Now that the digital dust has settled a bit and all local TV stations have abandoned their analog channels for the new fangled digital replacement channels, there are still many people who are having problems receiving the transmissions over-the-air using an antenna. After reading and listening to all the expert opinions and recommendations, it is no wonder that many people are confused and, in some cases, frustrated. I thought I would add to the dialog and provide some information that may help you if you are having problems getting all the local channels using an antenna. Cable and satellite subscribers can stop reading right now.
While digital and analog over-the-air TV transmissions use essentially the same technology, digital signals are more prone to problems than the analog. Problems with analog TV reception appeared on your TV as “snow” or “ghosting.” Problems with digital signals are much more evident. They result in no picture or sound at all.
No matter if you have a new digital TV or are using a set top converter box, the key to good reception is the antenna. Depending on where you live, you may either be able to use a standard “rabbit ears” antenna or you will need something more sensitive. If you get good reception on all the channels, great. If you don’t, here are some tips.
Make sure that your antenna is designed to receive both UHF and VHF signals. While most digital broadcasting is done in the UHF band, in Cincinnati channels 9 and 12 use VHF. If your antenna has both a round loop and two telescoping rods, it is a UHF/VHF model for sure. But there are many new designs so read the box if you are buying a new one.
Try an amplified set top antenna. This often will do the trick for people living in areas that are about 20 - 25 miles from most of the TV transmitters. Keep in mind, though, that amplified antennas and digital signals are strange bedfellows. This might seem counterintuitive, but if you are having problems and already are using an amplified antenna, turn it off. Strange as it is, too much signal is as bad as too little signal. The amplifier almost always helped analog signals but not so digital signals. Always start with no amplifier and then add it if you are not getting the channels.
A better antenna can also help. While there is no such thing as an HDTV antenna, there are many new designs for antennas that make them more sensitive and therefore better for digital broadcast applications. Some of them look nothing like the ones we used in our youth….you know, we attached aluminum foil to them in order to get “Bonanza” to come in clearly. Manufactures like Terk have a wide selection of both indoor and outdoor models.
Speaking of outdoor models... For sure, a good outdoor antenna pointed toward downtown Cincinnati will be your best option. You can get unbiased suggestions for the right antenna for your location at http://www.antennweb.org/. Just type in your zip code and it will give you good advice.
Finally, there are some locations that no amount of amplification or antenna design or height will overcome. I hope you are not in one of these areas but, if you are, cable or satellite are your only options.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Welcome to All Digital Broadcast TV
Well, the day is finally here and the rest of the local TV stations have joined the ranks of the “all digital.” CET and ThinkTV ceased analog broadcasting on May 1. The number of phone calls and emails has lessened dramatically since we became all digital.
There is no doubt that there are will continue to be some challenges for those who chose eschew cable or a satellite service for TV reception. There are also come great benefits.
This morning I rescanned the digital TV’s in our lobby in downtown Cincinnati. On one of the TVs we have a DTV converter box and a set top antenna. The TV scanned, stored and now displays some 25 channels. That same TV in the analog days would have been able to receive 7 channels at the most then some of them would have been very snowy.
For sure there are some who are still having issues setting up the converter boxes or new DTV sets. Many non-profit social service groups are trying to help. There is a toll free line that is matching volunteers with people who need help. 1-888-225-5222
There is no doubt that there are will continue to be some challenges for those who chose eschew cable or a satellite service for TV reception. There are also come great benefits.
This morning I rescanned the digital TV’s in our lobby in downtown Cincinnati. On one of the TVs we have a DTV converter box and a set top antenna. The TV scanned, stored and now displays some 25 channels. That same TV in the analog days would have been able to receive 7 channels at the most then some of them would have been very snowy.
For sure there are some who are still having issues setting up the converter boxes or new DTV sets. Many non-profit social service groups are trying to help. There is a toll free line that is matching volunteers with people who need help. 1-888-225-5222
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Common DTV Reception Problem
One of the issues that has taken us by surprise as we take callers' questions is the number of people who have had digital sets for years and have never set them up so they have never watched Digital ot HD. I am getting three or four calls a day complaining that "they have an expensive HD set and all of sudden they can't get CET." When asked, I find that they lost CH 64 a few months ago. This of course is the dead give away....Once I walk the viewer through set up they are amazed at the difference. For the first time they are actually watching Digital and HD.
I guess it us somewhat understandable...In the past you bought a radio or TV at the store, brought it home, plugged it in and tuned to the station you wanted to watch or listen to. Now if you do that you will be able to see the analog channels ( up until June 12 at least) but if the digital channels are not scanned and stored in the TV's memory after an initial scan, you will not get them and in most cases you can't manually tune to them.
You do need to read the instructions that came with the set.
I guess it us somewhat understandable...In the past you bought a radio or TV at the store, brought it home, plugged it in and tuned to the station you wanted to watch or listen to. Now if you do that you will be able to see the analog channels ( up until June 12 at least) but if the digital channels are not scanned and stored in the TV's memory after an initial scan, you will not get them and in most cases you can't manually tune to them.
You do need to read the instructions that came with the set.
Friday, May 1, 2009
CET, All Digital All The Time
Early this morning at 12:01 AM, CET turned off the analog transmitter once and for all. This transition has been many years in the making and is the result of wonderful community support and board leadership.
We are staffed to handle any increase in calls from viewers who may have some problems. So far today there have been very few. Perhaps our aggressive information campaign has paid off. We will be here during the evening hours as well as some people may not realize they have a problem until they try to watch us this evening.
If you have questions send them to techinfo@cetconnect.org
We are staffed to handle any increase in calls from viewers who may have some problems. So far today there have been very few. Perhaps our aggressive information campaign has paid off. We will be here during the evening hours as well as some people may not realize they have a problem until they try to watch us this evening.
If you have questions send them to techinfo@cetconnect.org
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
FCC...Better Late Than Never!
The FCC has vastly improved the DTV information available on the Web. The New Site has some great information and resources. You can even plug in your zip code to get information on all the over-the-air channels available in your area.
This is a great resource...kudos to the FCC
Click here to go to the new FCC DTV page
This is a great resource...kudos to the FCC
Click here to go to the new FCC DTV page
Record Digital Channels on Analog VHS or DVD
We still get lots of questions about using your old analog VHS or DVD machines to record digital signals off the air. I prepared a simple wiring diagram that will help you set up your analog recorder. You will not get high definition or wide screen quality. The programs will be recorded in the same format and quality that you see on your analog set. You will not be able to easily use the timer functions either.
This does provide an inexpensive way to record Digital over-the-air TV.
Click here to get a copy of the wiring diagram
This does provide an inexpensive way to record Digital over-the-air TV.
Click here to get a copy of the wiring diagram
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
May 1st ... Just Around the Corner
On April 15th the KET network, covering all public TV stations in Kentucky, went all digital and on this coming Friday, May 1 at 12:01 AM, all local Public Stations - CET 48, ThinkTV 14 in Cincinnati and ThinkTV16 in Dayton - will go all digital.
So are you ready? As I have written so many times, if you are a cable subscriber or get your TV from a satellite provider, this is a non issue for you. If you have a new digital set and use an antenna (set-top rabbit ears or outdoor roof-top) you already are getting the digital signals. For those who want to keep using their trusty old 1985 Sony, you can use a DTV converter.
Here are a few updates to help you get ready:
You can still obtain up to 2 coupons per household from the Federal Government. Each coupon is worth $40 toward the purchase of a DTV converter. The converters are available in most electronics stores and cost about $60. So with the coupon you can buy one for about $20. To get a coupon call 808-388-2009 or go online to www.dtv2009.gov.
Locally Channel 64 is already broadcasting only in digital and the other commercial stations will cease analog broadcasting in mid June.
Most people will get good over-the-air reception with a set top UHF/VHF antenna. Some who live in valleys might need an outdoor antenna. Don’t automatically go for an amplified antenna since with digital broadcasting, too much signal can be as bad as too little.
All the local TV stations are already broadcasting at full power so what you get now is what you will get after all the analog stations go away. There is no reason to wait.
Don’t forget, when you wake up Friday morning, May 1st, public TV in the Cincinnati / Dayton area will be digital only.
So are you ready? As I have written so many times, if you are a cable subscriber or get your TV from a satellite provider, this is a non issue for you. If you have a new digital set and use an antenna (set-top rabbit ears or outdoor roof-top) you already are getting the digital signals. For those who want to keep using their trusty old 1985 Sony, you can use a DTV converter.
Here are a few updates to help you get ready:
You can still obtain up to 2 coupons per household from the Federal Government. Each coupon is worth $40 toward the purchase of a DTV converter. The converters are available in most electronics stores and cost about $60. So with the coupon you can buy one for about $20. To get a coupon call 808-388-2009 or go online to www.dtv2009.gov.
Locally Channel 64 is already broadcasting only in digital and the other commercial stations will cease analog broadcasting in mid June.
Most people will get good over-the-air reception with a set top UHF/VHF antenna. Some who live in valleys might need an outdoor antenna. Don’t automatically go for an amplified antenna since with digital broadcasting, too much signal can be as bad as too little.
All the local TV stations are already broadcasting at full power so what you get now is what you will get after all the analog stations go away. There is no reason to wait.
Don’t forget, when you wake up Friday morning, May 1st, public TV in the Cincinnati / Dayton area will be digital only.
Monday, April 13, 2009
It Is Hard To Keep Up
This week, with your indulgence, I thought I might depart from my more traditional “nuts and bolts…what’s in it for you” column and share some observations about the impact of the changes in technology on our daily lives. Part of this is a reaction to some comments I get from readers. Many express a frustration on how quickly things are changing and how hard it is to keep up with even the simple things in life like watching TV. This got me to thinking and looking a bit more deeply into the topic.
Simply put, like it or not, our advanced technology has forced us and the rest of the world into a rate of change that is nothing short of exponential. We may not like it, we may not want it, but it is here and only going to get even more pronounced. There are several examples.
It took radio about 40 years to get to 50 million regular users. Television took just 14 years to reach this same level. The Internet went from 0 to 50 million users in just 4 years. In 1984 there were about 1000 devices connected to the Internet. In 2008 it is estimated that more than 1 billion devices were Internet based. This one must put a smile on Steve Jobs’ face: the iPod™ reached 50 million in just 2 years.
Enough about sales of products and services. What does this mean for other parts of our society? While I should leave education to the pros like Chris Brown and his folks over at the Board of Education, I did come across some factoids that would surely keep me up at night if I was in his shoes. I read recently that one of the challenges facing educators is that they are charged with educating kids for jobs and careers that don’t yet exist using technology that has not yet been invented to solve problems that we haven’t yet identified. OK Chris, what are you doing in your spare time? Another education guru wrote that for college students in four year technical programs, 50% of what they learn as freshmen will be out of date by graduation.
So what are we to do? Living in a society where 2 weeks of articles in the New York Times contains more information than a well educated 18th century scholar would know in a lifetime, can we ever hope to keep up?
Well, it seems to me that coupled with helping students and employees to embrace change, we need to make sure that they can think critically. There is a big difference between knowing the “innards” of a specific technology and knowing the appropriate application. The latter requires thinking skills beyond computational facility. This is not just a challenge to schools but workplace training as well.
Just my observations…back to a regular column next week.
Simply put, like it or not, our advanced technology has forced us and the rest of the world into a rate of change that is nothing short of exponential. We may not like it, we may not want it, but it is here and only going to get even more pronounced. There are several examples.
It took radio about 40 years to get to 50 million regular users. Television took just 14 years to reach this same level. The Internet went from 0 to 50 million users in just 4 years. In 1984 there were about 1000 devices connected to the Internet. In 2008 it is estimated that more than 1 billion devices were Internet based. This one must put a smile on Steve Jobs’ face: the iPod™ reached 50 million in just 2 years.
Enough about sales of products and services. What does this mean for other parts of our society? While I should leave education to the pros like Chris Brown and his folks over at the Board of Education, I did come across some factoids that would surely keep me up at night if I was in his shoes. I read recently that one of the challenges facing educators is that they are charged with educating kids for jobs and careers that don’t yet exist using technology that has not yet been invented to solve problems that we haven’t yet identified. OK Chris, what are you doing in your spare time? Another education guru wrote that for college students in four year technical programs, 50% of what they learn as freshmen will be out of date by graduation.
So what are we to do? Living in a society where 2 weeks of articles in the New York Times contains more information than a well educated 18th century scholar would know in a lifetime, can we ever hope to keep up?
Well, it seems to me that coupled with helping students and employees to embrace change, we need to make sure that they can think critically. There is a big difference between knowing the “innards” of a specific technology and knowing the appropriate application. The latter requires thinking skills beyond computational facility. This is not just a challenge to schools but workplace training as well.
Just my observations…back to a regular column next week.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
TV Dinners Make a Digital Comeback
In 1953, the Swanson Company introduced Americans to the TV Dinner. Since that time millions of little aluminum foil trays of chicken, peas and mashed potatoes the consistency of Play-Doh™ have been baked in ovens all over this country. This not only has contributed to landfill problems with all that aluminum going into the garbage, it has wasted energy, since traditional ovens are used to cook these dinners.
Well, the TV dinner has gone digital and the environment will be better for it.There is a new high tech start up company in the Silicon Valley that will introduce a line of TV dinners this week. They promise that the dinners will be both nutritious and environmentally friendly.
The company, DigiEaT Systems (http://www.dietsyst.com/com) is partnering with several TV makers to take advantage of a little known byproduct of the new digital over-the-air broadcasting.Most people don’t realize that over-the-air broadcasting makes use of high frequency radio waves. These microwaves are the same waves that are concentrated in the microwave oven in your kitchen. Concentrating these waves on your popcorn or your TV dinner makes them heat up and cook very efficiently.
DigiEaT has contracted with LG, the world’s largest Digital TV manufacturer, to develop a TV set that has a special slot into which you can insert the new TV dinners. Gone is the aluminum foil packaging since this would disrupt the flow of microwaves. Instead, all packaging is made of the recycled paper from TV Guide Magazine making them very environmentally friendly.
Once inserted into the TV, the user will select the cooking time by changing the channel number on the tuner. The higher the channel number selected the faster the dinner will cook. Since it takes more power to transmit video on Channel 48 than it does for Channel 9, these dinners will certainly be popular with Public TV viewers and may even attract new ones to CET/PBS.
DigiEaT and LG plan to have dinners and compatible TVs in stores on April 1st.
Well, the TV dinner has gone digital and the environment will be better for it.There is a new high tech start up company in the Silicon Valley that will introduce a line of TV dinners this week. They promise that the dinners will be both nutritious and environmentally friendly.
The company, DigiEaT Systems (http://www.dietsyst.com/com) is partnering with several TV makers to take advantage of a little known byproduct of the new digital over-the-air broadcasting.Most people don’t realize that over-the-air broadcasting makes use of high frequency radio waves. These microwaves are the same waves that are concentrated in the microwave oven in your kitchen. Concentrating these waves on your popcorn or your TV dinner makes them heat up and cook very efficiently.
DigiEaT has contracted with LG, the world’s largest Digital TV manufacturer, to develop a TV set that has a special slot into which you can insert the new TV dinners. Gone is the aluminum foil packaging since this would disrupt the flow of microwaves. Instead, all packaging is made of the recycled paper from TV Guide Magazine making them very environmentally friendly.
Once inserted into the TV, the user will select the cooking time by changing the channel number on the tuner. The higher the channel number selected the faster the dinner will cook. Since it takes more power to transmit video on Channel 48 than it does for Channel 9, these dinners will certainly be popular with Public TV viewers and may even attract new ones to CET/PBS.
DigiEaT and LG plan to have dinners and compatible TVs in stores on April 1st.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
There Is No Going Back Now!
The first licensed public television station in the nation, will cease analog service on Friday, May 1 at 12:01 a.m. Yesterday we filed the paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to cease analog transmission prior to the June 12 deadline set by Congress. In order to shut down analog transmission early, stations had to inform the FCC by March 17.
I know this can be a confusing transition for some viewers. That is why we have a number of resources available on our website, CETconnect.org, to help consumers prepare themselves for this transition.
You can log on to CETconnect.org for information on the DTV switch, including how to obtain coupons for converter boxes, frequently asked questions and diagrams and videos that demonstrate how to install converter boxes. You can also look at previous posts on this blog. Of course I will updated it regularly with DTV news and tips.
In addition to the resources available online, you can call CET’s Tech Info line at 513-345-6512 for more information or send an e-mail to techinfo@cetconnect.org. CET staff will also be available to take calls and e-mails from individuals that have questions after the switch has taken place.
Don’t forget to connect that DTV Converter…NOW! You can still order coupons.
I know this can be a confusing transition for some viewers. That is why we have a number of resources available on our website, CETconnect.org, to help consumers prepare themselves for this transition.
You can log on to CETconnect.org for information on the DTV switch, including how to obtain coupons for converter boxes, frequently asked questions and diagrams and videos that demonstrate how to install converter boxes. You can also look at previous posts on this blog. Of course I will updated it regularly with DTV news and tips.
In addition to the resources available online, you can call CET’s Tech Info line at 513-345-6512 for more information or send an e-mail to techinfo@cetconnect.org. CET staff will also be available to take calls and e-mails from individuals that have questions after the switch has taken place.
Don’t forget to connect that DTV Converter…NOW! You can still order coupons.
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