NEW YORK — The shutdown of U.S. analog TV service on Friday appears to have gone relatively smoothly, but as expected, many viewers are having problems getting the stations they want.
Wally Grotophorst in Hamilton, Va., got a "digital” antenna for his digital TV last year. But on Friday, he lost the Washington-based ABC and CBS stations, which he could pick up digitally before the transition.
That’s because those stations, like dozens of others, switched their digital signals from the UHF frequency band to the VHF band as they cut their analog signals Friday. But Grotophorst’s antenna, like many others branded as "digital,” was designed only for UHF stations. Nearly all TV stations were using the UHF band for the digital broadcasts until Friday.
"This moving down to the VHF spectrum was news. The stations didn’t advertise the fact,” Grotophorst said.
He’s now regretting that he recycled his old rooftop VHF antenna.
"The station did warn viewers about this change but not everyone got the word,” said Bill Lord, vice president of news at ABC7. "The station has made the switch and there is no going back.”
Some viewers in Oklahoma City also have complained about not getting the local ABC channel after the switch.
There are TV antennas that can receive both UHF and VHF bands. In the indoor version, these have the "rabbit ears” for VHF reception and a loop for UHF.
Some stations apparently are talking to the Federal Communications Commission to see if it could increase their output power. That could help with reception, at least for those who have VHF antennas.
The FCC said it is examining reports of signal loss by viewers of some stations.
by the associated press
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Showing posts with label HDTV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HDTV. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
TV transition
NEW YORK — TV shows were replaced by the hiss of static in perhaps 1 million U.S. homes Friday as stations ended their analog broadcasts and abandoned the transmission technology in use since the days of Milton Berle, Sid Caesar and Howdy Doody.
The vast majority of households that rely on antennas for their TV signals were prepared for the shutdown, but many people remained vexed by the challenge of setting up digital reception.
Hundreds of people began lining up about 3 a.m. Friday outside the Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati, five hours before the agency began giving out 250 free digital converter boxes. The center had given away all the converters by 10:30 a.m., and many people were still in line.
Harvey Durrett, 48, said he got in line about 6 a.m. but was unable to get a converter, which costs about $40 to $60 in electronics stores unless the consumer has a $40 coupon from the government.
"I’m on disability, and I can’t really afford to buy one,” Durrett said. "I can’t get anything on my TV now, so I guess I’ll have to go to friends’ houses if I want to watch anything.”
Any set hooked up to cable or a satellite dish is unaffected by the end of analog broadcasts, but about 17 million U.S. households rely on antennas. Nielsen Co. said poor and minority households were less likely to be prepared for Friday’s analog shutdown, as were households consisting of people younger than 35.
TV stations were free to choose when in the day to cut their signals, and many were holding off until late at night. That means the full effect of the shutdown will not be apparent until this weekend.
TV stations, electronics stores and the government said most of the calls they received Friday were from people who had converter boxes but needed help setting them up.
The Commerce Department reported a last-minute rush for the $40 converter box coupons: It received 319,990 requests Thursday, nearly four times the daily average for the past month. In all, the government has mailed coupons for almost 60 million converter boxes. The limit is two coupons per household.
It takes nine business days for a coupon to reach the mailbox.
by the associated press
The vast majority of households that rely on antennas for their TV signals were prepared for the shutdown, but many people remained vexed by the challenge of setting up digital reception.
Hundreds of people began lining up about 3 a.m. Friday outside the Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati, five hours before the agency began giving out 250 free digital converter boxes. The center had given away all the converters by 10:30 a.m., and many people were still in line.
Harvey Durrett, 48, said he got in line about 6 a.m. but was unable to get a converter, which costs about $40 to $60 in electronics stores unless the consumer has a $40 coupon from the government.
"I’m on disability, and I can’t really afford to buy one,” Durrett said. "I can’t get anything on my TV now, so I guess I’ll have to go to friends’ houses if I want to watch anything.”
Any set hooked up to cable or a satellite dish is unaffected by the end of analog broadcasts, but about 17 million U.S. households rely on antennas. Nielsen Co. said poor and minority households were less likely to be prepared for Friday’s analog shutdown, as were households consisting of people younger than 35.
TV stations were free to choose when in the day to cut their signals, and many were holding off until late at night. That means the full effect of the shutdown will not be apparent until this weekend.
TV stations, electronics stores and the government said most of the calls they received Friday were from people who had converter boxes but needed help setting them up.
The Commerce Department reported a last-minute rush for the $40 converter box coupons: It received 319,990 requests Thursday, nearly four times the daily average for the past month. In all, the government has mailed coupons for almost 60 million converter boxes. The limit is two coupons per household.
It takes nine business days for a coupon to reach the mailbox.
by the associated press
Friday, June 12, 2009
Transition day
NEW YORK — It’s not just TV viewers who will be relieved when analog broadcast signals are shut down today, sparing them from incessant reminders about converter boxes. Some business are eagerly awaiting the end of a process that began in 1987, when the shift to digital broadcasts was proposed.
"We’re really excited that this is finally behind us,” said Bill Stone, president of Qualcomm Inc.’s FLO TV service.
FLO TV, which broadcasts digital TV to specially equipped cell phones, spent $558 million two years ago for the rights to use UHF Channel 55 around the country. Qualcomm counted on being able to use that frequency right after Feb. 17, when U.S. full-power TV stations were originally scheduled to end their analog broadcasts.
The delay of the analog shutdown to Friday forced Qualcomm to postpone the launch of FLO TV service in new markets, costing the company tens of millions of dollars, Stone said.
Qualcomm will activate FLO TV service in 15 markets this weekend, including Boston, Houston, Miami, Fla., and San Francisco. More markets will launch later this year, bringing FLO closer to its goal of nationwide coverage.
Cellular carriers Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. paid a combined $16 billion for spectrum to be vacated by TV broadcasters, but the delay has had little effect on them, since the wireless broadband equipment they plan to deploy is still in development. Verizon Wireless plans to turn it on next year.
The shutdown also helps TV broadcasters, which have suffered greatly because of declining advertising rates in the economic downturn. After Friday, broadcasters will be freed from having to maintain expensive analog antennas. The vast majority of them already are broadcasting digitally, so there is no new cost coming for replacement broadcasts.
by the associated press
"We’re really excited that this is finally behind us,” said Bill Stone, president of Qualcomm Inc.’s FLO TV service.
FLO TV, which broadcasts digital TV to specially equipped cell phones, spent $558 million two years ago for the rights to use UHF Channel 55 around the country. Qualcomm counted on being able to use that frequency right after Feb. 17, when U.S. full-power TV stations were originally scheduled to end their analog broadcasts.
The delay of the analog shutdown to Friday forced Qualcomm to postpone the launch of FLO TV service in new markets, costing the company tens of millions of dollars, Stone said.
Qualcomm will activate FLO TV service in 15 markets this weekend, including Boston, Houston, Miami, Fla., and San Francisco. More markets will launch later this year, bringing FLO closer to its goal of nationwide coverage.
Cellular carriers Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. paid a combined $16 billion for spectrum to be vacated by TV broadcasters, but the delay has had little effect on them, since the wireless broadband equipment they plan to deploy is still in development. Verizon Wireless plans to turn it on next year.
The shutdown also helps TV broadcasters, which have suffered greatly because of declining advertising rates in the economic downturn. After Friday, broadcasters will be freed from having to maintain expensive analog antennas. The vast majority of them already are broadcasting digitally, so there is no new cost coming for replacement broadcasts.
by the associated press
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