to see if you should or should not be able to receive a digital signal from a particular TV station.

So which is it. Was digital TV unpredictable regarding the coverage area, or was it easy to determine who would or would not receive the signal by using TV Fool's tools to figure it out.

Riley and MPBN can't have it both ways.

As for consumers, I personally believe that in many cases it boils down to the quality of the indoor antenna they are using. Obviously if you have an outdoor antenna that receives both UHF and VHF signals, that is the best scenario. But I don't own a home. I rent and can not erect an antenna (also suggested by Mr. Riley).

On my primary TV I have a TERK UHF/VHF antenna. It is unbelievable in terms of what it can receive. I do receive all 7 different network channels available. I live in a valley in Southern Maine, in an apartment with trees and buildings around me. I am surrounded geographically by the foothills on three sides (all but facing south where there are no channels to receive).

When I purchased a converter box and tried to get my bedroom TV up and running on the cheap, I bought, and returned, probably 6 different antennas. The cheap ones at Walmart, the cheap ones at Radio Shack, the more expensive ones at Radio Shack - all with no luck. I would get one or two, and sometimes three, channels but that's it. So then I hooked up the TERK antenna I had connected to my HDTV and, well, there you go. All channels are go.

I hate to say this but to a large degree to exact type of antenna you use plays a huge part in what stations you will receive.

The last comment I will reference by Joe Riley at MPBN is that he hopes technology will improve so much regarding HDTV's and Converter Boxes that reception won't be an issue. Well, here's the truth. Neither a TV (digital or otherwise) nor a converter box can improve the strength of a digital TV signal so you either need a stronger antenna or a stronger signal. MPBN should be working on the signal strength. They are stalling because they don't want to spend the money. They have supposedly applied to the FCC to increase their signal strength. Well, right now, the conversion to digital is pretty much all the FCC has to worry about so there is no reason this should take so long.

On the other end, the antenna is the key. I don't like endorsing products but the UHF/VHF indoor TERK antenna has done me proud. I bought it at Best Buy and it cost about $73.00 when I bought it. That's a bit steep, I admit. But with all of the frustration of buying and returning antenna's I'm telling you, it's worth it.

So before anyone complains about what they can or can not receive, I am going to suggest you try the TERK antenna. You can always return it if you are not happy with it. I just believe that until consumers get that antenna, they won't know the true power of an antenna and receiving signals over the air.

Attn: Feedback needed! - What would you like to see in the black bars on your HDTV?

Doug Finck, the General Manager of WPXT (Channel 51) in Portland has asked that I pose a question to my readers.

"Do viewers want to see anything in the black side bars?"

WPXT has some new video equipment that gives them the ability to insert graphics into the black side bars (known as PILLARS) on the sides of a TV show when not in High Definition. These pillars exist because digital TV stations like WPXT broadcast a full widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) picture even if the show being broadcast isn’t in HD or a 16:9 format. (i.e. if it’s only a 4:3 ratio on a 16:9 screen, you get pillars). Traditionally these pillars have been solid black and have served no purpose.

They now have the ability to fill those pillars with graphics. If you have seen an ESPN HD feed then you may have seen some of the things they do with the pillars. You may also notice on the evening network news when they receive footage from the field that is not in a 16:9 ratio, they fill the space with colors and textures.

And that gets to the heart of the question. Do viewers want to see anything in the pillars?

Should WPXT ignore their new-found technical capabilities and just leave the pillars black?

And if they do use "pillar fillers", should they be up all the time, or just during programs, or just during commercial breaks?

Doug and WPXT are interested in hearing from viewers, and the readers of this blog, about what they would like (and not like) in the pillars.

Please feel free to comment and be very honest. This is a great opportunity for us, the Maine TV watching community, to tell a local TV station how we really feel about something. It's a first, for me anyway, to see a local TV station ask the opinion of the viewership on issues like this. Doug Finck has been an avid supporter of this blog site so let's not let him down. Give him some feedback. I don't want to sway anyone's opinion so I will give my feedback to Doug separately.

Thanks,

Update: Maine Television's Transition to Digital - what's really going on

Although President Obama signed a bill to extend the drop dead date for Analog broadcasting from February 17, 2009 to June 12, 2009, it is NOT a mandate. Broadcast television stations CAN extend their analog broadcasting, but they don't HAVE TO. So what's happening here in Maine? And what's happens beyond the conversion?

The future of Maine's broadcast television stations is in some ways written in stone and in other ways is very "up in the air" so to speak (pun intended).

There is a lot going on that we know about, but as always I am more interested in what we are not being told.

As of February 17, 2009 the following TV stations in Maine will still cease Analog operations and be Digital only. Some listed below have already shut off their analog signal.

WGME - CBS 13
*WPXT - CW - 51
*WPME - MyNetwork - 35
*MPBN - PBS Maine- Channel 10 in most areas except 9 in Orono and 45 in Biddeford
**WPFO - Fox 23
NHPTV - NH Public TV - Several channels
WVII - ABC 7 - Bangor

* Station has already dropped analog signal
** Station will do a flash cut-over from analog to digital on 2/17/09

CONGRATULATIONS, and job well done. I am glad that these stations have a backbone and continue forward on the conversion. The supposed extension to June is plain silliness. Why sign an extension bill if it is non-binding and all it does is cost different people money. It's crazy and unnecessary. The Converter Box Coupon program is not broke. The FCC handed out millions of coupons that were requested, but not really needed by the people who ordered them. And they sent out millions to people who simply let them expire without ever using them. The FCC is accounting for all of these unused and unneeded coupons as if it's money out the door and then claiming they are in the red. It's a bunch of crap. I don't know the percentages because the won't tell me but there must be a huge number of coupons out there that have never and will never be used. So I'd like to see the FCCs books to see if they moved those dollars back into the "cash available" column.

Now these are the TV in Maine stations who don't have a backbone and are using this fake extension as an excuse to hide their sub-standard technological abilities.

WMTW - ABC - 8 - Portland
WCSH - NBC - 6 Portland
WLBZ- NBC - 2 Bangor - owned by WCSH
WABI - CBS - 5 Bangor
The CW - used to be 56 Bangor, now just digital and only standard definition as a sub channel of WABI - The WABI/CW partnership is the most confusing and screwed up setup I have ever seen. I don't even think this CW entity has its own channel number anymore.

So there you have it, the winners and losers. Or is that the whole story?

The real truth is that NOT ONE MAINE TV STATONS is producing any programming in High Definition or even Standard Definition in 16:9 widescreen format. Not ONE. In Boston all three of the big three local affiliates produce their local news in High Definition. And they use Standard Def widescreen cameras for many of the field shots. WCVB even produces the only New England based non-news programming in High Definition. It's called Chronicle and they do an unbelievable job with production values.

Now in my area, WCSH, WMTW, and WGME all produce their news in digital, but standard definition. So all of us with HD televisions have to put up with two black bars on the side of the picture (called pillars). Many HDTV can't streth the picture to fit the screen easily because said black pillars are broadcast as part of the picture. The pillars exists only to fill up the screen. You would think that the people at these TV stations would be EMBARRASSED at this point. Hell, even Oprah and Ellen are in High Definition now, but Maine's crack TV technical directors can't quite figure out how to broadcast these programs in HD to Maine viewers. If Boston can do it why can't Maine? Is it about the money?

Of course it is. But they will blame in on the "economic downturn" or "reduced advertising revenue". The bottom line is that these stations are all owned by some corporate conglomerate. So until Maine's population demands High Definition local programming and refuses to watch the existing, ridiculous 1980's-style "news", then our TV stations will continue to offer sub-standard programming. If they aren't losing viewers, they have not reason to change anything.

Isn't it time we spoke up? Haven't we had to deal with enough with the digital conversion? WE WANT OUR HDTV!!!

Here's the big picture. A lot of people in Maine rely on over-the-air TV broadcasting. They have been forced to buy a new digital TV (and maybe a new antenna) or a converter box (and maybe a new antenna). When they have completed this, and hook it all up, they most likely receive fewer channels than they did before, because digital signals aren't as strong. The FCC promised that consumers would receive the same stations they did before. THIS IS NOT TRUE. The FCC had NO IDEA what they were talking about and did not know how many consumers would be affected by a reduction in the number of channels received. Now add on top of this all of the public service announcements and TV crawlers and news articles that have been going on for almost 2 years. The whole thing has been a major production and in my opinion, since the government started this whole thing, it was bound to be a mess, and it is.

So after all this don't we deserve to have high definition programming all the time, not just digital. Digital TV by itself isn't "better" than high quality analog broadcasting, not to the human eye anyway. So if you're not going to make a real difference and go HD all the way, then why bother. It's like in the old days if they had started selling color TVs and then no programming was in color, wouldn't you be a bit upset after you spent the money on a new set?

The Maine TV stations who are so behind the curve should be ashamed of themselves; I am ashamed and embarrassed by them. Thank goodness I can get the Boston channels from my house.

How will I know if I'm getting HDTV?

I received a call from my mother yesterday. She has a friend who was talking to her about the DTV and HDTV conversion. The friend thought that she wouldn't know if she had set things up right and wouldn't know if she was really receiving HDTV. My mother said that she relayed to the friend something I had said: "I told her you said people weren't getting the High Definition TV even though the paid for it".

OK, first, I corrected here. Mother, I never said that somebody paid for HDTV or digital TV and was not getting what they paid for". The scenario she mentions indicates that some type of money transaction occurred for a service which means either cable or satellite. People in this category don't have to worry about whether or not they are receiving DTV or HDTV. If they paid for it, the provider will hook it up for you and make sure you are receiving it.

The real question, I soon found out, was that the friend would have either an antenna with a converter box and an analog TV, or an antenna with a digital TV. Either of these are ways to continue to receive FREE broadcast TV. As to whether or not anybody would know if the picture was High Definition or not, trust me, you'll know.

If you have an analog TV and the converted box and antenna are working properly, the pictures you receive will be very clear and crisp.

If you have a digital TV and are using a good quality antenna, the HD picture will blow your socks off, you'll know. The picutre will make you believe the people are standing in the room and the sound is comoparable to movie theater quality.

Keep in mind that most broadcast TV stations only broadcast High Definition during prime time. There are a few exceptions like Good Morning America, The Today Show, The View, and The Young and the Restless. Other than that, you won't see much in HD unless it's from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Then, Letterman and Leno are in HD. That's the entire HD lineup for broadcast TV.

My mom also asked if it was OK to give out my blog address and did she need a special pass word. I explained to my mother that blogs, like web sites, are free and available to the public. She can give out my blog address to anyone and everyone if she wants.

I'm glad we straightened that out.

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).

The analog extension is back on

As many of you already know the extension of analog TV is back on. After initially being turned down by the U.S. House of Representatives, somehow it was revisited and then voted on again; this time with enough votes to pass.

Known as the DTV Delay Act of 2009 (Bill HR 681) here is how clarification provisions of the bill read:

Declares that this Act does not prevent: (1) a station from ending analog broadcasting (and continuing to broadcast exclusively digitally) before June 13, 2009; or (2) a public safety service from beginning operations on spectrum recovered as a result of such voluntary cessation of analog or digital broadcasting.

So what does this "law" do? It allows the converter box coupon program to get additional funding and to continue beyond February 17, 2009 to June 13, 2009.

What does this law NOT do? It doesn't force any television station to continue broadcasting in analog if they don't choose to. And most WILL NOT CHOOSE TO because it is costing them a lot of money to broadcast in Analog AND digital.

So let's break it down. If you still want or need a $40 coupon to buy a digital converter box (and most people still don't know if they need one or not), then you can still apply for one and get one. The coupon will give you $40.00 off the purchase of a converter box, which averages between $50 and $60 dollars each. For those that do not have them yet, THEY ARE STILL OUT OF LUCK.

Digital is here, there is no way to stop it. The law that was passed is about funding for a program. The program in question was supposedly broke. But if they stop and count all of the coupons they issued that were never used the question becomes, were they really broke?????

Digital TV reception is bad. The FCC wanted consumer to continue to receive free over-the-air TV ever though broadcast TV stations were forced to convert digital. The FCC figured that if a consumer received X number of channels in analog, they would receive the same number of channels in digital. They figured wrong. Digital TV signals are much, much weaker than analog signals. So if you receive a digital channel, you'll get a great picture, but if you don't receive a channel very well, there won't be a fuzzy or snowy picture, there won't be any picture at all.

This law/bill does not address reception issues. However, reception issues are what everyone who is relying on a converter box for over-the-air TV is worried about. Many, or most, have realized that their antenna TVs used to get a lot more channels than they do with a digital converter box. It's not the box's fault. It's the signal from the TV station.

Some TV stations have increased their signal power, some plan to soon, and some don't plan to. So good luck. You're on your own. Nobody is addressing this issue. Not the FCC, not your State, not your local government, not the TV stations themselves, no Congressman, no Senators, NOBODY.

And therein lies the problem. This whole digital conversion thing is not about converter boxes and extensions of official dates. It is about TV reception. All the extensions and all the funding for digital converter boxes and all of the public service announcements aren't going to amount to a hill of beans because digital TV reception sucks.

The FCC overlooked it and doesn't care about it. All of the rules and regulations took placed for the most part under the Bush Administration who appointed Republican cronies to the jobs at the FCC. These were cushy jobs that had no accountability, as usual. And only now is the U.S. government realizing what has happened.

House defeats Analog Extension Bill - Digital is back on track

I just got word that the House of Representative defeated the Analog Transition Extension Bill.

After calling Chellie Pingree's office yesterday, I didn't have a good feeling about this but low and behold, the House came to their senses and defeated the bill.

So the digital transition is back on schedule. Only 19 days to go.

Beware the FCC Digital Converter Box Coupon Program

"We're talking about the U.S. Government, here"

It's been a nightmare trying to get converter box coupons. But what did I expect. This was a government-run program after all. Should I have really thought it would go smoothly. And now Congress is close to extending the Analog cut off to June 12 (whatever that means).

While I don't agree with Barack Obama that the conversion itself should be pushed back a few months so that the FCC can regroup, I do understand why he asked for it, the FCC Converter Box Coupon Program is a mess. It ran out of funding and many people who need a converter box may not get the government assistance (in the form of a $40 coupon card) they expected.


I started last May. I went to the web site, applied for my cards (you can ask for up to 2 per household) and waited. And waited. And waited. They finally showed up at my house and I noticed at the time that the issue date was about 30 days prior to the day I received it. While I didn't give much thought to it at the time, I only had 90 days to use them and 30 of those days were gone. I kept saying to myself, in a quiet voice in the back of my mind,k "I need to stop by Radio Shack and pick up that converter box". Well that time passed and I never did it.

So those expired. Then I applied again using a friends name who didn't need them. I told her they were coming and to let me know when they arrived. After a few months I asked her about them and she said she "thinks" she got them. More weeks passed. She finally gave them to me and they had already expired. So there's another set of coupons gone.

So my last resort was talking to a friend of mine at work. She was telling me that she applied for them even though she didn't need them but wanted to give them to some underprivileged folks she works with outside of work. Her intent was in knowing that these folks didn't now much about the conversion so she wanted to be able to explain it and hand them the coupons. When I told her what happened to me she immediately offered to give me one of hers.

So there, I finally got one. I went to Radio Shack and talked to them about a converter box. It was all a big rush and I thought the gentleman said that "this box would be covered by the coupon" meaning I would just pay any taxes.

When he rang it up he said "That will be $24.50" or something like that. I said "WHAT?". He then explained that he meant the coupon was "applicable" to this converter box, not that it would cover the entire cost except tax.

So I said that I wanted to cancel the transaction and see if I could find a converter box for cheaper. He said he couldn't void the sale because in ringing it up he had to put the coupon number in the computer and there was no way to void it. So now I was stuck paying an extra $24.00 for a converter box. And I couldn't return it either. Well, I could but I would lose out on my coupon discount. I'm not sure I understand it all but again, it's the government we're talking about.

So this ridiculous coupon program is being extended because it ran out of money. Well if you consider how many coupons they "accounted" for that were never used, I'll bet they never ran out of money. It's all on paper. I called my U.S. Representative, Chellie Pingree. I got an aide of some sort name Antoine. I asked how Ms. Pingree was going to vote on the extension bill. The Senate already approved it. He wouldn't tell me how she would vote. He did ask me how I wanted her to vote and said he would relay that to her but he refused to tell me how she intended to vote. Why can't I, as a constituent, ask how my representative, or congress-person, is going to vote on an issue? Isn't that a simple question? But then again, we're talking about he government here.

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.

Maine HDTV Forum featured in Port City Life Magazine

Peter Smith, a assistant editor at Port City Life magazine based out of Portland, Maine, contacted me here and was interested in finding out more, and in writing an article about this blog and the issues that confront us as we move to digital and high definition television. Click on the image below for a full sized page. Don't forget to click "Back" when you're done to get back to this page.



Thanks to all our visitors and contributors for their support.

Metrocast adds HD channels to lineup - sort of

In New Hampshire and Far Southwestern Maine, where Metrocast Cable crosses over the state borders to do business, the channel lineup can change right before your very eyes.

With no fanfare or announcement, Metrocast added Fox 25, the Fox Affiliate out of Boston which is in High Definition, to their lineup. I was surprised and called Metrocast to see if this was permanent or just some sort of test. The reason I called is that Maine has a Fox channel, Fox 23 out of Waterville, but they are not broadcasting over the air in HD and won't until February 17, 2009. It's all due to some FCC rules and it's a long story. In any case, I was told that Fox 25 would be permanently added to the channel lineup for those of us in Maine (even though technically we shouldn't have it because Maine has as Fox channel with broadcasting rights to this area. And even if/when Fox 23 is ready to broadcast in HD in Maine on February 17, there's nothing that says Metrocast will carry that channel. We have yet to test receiving Fox 23's digital signal because it's just not there yet.

Low and behold a few weeks went by and the channel disappeared. I called Metrocast to find out what was going on and nobody knew but the said they would get back to me. Anybody care to guess if they did? Any wagers? No? None? You are correct. Nobody ever got back to me. So I wrote to them via email and still nobody has gotten back to me.

So know the rest of the lineup. For 2009 Metrocast added QVC is HD. Wow, now there's some real progress in the world of HD. QVC launched their HD channel but the actual picture size is smaller than regular analog QVC because QVC decided to fill up a third of the screen with white space, advertising that they sell HD TVs. Not quite sure where the benefit is there.

Then we have Versus HD. I never even heard of Versus regular, never mind HD. And if you are going to launch an HD channel, shouldn't you have HD programming. Every time I channel surf, Versus HD isn't in HD; they're not even in wide screen format. And it's a bunch of shows about fishing.

So thank you Metrocast for yet more disappointment. You removed FOX in HD, you added QVC in HD but it isn't really HD, and you gave us a fishing channel that's not in HD either. Great work! You're really showing those satellite companies how it's done.

Frustrations abound with the conversion to digital TV

One of the most avid participants of the Maine HDTV community is a guy named Dave from north/central Maine. I was recently going through my email and discovered that since August of this year, Dave and I have emailed back and forth 63 times. I have tried to assist him in any way possible and have given him lots of advice and suggestions for avenues he could try.

Dave has been struggling with the loss of reception when he started using a digital converter box. Since all of the channels he should be receiving are broadcasting in digital, he should not have a problem. However, as we have found out, when it comes to digital TV and HDTV nothing is as simple as it might sound.

This all started quite some time ago. I don't even remember when. I do remember Dave contacting me through the forum with lots of questions and he was frustrated at how much wasn't working.

Maine television stations, the Maine Association of Broadcasters, and the FCC all say that there are not any reception issues to speak of. Their party line is that if you were able to receive the analog signals, you should be able to receive the digital signals.

As Dave and many others have found out this is simply not true. And I take it personally that I have not been able to help more. I have some decent contacts in the business but sometimes you just reach a dead end.

Dave contacted WVII - Channel 7 in Bangor, Maine when he realized he could not receive their digital signal. They said they couldn't help him except to say he was on the "fringe" of their coverage area and there was nothing they could do to help. Dave then tried to get ABC out of New York from his satellite provider. He had to apply for a waiver and was eventually turned down so now he will be left with no ABC channel after the February 17, 2009 conversion.

There is a small chance that Dave might be able to receive WMTW-Channel 8 out of Portland depending on WMTW's signal strength at the time of conversion.

So after many email and phone calls to television stations, the Maine Associate of Broadcasters, and a reporter doing a story on this forum as it related to the digital conversion, Dave is still frustrated that nobody in the TV industry seems to care how many viewers will actually lose signals after the conversion. Dave is not the only person with these problems. We have received emails for all over Maine, New Hampshire, and from around the country - even from other countries.

Unfortunately, and as usual, it is the less fortunate, the elderly, or anyone on a fixed income that will lose out on the deal. These are the people who can't afford expensive rooftop antennas, a new digital TV, and a monthly cable bill. And some don't have Internet access to even reach a site like this to get resource information.

I'm sure Dave and I will still communicate as we all go through this together. This site has received a lot of traffic lately. And I suspect it will only increase as we get closer to conversion time and as the economy weakens. In economic downturns, one thing that gets cut from family budgets is cable TV. Those that haven't been paying attention, because they didn't have to, will suddenly find themselves in a position where their older TV set won't receive a signal without cable and without a converter box. They will need information and resources to understand everything they have not been paying attention to. We at the Maine HDTV Forum are here to help. We have tons of articles about how things work and even a 6 part online tutorial for beginners.

As we near February 17, 2009, we need to keep in mind that this is not the end. In some cases it will only be the beginning as the fallout appears.

My recent conversation with Dave reminded me how precarious TV still is we aren't even aware of some of the problems people will encounter during the transition.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

Converter Box Coupons from DTVAnwers.com

If you plan on getting coupons from the government (FCC) through the DTVAnswers.com web site or the accompanying 1-888-DTV-2009 phone number, make sure you plan on using them as soon as you get them. The same is true if you already have applied fir or already have received your coupons.

The FCC, who runs this program, is very strict. I did not use mine when I got them and they expired. When I tried to use somebody else's name and address I found the most people had already gotten them and figured out they didn't need them so those expired as well.

I called a few local shops and nobody selling the digital converter boxes would accept an expired coupon -- so I was running out of options.

Luckily I found one person who had just applied for her coupons and had not received them yet. Since she ordered two (the max) but would probably only use one, she agreed to give me one when she received them.

If I do get one I plan to go out immediately and buy a converter box. I have one 10 year old television that works just fine but won't after February 17th, 2009. I don't use it much but if I ever want to use it as a backup, give it to somebody, or let somebody borrow it, I want to make sure that it will work with a converter box.

The moral of this story is - Don't hesitate. If you have coupons go buy your converter box now. They are not fooling around with the expiration dates (you get 90 days) and replacing them using somebody else's name and address could prove impossible.

WPME - Channel 35 changes its digital channel assignment

Up until now, Channel 35-WPME in Portland, ME, was using UHF Channel 28 for its digital broadcast and UHF Channel 35 for its analog broadcast. Channel 28 was assigned to WPME by the FCC specifically for this purpose.

Since WPME dropped its analog signal earlier than the proposed February 17, 2009 date, they took this opportunity to move their digital broadcast back to Channel 35. All of this happens under the covers of your digital converter box or digital TV. Most viewers will lose access to this channel until they take action.

To fix the problem and start seeing channel 35 again, go to the settings of your converter box or digital TV and rerun the channel scan. The scan will pick up the new channel 35.1 and 35.2 on UHF 35. It will also delete 35.1 and 35.2 from channel 28.

So the answer is rerun the scan. That's my final answer.

Let me know if you have any questions or trouble.

The DTV Transition - don't wait

I have written about this before and I'll say it again. I hope people pay attention. You've all heard February 2009 as the date that all TV will be in digital and if you rely on an antenna you will lose your signal if you don't have a digital TV.

Here's the deal:

The exact date is February 17, 2009.

Here's the truth:

That date is not the first day of digital-only TV. That is the last day that a TV station can broadcast in analog. That's a big difference.

Some TV stations (two in my TV area in Maine alone) have already cut off their analog signal so if you rely on an antenna and don't have a digital conversion box or a digital TV, you can no longer receive their signals. Any station who applies to the FCC for an early cut-off of analog will be approved.

The next big date to remember is November 15, 2008. That's the date when stations can legally turn off all analog transmission (and therefore digital only) without any further requests in writing to the FCC. The FCC doesn't want every station in America pulling the plug on analog and firing up digital on the same day.

Once you get by that date, then you can worry about 2/17/09. That is the drop dead date when all high powered TV stations must shut off their analog signal and must broadcast only in digital.

I hope that has cleared it up for anyone who still might no understand the dates and what is happening. Let me know if you have any questions. If you need a converter box, get one, and get it early.

Take care

WCSH 6 Portland, Still get get High Definition right

This is yet another example of how Portland's TV stations are so far behind the curve of even basic HD administration.  I wrote this letter on Saturday Night 9/20/08 an sent it to customer realtions at WCSH6.

I have sent emails to WCSH, I have called the station directly, and to be honest I am so frustrated with trying to get some answers.

Once again, yet another television show that is supposed to be in High Definition is not.  Today is Saturday, September 20.  at 11:30 pm I tuned to WCSH 6 to watch Saturday Night Live.  While I realized the show was not being broadcast in HD, I gave it a few moments to see if it would kick in (in other words, maybe somebody would notice and "flip the switch", literally), but to no avail.

So once again I called the station and played the automated attendant guessing game trying to talk to someone.  I noticed there was a new phone option (that shows how often I call) called the "Digital and HD Hotline Mailbox" or something like that, and "Press 5".  Well I tried that, twice, and all I ever heard after pressing 5 was "I'm sorry I didn't hear your response" from the nice lady that does the voice overs for your telephone system.  I also called and tried the news desk.  Usually somebody is there since news happens all the time.  I guess WCSH decided ahead of time there wouldn't be any news overnight so why have somebody there.

In any case after several phone calls and several attempts at the voice mail system, I never got a chance to tell anyone that Saturday Night Live, which should be in HD, was not HD.  I know for a fact after touring another TV station in Portland that it is literally a flip of a switch - a monkey could it.  I am assuming whoever was supposed to be manning the control room needed a Red Bull and a Kit Kat bar or something like that.

Frankly, I am exhausted.  I am so fed up with calling WCSH and WMTW and WGME to inform them their HD programming isn't in HD.  Each and every time I have made one of these phone calls and talked to someone, the problem was fixed immediately, most times while I was on the phone and before I even finished explaining the issue.  Whoever would answer knew quite well what the problem was as soon as the words started coming out of my mouth.

But if there is no way to contact you, how will the problem ever get fixed.  The hot line was installed to deal with people using digital converter boxes and people complaining about shows not being in HD, I assume.  What other reason could there be?

For over two years, since the day I bought my HDTV and bought an antenna that would receive digital/HD programming over the air for free, this exact same issue has been haunting me.  I don't understand.  Why does it take an average consumer to oversee what is going on at the network affiliates in my area.  And If I am overseeing it, why can't I get through to talk to somebody about the problem.

At this point isn't anybody at WCSH 6 ashamed of their own station?  They can't seem to keep up with the most menial of tasks that come along with high definition, like flipping the switch.  And is nobody watching their own TV station to ensure that the public is getting the HD they are entitled to?

I run a Blog about high definition TV and media in general.  This, along with the pile of other situations just like this, will go on the blog and feed the fire that is already smoldering out there.  The public is angry, the digital conversion is a mess.  There are people out there who have bought and installed their digital converter boxes and have lost your signal.  Digital is nowhere near as strong as analog so by these simple facts you are already losing thousand of viewers, which in turn leads to lower ratings, which in turn leads to fewer revenue dollars.  I would think that you don't want to add more fuel to the fire for the people who are already disappointed and frustrated already.

Sincerely,

Ron Caron

http://mainehdtv.blogspot.com