The basic rules of receiving digital television

I recently wrote to Maine Public Television (MBPN). They are one in a long list of organizations I have contacted in an attempt to gain support and/or guidance concerning the difficulties in receiving digital TV signals in certain areas of Maine. I was surprised that they actually responded and even more surprised that J. Maurice Doyon, Audience Services Representative, gave some very useful information. It's not all good news but I thought I would post the response in full as it does give some very good advice on the best way to try and receive digital signals (they were speaking receiving MPBN specifically but many of the tips apply to all digital reception).

"Thank you for contacting the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. The following text is a comprehensive response for viewers experiencing difficulty in obtaining a digital signal. The portion in bold print addresses the fact that some, regardless of what they do, may not receive a digital signal off air. As a non-profit entity, MPBN simply does not have the financial resources to consider building more towers. The initial conversion from analog to digital will present challenges for sure. In your area of expertise, I'm sure you can foresee many of the ramifications, problems, and challenges that this change in technology will offer.

MPBN is receiving a steadily increasing number of contacts from television viewers who have purchased digital converter boxes and hooked them up to their TV sets only to find they can’t pick up MPBN. These experiences stand in contrast to the generally upbeat articles about the upcoming DTV conversion touting mainly the benefits of digital TV – of which there are indeed many, provided you can pick up the signal. Now that people are actually buying the converter boxes and hooking them up, however, they’re finding that it’s not always as easy as those public service announcements make it seem.

Here at MPBN we’ve tried out converter boxes on sets here at the station and asked some employees to try them out at their homes, with mixed success. In so doing, we’ve come up with a few things to check or consider:

• Unlike analog transmissions where the TV picture gets fuzzier as distance from the broadcast tower increases, with digital television you either get the signal or you don’t. You don’t get a snowy picture as the signal fades, it just cuts out completely.
• If you can’t get any channels at all, check your connections to make sure they are good. Especially with an outside antenna, connections can loosen or corrode and may need to be tightened or fixed.
• If you get other channels but can’t get MPBN, go to your TV’s menu and try entering the channel manually (follow the manufacturer’s instructions; most converter boxes have a signal level indicator) and adjusting the antenna.
  Keep in mind that MPBN’s digital channel number is not the same as its current analog channel number, and that the correct number depends on which of MPBN’s five TV stations in Maine you receive your signal from:
  
  o Bangor: analog channel 12, digital channel 9;
  o Portland/Augusta: analog channel 10, digital channel 17;
  o Biddeford: analog channel 26, digital channel 45;
  o Calais: analog channel 13, digital channel 10;
  o Presque Isle: analog channel 10, digital channel 20.
  
• Also keep in mind that channels 1 – 13 are VHF (regular “rabbit ear” antenna),
  but channels 14 and above are UHF, and will require a UHF “rabbit ear” loop or dish-resembling antenna for best reception.
• Try moving your rabbit ears near a window or try your converter on a TV upstairs, if you have one. If this works, a different set of rabbit ears might do the trick. In the Bangor area, MPBN shares a broadcast tower with WABI-TV Channel 5, so pointing your antenna in the same direction as you would to pick up WABI provides the best chance of receiving MPBN’s signal.
• If you still can’t find MPBN, you probably need an external VHF/UHF antenna. Among those who watch our over-the-air signal (not cable or satellite), an outside antenna with coaxial cable provides the highest probability of reception – but we still can’t guarantee that it will help.
• One last twist: in February, digital channels 17 (Augusta/Portland) and 20 (Presque Isle) will both switch to digital channel 10. All the other digital channels will stay where they are now. If you are in the coverage area of these stations, this change will most likely solve your issue, but there’s no way to be sure of that or even to test it before then.

Our Canadian friends are not facing a similar conversion to digital television in February 2009 in their country. They (and Americans along the border who can receive Canadian analog TV signals) will continue to be able to receive over-the-air analog TV emanating from Canadian TV stations. But if Canadians along the border want to continue to receive MPBN for free over the air, they will have to either purchase digital TV sets or the converter boxes, just like their American counterparts.

In addition to the materials produced by the Federal Communications Commission to explain the DTV conversion generally to a national audience, we are busily preparing similar materials specific to Maine and MPBN and what this transition will mean for you. We will announce the availability of these materials on TV and radio, on our web site and in our programming magazine as soon as they’re ready.

Finally, it does appear that it might be the case that regardless of what steps a person might take to receive MPBN for free over the air in the coming digital TV era – no matter which manufacturer’s converter box one uses, or what model digital TV one purchases, or how high one places the antenna on the roof, or which direction one contorts one’s body to receive the signal (“That’s it! Now stand just like that!”) – there will likely be a very small number of people who can pick up MPBN today who will not after February 19, 2009, converter boxes and new TVs notwithstanding. For those viewers, a cable or satellite subscription might be the only way to continue to receive public television broadcasts from MPBN. We wish it were not so, but that is reality.

Other resources include:

Maine Assoc. of Broadcasters - Conversion to Digital TV
http://www.mab.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3335

DVT for Maine - DTV News for Maine: http://www.dtvforme.com/

Maine Public Broadcasting Network - back in HD

We had thought that MPBN was slipping towards the forefront of high definition programming in Maine. However, lately, programs that we recall used to be in HD, were no longer in HD. So we wrote to the customer service area of MPBN and asked what was going on.

Apparently, due to some technical issues, MPBN decided not to broadcast in HD during their March pledge break. I don't think we understand the technical issues behind this but we were assured of two things.

First, after tomorrow, the last day of the pledge break, MPBN will be back in HD not only for the programs fed to them from the network, but shows originally broadcast in HD and replayed later. Thus, this confirms that MPBN can record and playback high definition TV shows.

Secondly, the next pledge break later this year will not have the same effect on their ability to broadcast in HD as this last pledge break.

So going forward, MPBN should be all set and back on the winning side of the HD competition.

We, at the Maine High Definition Forum, congratulate them on their hard work and technical achievements.

The MBPN Pledge Drive is a bit misleading

I want to preface this post by saying I one hundred perecent, with my right hand in the air and the other on my heart, believe in public television. If I had to make specific television channel choices, I would put PBS first on my list, and then consider other networks and cable TV stations. PBS is my lifeline to what is going on in the world. But that does not mean that every state's public televison network is the same.

But before we go too far and get all sentimental about public television, let's take a look at a few things. First, during a pledge break they will tell you that 64% of their budget comes from viewer donations. Well you need to read the small print. Other than grants and income sources from places like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and a plethora of foundations, there is indeed a gap when compared to their budget. But MPBN is using this number of 64% as their gap in a way that I find misleading. I don't have the MPBN budget sitting in front of me but I can tell you that if you really pay attention to what they are saying, 64% of their budget comes from "viewers AND businesses". That means corporate sponsors. There is a big difference between a family who decides to donate $35 for their annual "basic membership" and a corporation like Mutual of America who funds a particular program of their choice. MPBN make themselves sound so desperate for dollars, but I find it hard to believe that if they had fewer pledge drives and/or received fewer donations, that they would go out of business.

Here's another thing to think about. MPBN, and other public television networks, give the impression that if you donate money and become a "member" that you actually have a say in what programs are aired or other financial decision that are made. You don't. For example, as many know by now, the television industry is converting to digital. The deadline for this conversion is February 17, 2009. Many broadcast networks, including PBS, already have most of their structures in place and are broadcasting in digital. This means they can also broadcast in High Definition. But if you compare Maine Public Broadcasting to New Hampshire Public Broadcasting, New Hampshire is WAY ahead of the curve. Before I would ever pledge money to MPBN, I would want some say in how my dollars are spent.

Why is it that NHPTV can broadcast the national PBS High definition channel 24 hours a day IN ADDITION TO the regular programming originating from New Hampshire (also in digital) but Maine can't yet do that; or won't do that. I have written to MPBN and keep getting the brush off. MPBN has the capabilities to broadcast a show like The News Hour in HD, but they don't. New Hampshire public television, on the other hand, does. I won't get into all of the technical details but MPBN is behind the times and I don't believe that simply feeding them more piles of money every time they ask is really helping the matter. Rather, on their website, I'd like to see their budget, expenses, and how many dollars are spent on technology. This is, after all, a public corporation we are talking about. They already get some money from the U.S. government so in essence, each of us already is a "member", has ownership in their network, and we should have some say in how it is run.

I live in southern Maine. I am lucky in that even over the air with an antenna I can receive both Maine and New Hampshire public television. Further, if you have cable TV in southern Maine, you will also get PBS from Boston, who also is very adept at technology and high definition. That's a lot of choices for public television.

The president of the Maine Association of Broadcasters, Suzanne Goucher, went on TV (Channel 6 - WCSH) urging people to invest money in a high definition television because she feels that being able to see the fine details of Tom Brady's scruffiness is something to behold. (You need to see the interview to believe it). But if there isn't enough High Definition broadcasting to support your investment. On MPBN or anywhere else. Trust me, I own a high definition TV and the station with most high quality, consistent high def programming is New Hampshire Public Television. Good luck in finding much programming that is truly in high definition anywhere else; even on regular TV networks.

So my hope st that for those who feel they want to donate to public television, and I really like that idea, give it to those that have earned it and deserve it like New Hampshire Public Television or WGBH in Boston.