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BY MICHAEL ZITZ
Last week's transition from analog to digital television took TV stations about 10 seconds, and
But, a week later, some people in areas without cable and others who simply don't want to pay for cable or satellite TV are still trying to figure out why they aren't getting local stations even though they have the new converter boxes the government and broadcast TV industry told them to get.
Some consumers, including more than a few angry Fredericksburg-area viewers who have called The Free Lance-Star to complain, are having problems tuning in to Washington and Richmond channels because they're trying to pick up VHF signals with a UHF antenna.
Some of them may need big and expensive new rooftop antennas to boost reception to accommodate the digital transition. For others, the fix may be as simple as rebooting their new digital receiver.
PICKING THE ANTENNA
According to Shermaze Ingram, a spokesperson for the Washington-based National Association of Broadcasters, many Fredericksburg-area consumers who don't have cable will need a large, rooftop antenna capable of receiving both UHF and VHF broadcasts to receive all the stations they got before on their analog sets.
"If you're 40 miles from Washington [or Richmond], the signal is going to be weak," she said.
"One of the Fredericksburg ZIP codes I looked at is 50 miles from the D.C. transmitters," Ingram said.
Antennaweb.org indicates a very tall antenna height [over 50 feet, including the height of the house) and a very directional antenna are necessary in order to receive any of the D.C. stations [except the public station in Goldvein].
A check of RadioShack.com showed that type of antenna going for $150 to $190. Such an antenna can cost nearly $400 including installation and running cables.
But the Federal Communications Commission says a special antenna is not necessary to get a digital signal; an old VHF-UHF rooftop antenna should work with some tweaking.
The antennas are available at most stores that carry electronics, like Radio Shack and Sears, and at many online electronics stores.
REBOOTING THE RECEIVER
Other people are having problems related to new equipment.
The FCC Monday recommended "double re-scanning" for those having problems.
This FCC Web page will help consumers installing a converter box and re-scanning DTV sets: dtv.gov/installbox.html.
Because most consumers had already been using them before the moment of the transition, digital tuners and converter boxes are still trying to tune in to signals that no longer exist. Doing a "double re-scan"--essentially a reboot--often fixes the problem.
Unplug the antenna from the converter box or TV.
Turn off the converter box or TV.
Turn it back on and perform a re-scan.
Plug the antenna back in.
Do a second re-scan.
The tuner memory is re-cleared and it can usually then find the new digital frequencies for stations.
PICKING AN ANTENNA For antenna selection, the federal government offers help at: fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvantennas .html GETTING A RECEIVER For those who didn't get the word earlier, each non-cable and non-satellite family may request up to two coupons, worth $40 each, for use toward the purchase of eligible digital-to-analog converter boxes, which cost between $50 and $100. For more information, go to dtv2009.gov or dtv.gov.
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Most cable viewers probably forgot the TV transition was even taking place, because cable companies had prodded customers to switch to digital boxes months ago. "From a cable perspective, it went well," said Joy Sims, director of media relations for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association in Washington. "There were no real hiccups." |
