The average household has 2.6 TV sets.
Link: http://tinyurl.com/plobx7
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( 2.9 / 141 )A study conducted by Smith Geiger shows that seventy-five percent of over-the-air analog viewers polled said they received a better quality picture across all their channels after getting a digital converter box.
The survey of households about 2000 households that rely on converter boxes to make digital television signals available on their older analog sets. It was commissioned by the National Association of Broadcasters which says that the study found 47% of respondents said they had seen a major improvement in off-air TV reception. In addition, 54% said they were receiving more channels. Only 8% said they were receiving fewer.
No technical parameters of the consumer receiver and converter boxes were included in the press release. However it is very likely that the converter boxes are far newer technology and have more sensitive front end RF amplifiers and lower noise 1st mixers than those built into the television receivers.
And a reminder that all viewers without cable or satellite or a digital ready television receiver will need a converter box to watch full-power TV stations after the June 12 digital conversion date. Many radio clubs nationwide are assisting the FCC in educating the public on the digital conversion process. (RW, ARNewsline™)
Click on RELATED for original story
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( 2.9 / 151 )A new publication has been released by the F.C.C.
This is good information. Please feel free to pass the link to this publication around to friends.
DTV MADE EASY
(PDF Publication)
If you can not download, request one via mail by writing to;
DTV Made Easy
WLIO Television
1424 Rice Avenue
Lima OH 45805-1835
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( 3.1 / 142 )TECH ONE ON ONE WITH GARY SGRIGNOLI
How To Keep DTV from Going Astray
TVNEWSDAY, Apr 30 2009, 12:18 PM ET
Gary Sgrignoli may know as much about DTV transmission — its strengths, its weaknesses, its quirks — as any person alive.
For nearly 30 years, he worked at Zenith Electronics (now LG Electronics) where he was deeply involved in the development and testing of the 8-VSB transmission scheme, which was ultimately adopted as the ATSC standard.
More at.... ARTICLE
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( 2.9 / 126 )Note the new link to to the right called "DTV QUIZ".
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( 2.9 / 160 )
As I write this entry, we are close to shutting WLIO's transmitter down. As many of you are aware, WLIO (analog) on channel 35 will go dark at 7AM on June 12, 2009 when all analog transmissions in the United States cease to exist. This ends an era for a station that came on the air on Easter 1953.Today we were notified that there were no objections to WLIO, and Block Communications filing of a request for a new digital television station on Channel 35. This new station is actually a rebirth of another station. Here's how it works.
After WLIO, Channel 35 analog is signed off, we will begin the task of taking the RCA TTU-30 transmitter apart.
The WLIO transmitter actually began its life in Springfield OH on channel 16 as a RCA TTU-30A. But when the station in Springfield went bankrupt, WLIO (then WIMA-TV) purchased it for a power increase. The station had an old GE transmitter, and the E.R.P. was 212,000 watts. With the used RCA transmitter, the station was able to increase to 512,000 watts. It went on the air in 1979.In 1985 I arrived at WLIO, and one of my first tasks was to replace the old GE helical antenna at the top of the tower. This old antenna was what was used for most of WLIO's broadcast days, after switching from channel 79 down to 35. By the way, in 1953, and when operating on channel 79, the power off the antenna was only 1,000 watts!
The antenna was beaten up badly, had a very poor response, and had arced over several times. After it was removed, it was obvious we were operating on borrowed time. The only thing we could do was scrap it.In January of 1986, when it was 20 degrees below zero, a new RCA/Dielectric TFU-30JA antenna replaced the old GE. This allowed WLIO to raise its power to 661,000 watts. This antenna was built by the RCA team, and I personally went to Marlboro NJ to the test range to "tweak" the performance of the antenna.
One of the things it also did well was throw signal over the horizon, instead of up in the sky, or "to the moon", as my predecessor Maurie Lamb would say.
For the first three months we handled well over 100 complaints from people getting WLIO on two or three places on the dial as the signal was so strong it would overload antennas, and especially the cheaper "boosters" that people liked to use. WLIO's coverage more than doubled with the antenna change.
Now it's April, and in a few months we'll kiss the old RCA transmitter good bye. The only task will be to get it taken apart, salvage what good metal we can, and take the remainder to the junkman.
But out of the ashes rises the Phoenix.
When Block Communication purchased the low power stations, we got three analog stations, WOHL channel 25, WLQP channel 18, and WLMO channel 38.
The plans are to move the programming of WOHL, (which has the Fox network), to the 8.2 channel of our digital station, WLIO-DT. This will increase viewing from the present one county, to eleven counties, as well as allows people to see the Fox programming in HD. NBC will be 8.1, and Fox 8.2. But in this move, WOHL becomes an orphan. No programming will be available.
What we plan to do, once WLIO analog is cleaned out and gone, is to move WOHL to channel 35, then flip it to digital. This new station will have the call sign of WOHL-CA Channel 35, and will be 9,000 watts E.R.P.
The power is the maximum allowed due to interference issues with CBET channel 35 (digital) in Windsor, Ontario. The reason this will be an issue is because we will be using the big, 50-foot tall RCA TFU-30JA pylon antenna, formally used by WLIO analog. This antenna as plenty of gain and a good beam (-5 degree beam tilt) over West Central Ohio.
The new channel 35 will then become the home of ABC and CBS in HD. As soon as WOHL channel 35 digital comes on the air, we will then start to phase out WLQP-18 and WLMO-38 as analog stations. What will happen with them? Well, that a story for another day. 
For those of you that notice the construction on the east side of the property, a small 30 x 28 foot building is being put up for the new channel 35 digital transmitter. The building will also hold the satellite uplinks for one of the dish TV providers, which should start providing the Lima stations, ABC, CBS, NBC, & Fox on the satellite in a few months. And it will house the repeaters for the local amateur radio club, as well as WLIO's news repeaters.
If you want to see some great pictures from WLIO, WIMA, and WLOK's early years, click on the RELATED LINK below and see some of the great pictures posted by master control operator, Dennis Lamb.
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( 2.9 / 214 )HAUPPAUGE COMPUTER WORKS, INC.
Notified Hauppauge Computer Works, Inc. of its apparent liability for a forfeiture in the amount of $175,000 for shipping TV receiving devices that do not contain digital television reception capability. Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 04/14/2009 by NALF. (FCC No. 09-34). EB
Click Related Link for FCC Release
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( 3 / 163 )Several recent stories have been published in engineering publications asking if there are any converters that have HD outputs. The short answer is; yes there are. BUT... they don't qualify under the coupon program, or do they?
DTV CONVERTER BOXES WITH HD OUTPUTS
In reply to Bob Malsbury's quest for DTV converter boxes with HD outputs, the following letters were received:
o There are a few tuners that have HD outputs,
such as HDMI.
Though a couple of years old now, one such
box is the Samsung DTB-H260F. To be
government coupon eligible, converter boxes
cannot have HD outputs, only SD. This is
because the gvrnmnt subsidy is intended for
existing/older analog TVs only (which
presumably are not HD).
- Name withheld upon request
o Try the Samsung HD tuners at Bust Buy.
They have HDMI and analog video outputs.
- Name withheld, Los Angeles engineer.
o I have a Coby TV convertor which has
component output as well as the usual
composite. As I recall, it might have
cost about $50....
- Red Blanchard, redblanchard (at) sbcglobal.net
(VIA: CGC Communicator Magazine)
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( 2.9 / 176 )Here is the official release.
NTIA Release
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( 3 / 179 )In case you haven't seen this, NTIA is officially accepting applications for replacement coupons. At text version of the NTIA notice follows this message. The notice can be found on the NTIA site at:
https://www.dtv2009.gov/CouponProgramUpdate.aspx
Coupon Program Update
There are several improvements to the TV Converter Box Coupon Program that will help consumers prepare for the shut off of analog broadcasts by June 12, 2009. These changes are a result of the DTV Delay Act and made possible through funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.
The following program updates are effective immediately:
· Applications for Replacement Coupons. The Coupon Program is now accepting applications from consumers whose coupons expired without being redeemed. The Coupon Program limits each U.S. household to a total of two redeemed coupons.
Therefore, if you have redeemed one coupon toward the purchase of a TV converter box and the other has expired, you may request and be approved for one replacement coupon; if you have redeemed two coupons you will not be approved for additional coupons. Replacement coupons will only be issued to eligible households upon request. Consumers who wish to apply for a replacement coupon can do so online, by calling 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009), mailing an application to PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208 or faxing it to 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632). Deaf or hard of hearing callers may use 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).
· Coupon Waiting List and Distribution. The Coupon Program has completed processing approved coupon applications that were placed on a waiting list beginning in January 2009. Consumers who had been notified they were approved for coupons but placed on a waiting list due to a lack of program funds will be issued coupons. (Consumers may use the automatically-generated reference number they received at the time of application to check the status of their request on this Web site.)
Consumers who apply for a coupon and are approved after the waiting list is eliminated will be handled on a first-come, first -served basis, while supplies last. If the Program experiences high demand, it may be necessary for the Coupon Program to once again place applicants on a waiting list. Should this happen we may distribute coupons to over-the-air only households first to ensure as many U.S. households as possible have at least one working television after their local TV stations complete the transition to digital by June 12, 2009.
· Requested Coupons Mailed via First-Class Mail. The TV Converter Box Coupon Program is mailing coupons via first-class mail. Consumers will receive coupons more quickly.
· Application Deadline. Consumers should act now to prepare for the end of analog broadcasts in their local viewing area. The Program will accept coupon applications until July 31, 2009, if funds are available to fill those requests.
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