This is an editorial to the Editor of The Toledo Blade in reference to their editorial about the Toledo TV stations and their DTV woes. The Toledo stations are suggestion doubling (or more) their transmission power.Click on RELATED to see the original editorial.
Fred
John Block
The Toledo Blade
541 Superior Street
Toledo OH 45660
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
John,
This is in response to your editorial in The Toledo Blade, “We Interrupt This Program”.
With apologies to Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, the solution is not more power, it’s a better tool.
Why is it that people in Lambertville and Ottawa Hills can’t get the Toledo stations, yet I and others in Allen County can see WTVG, WTOL, WNWO, WUPW, and WGTE? The reason is that the technology has changed the way we receive television.
When WLIO-DT came on the air in 2002 we operated at only 430 watts, on channel 8 (VHF) from an antenna 160 above ground. We were surprised to find that we had viewers in Deshler, Defiance, and Sidney. And yet we had viewers inside Lima that could not see us at all!
In the spring of 2006 we increased our transmissions from 430 watts to 27,500 watts at 455 feet off the ground. Conventional logic would say that this cured all the reception problems. Surprisingly, it helped a few viewers in the distance, but it also compounded problems with more people in our county.
During this past seven years we spent a lot of time working with viewers and engineers to find solutions to many DTV reception problems, and have identified a few important areas.
If you remember your old analog TV reception; occasionally you would get noise or a flutter in the picture. You could still hear the station, and watch the video, albeit the picture had some lines through it and maybe flickered. But it was viewable.
With digital, once noise or distortion is introduced into the signal, you completely loose the sound and picture. Digital must have a constant stream of data for sound and picture. This is the reason the majority of people have problems with DTV, and it boils down to several factors.
The first thing we found is antennas recommended by many retailers, (including our own government in public service announcements), do not work! In our area, 95% of the DTV viewers who own rabbit ears antennas are experiencing severe reception problems. Only 5% that have rabbit ears antennas can get fair to reasonable results.
Rabbit Ear antennas looked very promising to the consumer due to the cost, and the promise of great reception. However, some products boasted “50 dB amplification”, or “can receive stations 50 miles away”. These claims are simply false.
The performance issue of antennas also applies to pancake antennas, (the type that are normally installed on RVs, and are making their way into homes), Halo antennas used on the top of satellite dishes, and cheap non-directional roof-top antennas.
Signals from DTV stations arriving at these antennas from different angles causing phase cancellations and can not be decoded properly within the DTV receiver or converter. The result is no signal or a pixilated picture with sound cutting out. VHF and UHF stations both struggle with the reflection issue.
Why not increase TV station power to compensate for low gain antennas? Because signal integrity has not been solved. In fact, you’re now bouncing higher levels of reflected signals around. It’s like being in a gymnasium with a group of people. The whole room echos. If you can’t hear someone, they can shout but it still echos. And what if all the people want to be heard? If they all shout, are you going to hear one person? Probably not.
What happens when all the DTV stations double or triple their power to be heard? You increase another problem because not only are you trying to solve the problem of signal integrity, but you also have to try to keep out of town stations interfering with your local stations.
Increasing our stations power did nothing for our viewers in our area. Not a single viewer told us by increasing our power from 430 watts to 27,500 watts solved their reception problem. We did, however, receive more complaints from people living in the city with small rabbit ears antennas. Again, this is due to our signal reflecting off downtown buildings and being picked up by the viewers antenna, along with the signal direct from our transmitter.
How do you solve the problem? Good directional antennas are needed in most applications. In urban areas, an antenna such as the Winegard HD1080 will do well. The one I tested was easily mounted to the soil stack of my home. A neighbor attached one to the top of his gray satellite dish. I get my local stations, and some of the Toledo and Fort Wayne stations.
For distance, antennas designed like the AntennaCraft Y10-7-13 or Y5-7-13 work for VHF stations like 11, 13, and ours on channel 8. For the UHF stations a panel style AntennasDirect DB8 works well. The directional characteristics of these antennas allow for reduced multipath, (reception from other directions other than the original signal), and gain from the intended station. The down side of this is that most directional antennas require a rotor to position the antenna. If you want to receive just local stations, an antenna like the Winegard HD1080 works well once it’s up in the air and out in the open.
I can remember growing up in Toledo in the 50s and 60s on the west side, and we would have to rotate our antenna to the east to get Toledo stations clearly, and to the north-north-east to get Detroit. Perhaps having to do this as a kid is why I don’t mind it now.
Antennas should be up and in the clear of obstructions. They can be mounted on a pole to the chimney, or to a small tower along side the house. Try to get your antenna above roof lines, or natural barriers. Use good quality wire and antenna products. A word of caution, always mount antennas away from power lines!
Embracing the larger antennas can be a disappointment, but it is necessary if you want to watch DTV without signal loss. Antenna installation should be an investment, one you’ll make and live with for many years. And keep in mind that the antenna technology we’re doing today, is not much different than what our fathers and grandfathers used to pick up TV back in the pre-color days. Some things never change.
Keep in mind there is no such thing as a “digital antenna”, or a super modern inside powerized amplified antenna system for reception. The physics of VHF and UHF antenna theory have not changed in well over 60 years. What has changed is the type of transmission, and how it’s delivered to the home. As with any technology it will take years to perfect. I still remember my father complaining about trying to get the new station on channel 24 called WDHO. And he couldn’t understand why we needed another antenna. Sorry dad, technology changes.
And lastly, let us not forget that it was not broadcasters or the viewer that drove digital television. Congress pushed DTV in their quest for selling spectrum, supposedly for Homeland Security and other services they could auction off.
When DTV was first proposed the handwriting was on the wall, so to speak. Then F.C.C. Chairman Reed Hundt had a poster above his office that looked like a check. The “check” to the U.S. Treasury boasted that the transition to DTV would make payable to the government “$1-billion” in spectrum fees. And that was when $1-billion was something. I don’t know about you, but I would have felt better if digital television was driven by a need from the consumer, and not a Congressional mandate.
Frederick R. Vobbe is VP and Chief Engineer for WLIO Television (Lima OH) owned by Block Communications Inc.
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( 3 / 192 )Channel 6 quadruples signal to improve reception
Bob Fernandez, Philadelphia Inquirer - Mon, Jun. 22, 2009
6ABC, which faced withering criticism when thousands of over-the-air television viewers lost reception on June 12, quadrupled its TV signal over the weekend.The emergency signal boost was granted under temporary authority by the Federal Communications Commission and will last six months. A 6ABC official said the station will seek FCC permission to make it permanent.
On June 12, the nation's TV stations ended their use of analog signals in favor of digital signals. The switch improved picture quality, but for viewers using traditional over-the-air sets and rabbit ears, it also led to problems receiving 6ABC.
Viewers should rescan for the station on their digital-converter boxes. Some people still may not receive the station because of malfunctioning converters or poorly functioning antennas, said David Dombrowski, an FCC electronics engineer in Philadelphia.
The weekend's action confirmed that the FCC underestimated the necessary digital-signal strength in engineering models. Those models, experts have said, were based on outdoor antennas, which many homeowners in the Philadelphia area lack.
click RELATED below to see original story.
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( 3 / 178 )(From the CGC Communicator Magazine, a California Technical publication)
Some San Diego viewers accustomed to watching Los Angeles over-the-air analog TV are finding the new digital-only signals intermittent or not receivable. The problem involves variations in temperature inversion layer ducting, a profound problem in southern California. The affected viewers seem to instantly understand when DTV is explained as "Fair Weather TV," but their disappointment is evident nevertheless.
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( 3 / 157 )
When Congress set in motion the DTV transition in 1997, little did anyone know it would take until June 2009 to complete. The original date was set for 2001, and then moved several times until February 12, 2009. But on February 4, 2009 legislation was enacted, and on February 11th President Obama signed into law the “DTV Delay Act”.Although two other high power stations in our area, WTLW-44 and WBGU-27 signed off early, WLIO stayed on the air until 6:59AM on June 12, 2009. With a push of a button Chief Engineer and VP of WLIO, by Frederick Vobbe, analog was terminated. WLIO had broadcast since April of 1953 in analog.
DIGITAL COMES TO LIMA
The F.C.C. originally gave WLIO channel 20 for digital operation. It was clear to the ownership of WLIO that the station was regional in nature, and channel 20 would result in a loss of coverage area. An engineering study was performed, and Vobbe found channel 8 would not only replicate the stations coverage, but exceed coverage in many areas.
In November 2003, WLIO began transmitting digital signals as a low power station. In February 2006 the station went full power with an antenna at 455 feet, and 27,500 watts of power, the maximum allowed by the F.C.C.
Since 2006, WLIO has received signal reports from communities such as Perrysburg, Wauseon, Defiance, Piqua, Degraff, Upper Sandusky, and even Portland IN, and Adrian MI.
“Channel 8 is well suited for long range region transmission. That is why we chose channel 8 over channel 20”, said Vobbe. “Since the station has been on the air since February 2006, it has given those wanting to prepare for the digital transition a taste of what was to come. Those that waited till the last minute are scrambling to figure DTV out. Unlike other stations that went to a temporary DTV channel, then back to their original analog channel for DTV operation, WLIO stayed on 8.”
In Toledo, two VHF stations began digital operation on UHF channels, and then went back to VHF on June 12th.
PROBLEMS
The public has had their share of problems. First, the fiasco over coupons. By the end of 2008 the government knew there would not be enough coupons for everyone. And many of the digital televisions and converter boxes were prematurely marketed without a lot of testing. “There was an unreasonable expectation of performance, fostered by the government’s pubic service announcements”, said Vobbe. “The public was told that all you needed was a converter box and a pair of rabbit ear antennas and you are all set. That is simply not the case”, said Vobbe.
Max from Mercer County called WLIO to say that he can’t get the station, nor WTLW-44, or WBGU-27. All these stations should be easily received in Mercer County. The problem was found to be the amplified rabbit ears antenna. While just down the road, Dave, who lives on the Auglaize and Allen County line, is getting all the Lima stations plus Fort Wayne stations from a small rooftop antenna made by AntennaCraft, model HD1080.
Satellite dish customers have also had problems. The majority of satellite user?s problems center around non-compliant set-top receivers, or the ?Halo? antennas that are mounted to the dish. ?The halo antennas are grossly inefficient for DTV reception. If you have a dish there are better options?, said Vobbe.
For those that transitioned before the June date, there were no complaints. Viewers waiting until June 12th are suffering from loss of signals, usually the result of inferior equipment or lack of understanding. Vobbe offers the following suggestions.
* Rabbit Ear antennas do not work. These antennas were designed for analog reception, and to pick up signals within 3 miles of a station. If you are using rabbit ears, “pancake antennas”, (normally used on RVs and trailers, or a “halo” antenna, expect minimal performance, or no reception at all.
* Inside antennas, at the set or inside an attic, do not perform well. Reflections from wiring and the roof can cancel the DTV signal
* Use an outside antenna. If you live within one county of the station, you don’t need anything big. But if you live in Allen County, and want to get Toledo or Ft. Wayne stations in addition to Lima, you need a good quality antenna, up high.
* Do not fall prey to amplifiers, boosters, or products that claim to fix poorly performing reception. When you add a booster to a bad antenna, you amplify the noise. If you live in Allen County, your booster can be overloaded by DTV stations or local communication signals.
* When in doubt, rescan. Some DTV sets and converter boxes get confused during a rescan and do not dump their old memories before adding new channels, sometimes causing memory conflicts. One solution is to manually delete all the channels and then execute a rescan. The other is to follow the FCC's newly- announced procedure called "double rescan." (see link at end)
* Some converters are not sensitive to DTV signals. If you have a converter that lacks sensitivity, you should exchange it for a better model. If you could get WLIO in analog, you should get it in digital, especially when the station’s signal coverage is larger, and stronger.
* When buying an antenna remember that WLIO is a VHF Station. To get all the stations in the area you need both UHF and VHF transmissions. If you have just a UHF antenna, you have only half of what you need.
* Antennas must be pointed AT the DTV station. If you have a fixed antenna, pointing at another community, and you were getting WLIO analog off the “back” of the antenna, you will have problems. Antenna aiming is crucial.
“I think all of us had a relative, or knew a neighbor that had aluminum foil around their rabbit ears, and would arrange their room around the TV for best reception. They would spend hours fiddling with the antenna”, said Vobbe. “Those days are gone. You can not use rabbit ears, and you can’t get DTV off bent coat-hangers. If you are receiving some DTV stations off rabbit ears, count yourself in the 5% minority of lucky viewers. 95% of the viewers that contact us and are using rabbit ears are having horrible problems! And there is nothing that WLIO can do to help them”, said Vobbe.
Vobbe has struggled with DTV reception as well. Vobbe says, “When I installed my first DTV, I used rabbit ears, and every time my wife would use the microwave oven in the kitchen, the signal would break up, and I live only three-quarters of a mile from the station! I put an antenna on my roof that cost $29.95, and was only 6 pounds, mounted to the soil stack, and I not only got all the area DTV signals, but Ft Wayne as well. I’m very happy.”
Viewers in other communities are struggling as well. In Toledo, WTOL-11 and WTVG-13 are receiving thousands of complaints, daily. In Ft Wayne, one station, WISE is changing their channel from 19 to 18 to avoid interference.
In some cases stations caused their own problems. PSIP or Program and System Information Protocol, allows a station to say they are on one channel while transmitting on another. For example, in Dayton everyone knows that WHIO is channel 7. But they are actually transmitting on channel 41. To allow viewers to find them they say with their PSIP they are on 7, and this can be a problem for some viewers.
Greg Oen, an antenna installer from Minster, pointed this specific problem out. “Although not the case with WLIO, in many sections of the country PSIP has mislead people as to the actual channel being received. In Dayton, for example, WDTN and WHIO, formerly on 2 and 7, are now on 50 and 41. But the converter boxes still display 2 and 7. I realize that their channel number is a big part of their "brand" but they need to better explain to their viewers that they need a UHF antenna instead of a VHF antenna for reception.”
In the nation’s capital, WUSA channel 9 (CBS), and WJLA channel 7 (ABC) moved from UHF to VHF channels and viewers can’t get the signals. According to Bill Lord, VP of WJLA, “The sudden loss may be due to viewers trying to capture VHF signals with a UHF antenna.” The opposite is true in several other markets where VHF stations went to UHF channels.
MOST PEOPLE ARE SUCCESSFUL
In contrast, WLIO has received very few calls. As of this past Tuesday afternoon, there were only 42 calls, mostly from viewers that waited till their analog was gone to make the switch.
Like many people in West Central Ohio Jim is a happy viewer. After WLIO started transmitting his digital signal he remodeled his old antenna on a tower next to his house in Lafayette. His investment now gets him 30 DTV stations, some of which broadcast multiple programs. Such will be the case for WLIO in July when 8.1 will be NBC, and 8.2 will be Fox. In August, channel 35 will be reborn as WOHL-CD with 35.1 being ABC, and 35.2 CBS. Each channel will be HDTV.
Hal Richards from Henry County said information was valuable. “When WLIO went digital in 2001, I spoke with their Chief Engineer and was given some good advice about antennas. We’ve had no problems and enjoy television reception from Lima, Toledo, and Fort Wayne. We canceled our cable TV because we have all the stations we need, especially WLIO.”
Dave, who lives in Mt Victory, had similar results. The antenna he used for the last 15 years had served him well. But when WLIO started digital transmissions he purchased a digital TV. Recently he upgraded his antenna, and now enjoys perfect signals from Lima, Dayton, and Columbus.
The F.C.C. has praised WLIO for its transition efforts. James Bridgewater, the FCC's coordinator for the Lima DMA, said, “It appears the transition went rather well in the Lima area thanks to the cooperative efforts of the Lima broadcasters and the hard work they put into this in making this transition as seamless as possible.”
Vobbe said, “We have received a few calls from people trying to work out problems, but the number of success stories greatly outweigh the problems. The one thing that viewers have to remember is that unlike the black and white to color conversation to color in the sixties, digital is very different. It’s going to take some work, patience, and understanding of how things work. I have confidence in the public. They can ask us questions, and we’re happy to answer them.”
Vobbe encourages viewers to look at the WLIO Engineering web site, www.wlio.net, and contact him if they have questions.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
FCC’s Web Site
FCC’s Double Rescan
DTV Coupons
Antenna Web Sites:
Solid Signal & Stark Antenna
Pictures:
Fred Vobbe turning off transmitter for the last time;
http://www.wlio.net/files/news/Fred_Vobbe.jpg
WLIO staff after signing off Channel 35;
http://www.wlio.net/files/news/SignOff.jpg
The 40 year old analog RCA transmitter
http://www.wlio.net/files/news/RCA-Transmitter.jpg
Image of a VHF Antenna to receive WLIO channel 8
http://www.wlio.net/files/news/VHF_Antenna.jpg
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( 3 / 138 )
By KIRK BAIRD, THE TOLEDO BLADE STAFF WRITER
(note: WLIO Television is owned by BCI/The Toledo Blade)
For months, Mike Wilkinson and his family of six have enjoyed digital television, including an improved picture and sound that made their 20-year-old TVs seem new again.
So when the Friday morning deadline of the analog-to-digital changeover approached, the 45-year-old Old Orchard resident wasn't worried.
"I had no fear. I had the [converter] box and nothing was going to change," Mr. Wilkinson said.
That's why he and hundreds, possibly even thousands, of others were surprised to discover reception of two local channels - WTOL-TV, Channel 11, and WTVG-TV, Channel 13 - missing.
Mr. Wilkinson tried everything he could to pick up the broadcasts of 11 and 13, including rescanning for the network affiliates' signals several times, and buying more expensive indoor antennas.
Nothing worked.
That's because the reception problems aren't with his antenna or converter box. They're not even with his TV.
The trouble, say chief engineers at WTOL-TV, Channel 11, and WTVG-TV, Channel 13, is with the stations' power levels.
Prior to the Friday digital transmission changeover, Channel 11 broadcast its analog VHF signal at 316,000 watts, and its digital UHF signal on channel 17 at 735,000 watts. Channel 13 broadcast at 316,000 watts for its VHF analog signal and 795,000 watts at its digital UHF channel 19.
Both stations were using the UHF channels as temporary placeholders for their digital signals, while the stations' analog signals occupied their home channels, 11 and 13. Once analog transmissions ended nationwide, WTOL and WTVG moved their digital signals to 11 and 13.
Because the FCC limits the strength of digital transmissions to prevent interference with neighboring stations, Channel 11's VHF digital signal is now 16,900 watts, and Channel 13's is 11,200 watts, which is up from the 3,500 watts the FCC originally granted. WNWO-TV, Channel 24, and WUPW-TV, Channel 36, are UHF stations, and did not have to downgrade their broadcast power.
The limited transmission power of WTOL and WTVG, coupled with the digital signal's biggest weakness - an inability to travel long distances, which is analog's strength - has made reception of the two stations impossible for some area viewers who rely on over-the-air antennas. Cable and satellite subscribers are not affected.
Buildings, aluminum siding, the lack of windows, trees, cars, trains, and even wind can all negatively affect reception of digital signals.
With analog, though, the broadcast had "the brute force" necessary to overcome those obstacles, said Barry Gries, chief engineer at WTVG.
"[But with digital,] there's no brute force today," Mr. Gries said.
Viewers who no longer receive the WTOL and WTVG broadcasts not only have lost local and network programming, but are also without the Emergency Alert System, which notifies residents when to take shelter in case of tornadoes, or alerts them to parts of the city are experiencing flooding.
But it's not just viewers who are suffering.
The loss of station reception has meant a decrease in viewership for Channels 11 and 13.
"We've lost a lot of viewers," said Steve Crum, WTOL chief engineer. "Especially for people in the further reaches, or basements or apartments with no windows - they need more power for the signals to penetrate the walls."
Meanwhile, those who bought digital-ready TVs and are using over-the-air antennas are returning to retail stores and asking what's wrong with their sets.
"They're very frustrated, but very patient up to his point. I don't how long that will last," said Kenny Wanemacher, warehouse manager at Appliance Center of Toledo Inc. "We had no idea what was going on. We called the [stations'] hot line and they told us, 'It's not you guys. We're still having broadcast issues.'•"
To address these concerns, Channel 13 will upgrade its signal in the next two to three weeks to 14,600 watts, an amplification that will provide a limited boost to the reception of some viewers.
Meanwhile, networks and affiliate owners nationwide are in discussions with the FCC about increasing the signal strength by as much as double that of current broadcasts, which would take Channel 11 and 13 each past 30,000 watts of transmission power.
"That would be the best scenario we can hope for," Mr. Gries said. "Will it fix everything? No. But it should make things better.
"All the VHF broadcasters across the country are suffering," he added. "All the viewers are suffering. We're all suffering."
Mr. Gries recommended viewers call the FCC DTV hotline, 1-888-225-5322, to voice concern over their loss of channel reception.
Until then, the solution for many area residents will require an additional expense: subscribe to cable or satellite, or install a rooftop antenna, a choice Mr. Wilkinson isn't happy with.
"It seems nonsensical that with the box [setup] I was fine, and after the deadline I have these stations that are no longer accessible on my TV," he said. "Nothing changed. I didn't move. The antennas didn't break. The only thing that changed was their power."
Contact Kirk Baird at:
kbaird (at) theblade (dot) com
or 419-724-6734.
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( 3 / 120 )...more on the DTV switch...Peter Svensson at the Associated Press reports:
The shutdown of U.S. analog TV service on Friday appears to have gone relatively smoothly, but as expected, a lot of viewers are having problems getting the stations they want. The problems have ensnared even the technologically sophisticated. (more)
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, channels 7 and 9, 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" and sold over the past few years, 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."
Read More
...in Philadelphia: FCC steps in to fix Phila. digital TV problems...Bob Fernandez at the Inquirer reports:
Faced with angry viewers throughout the Philadelphia area, the federal agency that regulates television stations says it will send extra staffers here to help people make the switch to digital TV and measure digital-TV signals.
Thousands of over-the-air viewers have lost reception of market-leading 6ABC and WHYY, the public-television station, since Friday's nationwide switch from analog TV signals to digital signals.
The Federal Communications Commission acknowledged that these people also lost access to Oprah, their afternoon soaps, and other favorite TV shows.
"We are looking at all available options to resolve these issues. We will act quickly, but thoughtfully," FCC acting chairman Michael J. Copps said yesterday in a statement.
The FCC will focus resources on similar problems with the digital transition in New York and Chicago, spokesman Mark Wigfield said.
Read More
...and from Boston: Channel 7 has a rocky transition...Hiawatha Bray at the Boston Globe reports:
While thousands of television viewers struggled with the changeover to digital television broadcasting, a major Boston TV station found that it wasn't ready either.
The digital signal from local NBC affiliate WHDH, which broadcasts on Channel 7, isn't strong enough to reach many homes in Greater Boston. So WHDH has begun "simulcasting" its signal on Channel 42 as well as Channel 7.
"We are very sorry for the inconvenience to our viewers and we hope to have this resolved quickly," said WHDH general manager Chris Wayland.
Like most major TV stations in the US, WHDH has been broadcasting a digital signal for months. But it had been using Channel 42 for its digital signal and Channel 7 for the traditional analog signal.
Once analog broadcasts ended last Friday, WHDH planned to stop using Channel 42 and do its digital broadcasting on Channel 7. But they found that the Channel 7 transmitter isn't powerful enough to deliver a clear picture throughout the Boston area.
WHDH has asked the Federal Communications Commission for the right to boost its signal strength, but this process could require weeks of testing to ensure that a more powerful signal won't interfere with other broadcasters.
Read More
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( 2.9 / 125 )Call Center Receives Over 900,000 Calls In Days Surrounding Transition
Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission’s consumer help line for the digital television (DTV) transition has received over 900,000 calls since last Monday regarding the switch by full-power television stations to all-digital broadcasts on June 12. By Sunday, however, call volumes had declined.
Calls to1-888-CALL-FCC seeking assistance peaked Friday with 317,450 calls, followed by 145,403 calls on Saturday and 62,949 calls on Sunday. About 28 percent of callers who talked with an FCC agent Sunday sought help setting up digital converters boxes for analog TVs, while nearly 26 percent reported difficulty receiving a specific station, and another 23 percent needed help resolving broader reception issues. The FCC’s call center also transferred over 235,000 calls requesting information about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s converter box coupon program to that agency’s call center.
“The FCC is in the midst – not the end – of the DTV transition,” said FCC Acting Chairman Michael Copps. “Our call center remains open, our teams are in the field, and our web site, www.dtv.gov, is updated to reflect the kinds of problems viewers are having.
“This was never going to be an easy transition, as I have said many times,” Copps added. “It appears to have worked well for the majority of over-the-air viewers, but for those who are experiencing a less-satisfactory outcome, we are committed to staying on the job to help.”
Consumers in some markets appeared to have difficulty when digital converter boxes that had been programmed, or “scanned,” with channel locations before the June 12 transition did not properly update channel locations after the transition, despite being re-scanned. The FCC today is issuing a separate consumer advisory providing tips on rescanning and antenna placement.
While many markets reported few problems, the FCC is examining reports of signal loss by viewers of certain stations in several markets, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. Commission experts discussed issues with individual stations in the markets, and bolstered field staff in these and other markets where problems were reported. Staff continued to help consumers apply for the coupons program, hook up converter boxes, and help them understand scanning, rescanning and antenna issues.
Supplies of converter boxes and antennas continued to be adequate, according to reports to the FCC from retailers. While some stores may be out of or awaiting shipments, other stores in the same markets had boxes available; both antennas and converter boxes were available from on-line retailers.
Consumers continued to request free, in-home installation of converter boxes provided by FCC contractors. Other well-utilized resources include the FCC’s DTV web site, www.dtv.gov, which received over 3.5 million page views from June 6-14.
from press release;
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT
Rick Kaplan, 202-418-1728
Email: rick.kaplan@fcc.gov
Mark Wigfield, 202-418-0253
Email: mark.wigfield@fcc.gov
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( 3 / 107 )Just a few observations... I've been following the postings in some of the SBE lists and engineering forums. Close to home, the Toledo market seems to be struggling.
Our engineering department is finding a couple of interesting things. First, rabbit ear antennas just do not work! I can't stress this more.
Of all the complaints, 95% of the people who have rabbit ears are not getting all or none of the stations in their DMA.
This also includes these "pancake antennas" that are typically used on motor homes, but have been deployed in residential use.
For people with actual outside DTV antennas, I'm finding that antenna aiming is becoming more and more crucial. In some cases, while a 40-80 degree window off the front of the antenna was sufficient for analog, the antenna must be placed within 10-20 degrees on most DTV stations.
I can actually see this with a monitor, observing the BER while rotating the antenna. VHF seems more forgiving. With the signal arriving at different time domains, the receiver is not locking up properly.
For the public, the signal meter can be worthless. While it's commonly thought that more is better, the integrity and purity of the digital signal is MORE important. Set manufacturers would have done us all a favor by implementing a meter system based on signal and integrity. Perhaps monitoring error rates or SNR.
I also find that antennas with higher F/B ratios and reduction on the sides are better than smaller antennas offering non-directional reception.
In short, cheap antennas are resulting in most of the loss of DTV service. Almost all the outside antenna issues I have dealt with involve the cheapest antenna, with the least performance.
Amplifiers are also a contributing issue, especially when a user within a high RF field, (close proximity to a DTV station). Case in point; a fellow here in Lima had a cheap broadband amplifier. He could not see Toledo or Fort Wayne stations (although he had seen them in analog).
When the amplifier was bypassed, he started to receive his local stations. When the cheap antenna was replaced with a AntennaCraft Y10-7-13 (VHF), and a AntennaDirect DB8, the Toledo stations all came in fine.
I took the offending amp, and did some tests on it. I found that while analog signals would cause some IM distortion in the amplifier, a moderately strong DTV signal would cause severe problems. Using our channel 8 signal as a test, I noted an increase in noise and distortion up to 500 MHz.
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( 3 / 150 )YouTube Videos....
WLIO Channel 35 - Lima OH
WFAA Channel 8 - Dallas TX
KFOR Channel 4 - Oklahoma City, OK
WSB Channel 2 - Atlanta GA
WCPO Channel 9 - Cincinnati OH
WSRE Channel 23 - Pensacola FL
WNDU Channel 16 - South Bend IN
WWLP Channel 22 - Springfield MA
WMTV Channel 15 - Madison WI
WDEF Channel 12 - Chattanooga TN
More videos on YouTube if you search around.
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( 2.9 / 145 )I expected to have a low number of calls, and that's the way it's been for most of the morning. So what are people asking about? Here's the short list.
1). I have a converter box. How does that hook up?
The answer is with the instructions, but basically the antenna connects to the converter, and then you run a video wire, and two audio wires to the "line in" of your TV.
2). I got the converter box, but I still can't get you.
The answer here was that the viewer installed the box, but didn't scan for channels. The box must "look" for channels in the area.
In one case a viewer had the box, but had nothing connected to the antenna input. The box must have an antenna connected to it, and the antenna must be VHF to pick up WLIO digital.
3). I can't get you no matter what I do.
After investigation it was found that the viewer lived in St. Marys, and was trying to watch WLIO channel 8 on a UHF antenna. To get WLIO digital, you need to have a VHF antenna. But don't throw away the UHF antenna. In August a new channel 35 will be born. If you want to get ABC and CBS in HD digital, you will need a UHF antenna.
4). I can't get WLIO on my dish system and Dish says that it's your fault.
Not true. Your dish system passes the over the air signal through the box to your TV If the dish signal is receiving the signal, it must receive digital channel 8, and have a VHF antenna connected to it. WLIO has granted dish retransmission, but they have not hooked up the equipment, yet.
If the dish box does not decode a digital over-the-air signal, then your TV must decode it. So it's not WLIO's fault for your loss of signal.
5). Are you on the air? We can't get your digital in Harrod.
After talking with the viewer, they are using Rabbit Ears to try to pick up our signal. To be blunt, Rabbit Ears are very poor antennas. They were suppose to be the magic bullet, but in 90% of the cases they fail. If you are getting signals on Rabbit Ears, count your blessings. But most people can't get them to work, or they work and then loose the signal.
If you have a problem with DTV reception, you can call us or call 1-888-Call-FCC. Here are the facts.....
- We are on the air in high power. (27,500 watts)
- We are on Channel 8 in digital. Channel 35 is off the air.
- Our signal travels from B.G. to Sidney, and from Marion to Ft. Wayne. If you are inside this area and can't get us, check your antenna.
- You should have an antenna for reception, and it should be VHF or a UHF/UHF combo antenna. Rabbit Ears don't work!
- If you had us before, and not now, re-scan your channels or check your antenna. You should have an antenna.
- If you are a satellite dish customer, we have granted full use of our signal to both companies, regardless of what they tell you.
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