OTA HDTV Reception Q&A

2010-04-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

HOW THE LOW POWER ANALOG TV LOOPHOLE BROUGHT SMOOTH JAZZ BACK TO CHICAGO RADIO

Before last June's transition to digital for full power TV stations, if a market had an analog TV channel 6 in the area, people in that market could listen to TV channel 6 by tuning their radio to 87.7 FM. The reason for this is because the old analog TV format had two major carriers on its channel, one for picture, and one for the sound, broadcasting in the wide FM modualtion scheme. In the case of TV channel 6, the picture was at 83.25 MHz, and the sound at 87.75 MHz, right at the left end of a typical FM radio, which people could tune in to listen to a TV station, mostly for news shows or maybe a sports play-by-play on that specific TV channel.

In Milwaukee, there was a channel 6 on WITI-TV, which is currently a FOX affiliate, and people were listening to the TV station on the radio. But when the DTV transition completed and channel 6 began broadcasting solely in the digital format on a UHF frequency, the radio simulcast went away. Even if the station were broadcasting digitally on its old analog frequency, FM radios would not be able to tune in to the audio since digital TV uses a different and more advanced modulation than FM. Now in Milwaukee, those who have enjoyed listening to the channel 6 audio on their FM radios can do so by getting an HD radio, and tuning in to 106.1 FM HD-3, since HD radio stations can multicast the same way digital TV stations can. Again, since WITI switched to a UHF frequency for its digital TV broadcast, the old channel 6 frequency pretty much opened up.

Meanwhile in Chicago, 95.5 FM, owned by a major corporate radio company, which had been a long running contemporary jazz, or "smooth jazz" format that had been fairly successful for over 20 years, changed its format to Latin pop, taking the smooth jazz format off Chicago radio. But a station manager Pat Kelly, and a small company Venture Technologies Group, had a plan to get the format back on the air, using the FCC allowance that a low power TV station could continue to broadcast in the analog format - create a low power TV station that plays smooth jazz, and broadcast it on the open channel 6 frequency. So a small locally owned company WLFM, LLC, was born. They got a license from the FCC to broadcast on the channel 6 frequency at 3,000 watts, which would qualify it as a low power TV station, from Chicago, and get the music heard on the radio at 87.7 FM. Very strong FM radio stations broadcast at 50,000 watts, but 3,000 watts would still provide a fairly large listening area. So on May 22nd, 2009, days before the DTV transition took place, WLFM-LP began broadcasting, and smooth jazz was back on Chicago radio.

The trick here to make the TV station legal was to have some kind of a picture broadcasting on the 83.25 MHz analog picture carrier, so WLFM-LP puts a continuous slide show of Chicago landmarks along with a station ID logo and a weather ticker on the picture while the music plays on the audio carrier that is heard on 87.7 FM. I actually can tune in to the channel 6 over the air on my analog TV tuner and see that picture, although it is grainy because I am pretty much in the fringe area of the Chicago TV market, but it is there, and the audio on the TV sounds good, so it works on TV channel 6, and on 87.7 FM on my radio.

I discovered this sort of by accident because I had just purchased an FM transmitter adapter for my car to listen to audio on my BlackBerry on my car radio, since that radio was not Bluetooth enabled. I had figured with TV channel 6 from Milwaukee moving to UHF and all digital that 87.7 FM would always be clean for my adapter, but I was curious to see if there was a low power TV station within 200 miles of me that I would be concerned about while on the road. So a TV station search on the FCC's Web site came up with WLFM-LP channel 6 out of Chicago. I tune in to 87.7 FM on the radio, sure enough, I hear smooth jazz, and had to set my adapter to 87.9 FM which for the most part has little noise.

So now WLFM-LP channel 6/87.7 FM, for nearly a year now, has brought the smooth jazz format back, and using local billboard advertisting and social media to get the word out, thanks to the FCC rules allowing low power TV stations to continue to be analog, and hopefully the company will have a solid audience. Two questions arise, though - how long with the low power analog allowance last, and will other companies in other markets follow suit to bring a niche format to the far left of the FM dial?

2010-01-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

WIRELESS HD INTERNET VIDEO WORKS - WITH THE RIGHT ROUTER

Last summer I posted my experiences with the Roku Internet video player on a 720p monitor via HDMI, and streaming the video wirelessly. Since then, Roku opened up its open-development channel store in late November 2009 to finally bring original Web video to the TV set, and released two additional boxes. One of the new boxes, retailing for $120, is 802.11n WiFi compatible to allow HD video streaming at a longer distance from the router in a house than with the original 802.11g model, which is still available. Roku also released a basic player for about $80 with no HDMI output nor HD streaming, but rather as a set-top box for standard definition TV sets for those who still find a use for them after the broadcast TV transition to digital happened in June 2009.

I have the original Roku player with 802.11g WiFi, and following the opening of the Roku Channel Store, I would discover the importance of selecting the right router to ensure the best possible HD video experience wirelessly. When the Roku Channel Store opened, I added Revision3, Blip.TV, MediaFly, and FrameChannel where I can see news posts, photos from professionals as well as my own pictures I can upload, and pictures sent from friends and family via user-approved e-mail addresses. FrameChannel also lets me see recent Twitter posts from people I follow as well as recent posts related to a search feature.

However since the player software upgrade, it seemed recently that the player was not as able to stream the HD content from Netflix and Amazon with the quality I had before, which concerned me. Additionally, when I configured MediaFly on my PC through my account, I subscribed to a few video podcasts in HD. Streaming the HD podcasts on my Roku player did tend to pause downloading the next segment way too often.

I had thought initially that my problem was my cable modem speed. I had been subscribing to the 5 Mbps tier following the Roku upgrade. From my experience with over the air HD, I was aware that TV stations broadcasting in 720p HD with multicasting tend to have their primary 720p stream between 7-10 Mbps for a solid picture, and 10-15 Mbps for 1080i HD broadcasts. So, I figured that even though Netflix and Amazon uses a more technically advance codec for 720p streaming where you could get a decent HD stream on a Roku, PlayStation, XBox, et al, in the 5 Mbps cable modem tier, to enjoy them more consistently as well as HD podcasts on my Roku in 720p would require upgrading to the 10 Mbps tier. So I gave in, contacted my cable company, and requested the 10 Mbps high speed Internet tier, which was no problem since I have my own DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem, so no installer from the cable company needed to visit my place. The change went into effect about an hour after my call. By the way, those who want to go with the blazing 50-60 Mbps speeds that are now available will need a DOCSIS 3.0 modem since this technology uses multiple channels that allow for the super fast speeds and sharing between multiple devices in a home network.

Yet in spite of the upgrade I did not seem to notice an improvement in my Roku player HD streaming at all, which concerned me. So I brought my player to my router, which was a Netgear WTG624 that I had been using for about four years, and when I purchased it I was subscribing to a 3 Mbps cable modem tier, and I was renting the modem at the time before buying my own after moving to my new place and ordering the 5 Mbps tier. I hard wired the Roku player to my router, and I STILL saw no improvement in any HD content streaming.

So I did a test on my laptop with my existing router by connecting to a Web site that can measure my Internet access speed on the machine I am using. With a hard wired connection my download speed was just over 8 Mbps, so at least I was getting the download speed I had upgraded to. But then when I used the same site on the same laptop via 802.11g, my download speed was about 4.5 Mbps. Well, I thought, that would explain the lack of HD quality on my Roku with a wireless connection since my wireless download speed was less than what is required for broadcast 720pHD, but why the lack of quality with a wired connection?

I did some research, considering an 802.11n bridge at first, but then some further research of electronic store Web site product reviews made me realize the problem was my router. Back when it was new, HD video online was only in its infancy, and new routers have been designed to optimize HD video streaming among other technologies like voice-over-IP (VoIP). Some further research of product reviews led me to a holiday sale purchase of the D-Link DIR-655, which per customer reviews seemed like a top of the line router for home networks using HD streaming and VoIP.

When I got the new D-Link DIR-655 router, although it was intended to be an 802.11n router, my Roku and laptop are 802.11g compatible, so I configured the router to operate only in 802.11g mode. What a difference it made - my laptop WiFi download speed on the same WiFi channel increased to 7-8 Mbps. NOW I was getting the high speed Internet I upgraded to. And as for the Roku player, the HD quality of the Netflix and Amazon content became more consistent.

But there was still one disappointment - the video podcasts in HD that I subscribed through MediaFly. Some of the HD podcasts were streaming more consistently and looking great on my monitor with the new router, but one HD podcast, DiveFilms, was still pausing and downloading segments before playing again. Fortunately MediaFly also lets me access the same content in iPod/iTouch format, which is a widescreen standard definition stream, not as good looking as the HD version, but it was not bad either, and the content does stream without interruption.

I have reason to believe that the Roku MediaFly channel does not automatically adjust for the optimal stream the way other channels do at this time, and the reason being is because MediaFly is a podcast aggregator, the video quality uploaded to the podcast is determined by choice of the content authors. I would think that the DiveFilms HD podcasts are uploaded and meant to be played at maybe a bitrate between 7-8 Mbps, right at the fringe of my WiFi speed with the new router, whereas other 720p HD podcasts may be between 4-6 Mbps. It would seem that the DiveFilm HD podacasts are meant to be downloaded and viewed locally on PCs and set-top boxes with local hard drives, like AppleTV devices, and not so much to be streamed online.

Still I am getting better results with the router upgrade, so if you are planning to enjoy HD video wirelessly on devices such as the Roku Player, AppleTV, XBox, or PlayStation, the right network begins with the right router. Make sure the router is 802.11n with 802.11g backward compatibility, and highly rated for HD streaming. Additionally, the right router is a necessity for those planning to purchase a networked Blu-Ray player, or even a new HDTV with wireless network capabilty with Internet service built-in. These products will likely generate some buzz at the upcoming CES 2010.

One final note on the Roku Channel Store - it will be interesting to see in the new year if content providers will develop Roku compatible channels as well as iPhone apps to provide a direct means to distribute independently produced content, and bypass traditional television or movie studio distribution entirely.

2009-10-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

OBSTRUCTIONS TO OVERCOME IN OTA DTV RECEPTION

Because my posts have become deep in the archives by now with the important information posted about 3-4 years ago, for the sake of navigation simplicity I thought I would list some common barriers to over-the-air DTV signals. Some would probably ask why it seems their DTV picture is outstanding on some days and blocky on others. Well, it has to do with the state of the area atmosphere, which varies on different parts of the day, or even the calendar year. Radio frequency (RF) signals ideally can travel a long distance in free space without any resistance. That is not the case in reality.

When RF signals travel through an environment, or a "medium" as engineers and scientists call them, they go through forms of resistance, or impedance, to their travel. To put it another way, when you drive a car, you may find yourself having to travel slower on foggy days or when roads are icy as compared to dry sunny days, making the travel difficult. Well, that's the same issue with RF signals. Sooner or later even on nice weather days, the natural impedance of the air will eventually reduce the RF signal power to the point where it becomes impossible to receive with even the most sensitive radios. How far the signal can go before that happens depends on the atmospheric conditions, and, what objects stand in the way.

The best conditions for any kind of RF signal reception are during mild nights with little wind and stable air. I say nights because in the daytime, an atmospheric layer is present when the sun is out that scatters radio signals, making reception better in some places and weaker when the antenna is moved by as little as a few feet. Windy days when the air is unstable, high humidity, and precipitation can also cause the air to have a higher impedance and make off-air reception difficult.

Also, there is the issue of obstructions. Non-metallic building materials like wood and masonry, and trees and foliage, are media with a higher resistance than for air, which is why reception in areas with a lot of trees or buildings is difficult, as well as indoor or attic reception as opposed to mounting an antenna on the rooftop. Metal building materials will reflect and/or load RF signals, essentially blocking reception, as well as hills. The ground can literally stop an RF signal in its tracks, which is why using an indoor antenna in a basement den is not worth the frustration.

So this is why that if you live in an area fairly distant from the TV transmit towers that is best to use the largest antenna that you can to ensure you can pull in the signals when the conditions are at their worst, and if you do use an indoor antenna, why should try to mount it as high above the floor as possible to allow the antenna to "peek over" any obstructions near the ground. Also as I have mentioned a long time ago, amplifiers are only good for overcoming signal loss through cables and splitters, and NOT for increasing the antenna range. Amplifiers can only boost whatever signals the antenna can receive.

If you use antennaweb.org or tvfool.com to determine the TV channels you can receive in your area, the calculations do tend to be conservative estimates, taking the varying atmospheric conditions into account to ensure the size of antenna recommended is in fact the correct one. So, if your existing reception comes and goes, try moving the antenna higher and left or right a few feet first to see if the DTV signal meter on your tuner suddenly jumps into the good range. If it doesn't help, you may need to consider a larger, stronger antenna to overcome the obstacles of off-air DTV reception.

2009-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

GETTING WIRELESS HD - FROM THE GAME CHANGING ROKU PLAYER

Last year I mentioned trying out the Blockbuster video on-demand box made by 2Wire, and it turned out to be a failure. No sooner did they finally get the streaming video consistent did a couple major studios drop the new rental library from the Blockbuster On Demand service from this player, although not the Web site service for PCs.

However using the box set on a secure 802.11g wireless connection to a router only one room away and connected to a 5 Mbps cable modem connection, I did notice the Blockbuster VOD box was capable of downloading at 3-4 Mbps bit rates. I was particular over this box because I would be more comfortable with a box that cached the content that I could play offline with little breakup. Ironically, that was not the case, so I was not becoming as skeptical of streaming content over these set top boxes.

So a couple months ago I went ahead and get the Roku digital video player (http://www.roku.com/) which sells for $99 plus shipping and handling, and I think the timing to get it was just right, because it is about to become the game changer in bringing Internet video on demand to the living room. When I purchased it, Netflix, which was the original partner with this device, and Amazon Video on Demand was available, and just this week MLB.TV premium was added, the first live streaming channel on the Roku device. Additionally, several more Roku channels are on the way, following partnerships with Web video podcast aggregator sites Blip.TV and Mediafly.com, which would allow Roku users to finally enjoy original Web series on the TV set. While there are other devices like XBox, Playstation, and networked Blu-Ray players, they are about three times the cost of the Roku player, and the AppleTV box is twice the cost of the Roku.

So, with an affordable device now available and becoming capable of streaming a wide variety of online content, Web video is about to take a significant step forward over the next several months. And, this Roku box works, if you use the right equipment with it. I have my Roku player connected via a standard length HDMI cable to a 32" 720p monitor, and no surround sound equipment. This is the best setup to have with the Roku player, or any other Web video STB, because the top format this player is capable of is 720p HD and two-channel stereo. True home theater enthusiasts may find the Roku quality a bit disappointing if it is connected to a large 1080p HDTV, marketed as "true HD", and surround sound equipment.

Also, for best results, I would recommend a minimum 5 Mbps Internet connection, and preferably 10 Mbps or better. However, I have had solid 720p picture quality on my 5 Mbps connection. Now, an MPEG-2 720p HDTV over the air broadcast is somewhere between 7 and 8 Mbps (1080i being 10-12 Mbps), but the broadcast also includes 5.1 surround sound. So, I believe the Roku 720p HD can work well with a 3-4 Mbps connection since its compression may be more like a more efficient H.264 or MPEG-4 compression, and stereo sound, so not as much bandwidth would be required for the Roku HD stream. Additionally, while I have had success with a fairly close 802.11g wireless connection, if you plan to place this device further from your router, a hard wired connection, if possible, should be used, since computer cables can reject electrical noise and interference that can otherwise cause trouble for digital video transmitted wirelessly.

That said, when I linked my Roku player to my Netflix account, the first thing I streamed was the series premiere of NBC's The Office, which was available in 720p HD. Because I was watching on a 720p monitor, the picture quality looked just about as good as if I was watching the broadcast HDTV on this same monitor. Now I am catching up on some shows I have missed that are available on Netflix's Instant Play, which does have a limited library for now, and to see the new video releases, you would have to rely on the standard Netflix queue with discs by mail, or order them for $1.99 to $4.99 for HD from Amazon on Demand.

One other observation on how the Roku player works - it relies on a buffer play where the content streams in little segments. When the program begins, the player downloads the first segment before the program appears on your TV, which takes just under a minute if the connection is good. While this segment plays from the buffer, the player downloads the next segment, starting when the previous one ends, thus giving the illusion of a continuous stream with a consistent picture quality. The user can also skip these segments as sort of a fast forward or reverse with thumbnails as a visual clue. Once the segment is selected, the segment is downloaded (takes another minute, so patience is a virtue with this device), and the stream continues. Fortunately if I were to stop a program to do something else, like answer a phone call from friends or family, the player does store the segment where you left off, and once you return to the program, you can start right where you left off, or start the show all over again.

The MLB.TV channel that became available this week for Roku works about the same way with archived games, up to one week, as well as live games. A viewer can go back to a point in a live game and watch on a delay, as well as streaming it live, whose 720p HD picture quality, while not spectacular, is still pretty good.

So with these options and original Internet video on the way, the Roku player could become the paradigm shift for TV viewing habits. Right now my video sources are my over the air antenna and my Roku player. If the Roku can add ESPN360, preferably in time for next summer's FIFA World Cup of soccer, that would be all the more reason to stray from paying for cable, satellite, or telco TV, which would make me think that cable providers may need to reconsider their pricing tiers for high speed Internet and digital video to stay profitable or competitive.

I do have one beef with MLB.TV premium - my address is in the Chicago market but right on the Wisconsin border. Apparently the local games that are blacked out from the service are based on the IP address of the provider; well, I think mine must be in Wisconsin because I can get Cubs and White Sox games on MLB.TV Premium, but not the Milwaukee Brewers, strange since I have a cable modem, and my cable provider has Chicago stations and the regional Chicago sports network for my address, and no more Milwaukee stations after the DTV transition. Go figure. That aside though, my Roku is giving me so many options that surfing cable/satellite channels has become a waste of time and money for me since my off air antenna DTV setup is working out just fine after the transition.

UPDATE (8-19-09) - I was able to get around the blackout issue noted above; the trick is to log on to your MLB.com account on a PC sharing a router connection with the Roku player. Then go to the premium TV section and attempt to view the out of market game that is incorrectly blacked out. By completing a secure form that includes giving your credit card number and zip code, confirming a legitimate home address and market, the site would then link the IP with the right home market, and the Roku player would then play the out-of-market games you are entitled to stream live. And of course, if you miss a home game live, you can see it on the Roku on tape delay once the game is archived about 90 minutes after the end of the game.

2009-07-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

DTV TRANSITION COMPLETE - OR IS IT?

It has been over six weeks since the USA's full power analog TV broadcasts went dark, and the few left that are simply providing a "nightlight" service are slowly fading away as the "completely unready" household ratio continues to dwindle down.

However, those over the air households that thought they were ready with their converter boxes or new TVs have realized that they did lose some channels even after a rescan of their tuners. There have been reports of a handful of VHF stations now looking to get FCC permission to increase their transmit power as some households, be they just on the fringe of the viewing area or have indoor environments where the signals are not penetrating the buildings, are missing out on their shows after taking heed of all instructions to convert.

Additionally, there are still some DTV stations that have not yet gone to their maximum allotted DTV transmit power simply because they were not quite financially or technically ready to do, but plan to in the next few months.

So, if you have found a couple off-air DTV channels to be breaking up occasionally on a humid or stormy day, I would contact the station and ask if they are broadcasting at full power, and if not yet, then when. If the stations are at full power, then you may want to consider upgrading your antenna to a larger one that can pull in more signal.

Also, be sure to rescan your tuner about once a month as more and more stations are adding multicast channels to their over the air DTV broadcasts. Who knows, you may find yourself hooked on a new channel that you had to shell out a lot per month to get on digital cable.

2009-06-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

THE DTV TRANSITION IS HERE!

If you just found this page looking for information on how to get solid DTV reception over the air, browse through the links in the left frame, some of these posts are from a couple years ago, but have relevant information. I would go back to the earliest post and work your way up.

For those who did receive all their off-the-air DTV channels with a new digital TV or converter box, well, unfortunately you're not quite set yet. After June 12th passes into Saturday, you will need to rescan your tuner as some of the channels have switched to their final FCC approved DTV frequency. Check your owner's manual for details on how to do this. If after rescanning a couple times, if not all your channels are back yet, you may need to adjust or possibly even upgrade your current antenna. If you have used a UHF only antenna for DTV reception, chances are that you will need to go with a VHF/UHF combo to get all your channels back. You may want to contact the antenna manufacturer tech support line although I would be very patient to get through.

There are also some DTV help centers in your area, which could be at your local library or nearest electronics store. Check the newspaper or its Web site, or search "DTV Help Center" and your town to locate one near you for some good face-to-face help. Before you go, visit http://www.antennaweb.org/ or http://www.tvfool.com/ to get the final post-transition channel list for your area, and how strong an antenna you would need to consistently receive all your favorite channels.

Also keep in mind that not all analog channels will cease; you may be able to receive a low-power station; these stations are NOT required to be all digital just yet, only the major full-power stations in the US.

MILWAUKEE BROADCASTER USES ITS LOW-POWER STATIONS AS A "DIGITAL LIFELINE"

Milwaukee's CBS affiliate WDJT channel 58, owned by Weigel Broadcasting, has two lower power sister stations, channel 63, which was formerly the Telemundo affiliate for Milwaukee, now all digital on 48.4, and WMLW-CA 41. -CA means a "Class A" station, which is not a full power station, and at 9PM has a newscast from CBS 58. While the other major affiliates will have their news be available only on their all-digital broadcasts, CBS 58 is use their low power stations to continue broadcasting to the about 2% of market households, allowing them to continue to get local news and information on the DTV transition.

This is a marketing tool as clever as cable providers offering limited time low-cost basic cable services to help those who waited too long for the all-digital switch. Using their legal low-power broadcasts may hook new regular viewers.

2009-05-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

A FEW UPDATES ON THE DTV TRANSITION

With about six weeks left to the June 12th deadline for broadcasters to power down their full power over the air analog broadcasts, here are a few updates:

Several stations went ahead with an early shutdown in April; any stations that didn't will do so in June. One station in Chicago, WYCC, a public TV station owned by the city colleges of Chicago, shut down its analog signal on April 16th. Where I live in northern Illinois, I saw static on analog channel 20, a good DTV signal on 20-1 (HD), -2 (SD simulcast), and -3 (MHz Worldview with international news and entertainment).
Local stations and the NAB spots are reminding viewers to rescan their DTV off-air tuners after June 12th, the reason being that some stations will be changing their DTV frequency to their final FCC approved frequency.
I recently saw a scroll on WLS ABC-7 in Chicago informing viewers that they will shut their analog broadcast down at noon Chicago time on June 12th and because they will revert to their channel 7 VHF signal as their final DTV signal, that over the air viewers will require a good VHF/UHF antenna to get all the channels, which is the way it has to be.
Speaking of the right VHF/UHF antennas, there is a good article on indoor antennas recommended for VHF DTV reception by RF expert Doug Lung at this link to the TV Technology magazine Web site: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/79862. I highly recommend reading this if your old fashioned rabbit ears are not cutting it for receiving digital broadcasts after getting your converter box or new digital TV.
Back to ABC7 Chicago - ABC owned and operated stations have started a new DTV sub channel, LiveWell HD, a lifestyle channel which loops six half-hour shows. They are presented in 720p HD, although the quality of this channel is average compared to the primary ABC HD channel. According to a Wikipedia entry for one LiveWell affiliate, the primary ABC HD streams at 10 Mbps in 720p, LivWell at 5 Mbps in 720p, and a weather/news channel in 480i standard definition in 480i. As a comparison, some Internet HD videos are in 720p, and download speeds of 7 to 8 Mbps are recommended. Simply put, the slower the bit rate, the less the picture quality. This multicast channel is available in limited markets - you can get information on this channel at http://www.livewellhd.com/.
As of May 1st, Nielsen reports that about 3.5 million of the over 100 million U.S. households are considered completely unready for the June 12th analog shutoff, which, at 3.1%, is a significant reduction of the percentage of households unready back at the start of 2009. The two significant markets least prepared are Santa Fe, NM (8.77% of households unprepared) and Dallas-Fort Worth TX (6.62% of households unprepared). While the improvement, coming after the DTV coupons become more available as part of the recent stimulus package, justified the deadline delay from February 17 to June 12, I would not expect another delay.
This time of year would be a good time to check the antenna connected to the DTV box as rainy and unstable air this time of year reduces the amount of signal reaching your antenna. On clear days with high barometric pressure, the signals come in much stronger than days with low barometric pressure with heavy rain and wind. So if you are witnessing this, feel free to browse around the archives with tips on improving your off-air DTV reception.

2009-02-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

THE FIRST WAVE - WHAT WAS THE FCC THINKING MAKING SOME STATIONS REVERSE THEIR PLANS FOR AN EARLY SHUTDOWN?

I am posting this entry the night before what was supposed to be the day when all full power TV stations in the US were to shut down, but instead February 17th will be a day when some markets will see a handful of stations power down their analog transmitters, while others will wait until the now official new deadline of June 12th. The final count of stations making the transition on or before the original February 17th deadline will be 641; 220 have done so already, 421 will do so on the 17th. The FCC has released the now final and approved list of stations noting those that will be making the switch at http://www.fcc.gov/ - see the Headlines dated 2/16/08 including an Excel and Acrobat document list.

Late last week, 43 stations that had announced they would shut down analog on February 17th reversed their decision, pretty much after the FCC blew a whistle on several markets whose top four network (CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC) affiliates would go all digital. The reason the FCC did this was to ensure that at least one local affiliate of the top four networks, each with a local news organization, to continue providing local news and emergency information to those households still not ready for the transition. Also, I would have to think that some decisions were made based on some stations switching from a pre-transition frequency to a post transition frequency, that would make some households realize they need to realign their existing antenna, or get a whole different one. Also, the FCC has noted some stations have "enhanced analog nightlight" to have these local affiliates have at lease an analog signal ready to broadcast emergency information, but they have written very little detail on this.

Anyway, I am going to play devil's advocate and provide examples of this now two-wave transition for three markets, two of the markets claiming to have less than one percent of their households not yet ready for the DTV switch, but also had a station pretty much ordered by the FCC to keep their analog broadcast going:

Milwaukee WI - Here the top four network affiliates as well as the PBS affiliate elected to continue their analog broadcasts until June, so there was no concern from the FCC here. The CW and MyNetwork affiliates, both owned by Sinclair Broadcasting, are going to make the switch and do the standard "nightlight" plan by posting information on the switch on their analog channels instead of regular programming that will only be seen on the digital channel. Also making the switch here will be a religious station, and they plan just to flash cut to DTV. Milwaukee has a fairly easy endgame; only the CW affiliate on analog 18 will be changing their DTV channel post-transition; their current DTV broadcast is on real channel 61, in the 52-69 channel spectrum that will be returned for new wireless applications and services. So, once their nightlight period ends sometime late in March, all the Milwaukee DTV broadcasts will be on their post-transition channel, meaning at that time DTV OTA viewers will likely not need to adjust or replace their current antenna, while those households catching up will get the right antenna and be all set before June 12th.

Madison, WI - This is one of the markets claiming to have less than one percent of their households unprepared for the switch. Unlike Milwaukee, in this market all their affiliates have DTV broadcasts on what will be their post-transition frequency, so all that needs to be done here is to simply power down their analog broadcasts. Their NBC affiliate will be the first to go at about 11:30 PM local time on February 16th, followed by the CBS affiliate, then the ABC affiliate, as well as the CW affiliate. ABC and CW will do the traditional nightlight while the CBS will have the "enhanced nightlight" in which that station in the event of an emergency or for local news can power back up their analog channel 3. The station that reversed its intention to power down this week was the FOX affiliate, channel 47, whose pre and post DTV frequency is in VHF high band on channel 11. Now I can speculate that the reason FOX in Madison is still going full analog is for OTA DTV viewers using a so-called HDTV antenna that in reality is nothing more than a UHF antenna, like a Silver Sensor for indoors and a bowtie antenna for outdoors. These antennas may get the other DTV channels and analog 47 for FOX, but possibly not the VHF channel 11. Hopefully when these viewers realize they are not getting 47-1 but just 47, they will ask about it and realize they really needed a VHF high band/UHF antenna to all their local channels when they become all digital. Also the PBS affiliate will continue to be analog, probably because PBS in Wisconsin is a statewide network, so to promote the switch in few areas would probably have just caused confusion.

Quincy, IL-Hannibal, MO-Keokuk, IA - Like Madison, this small market claims to have less than one percent of their households as not prepared for the DTV switch. This is an interesting market because it is a duopoly in terms of the top four networks. There are analog channels 7, CBS, and 10, NBC, and the other networks are only available over the air digitally. DTV channel 7.2 has ABC network programming, while 10.2 has the CW and 10.3 FOX. Additionally, 7's DTV frequency in on channel 29 while 10's is on 54, a station in the frequency spectrum that will be returned, and yet both stations' post-transition DTV channels will be their original VHF frequencies. Well, both these stations were planning to switch early, but after the FCC blew the whistle, channel 7 agreed to delay its switch until June while 10 would proceed,which makes sense since their pre-transition frequency would be returned. But what about those households that, again, became DTV ready with a UHF only antenna? Once channel 10 makes the switch and people who thought they were ready suddenly lose 10.1, .2, and .3, how would they react when they realize they need a high band VHF/UHF antenna? And now, making this issue more confusing is that 10 is going to be on the enhanced nightlight; so, does this mean the station will not switch their DTV frequency until the nightlight period ends, or even until June? Will they just broadcast on DTV 54 and power their old analog transmitter only for news and emergency information? How long will it last? (2-17-09 UPDATE: At 12:30 PM today WGEM did power down their analog channel 10 broadcast and in a two hour period made the transition to broadcast all digital on the channel 10 frequency, so it is likely the FCC is requesting at least one major affiliate, KHQA, stay on analog to provide local breaking news as needed) And during this time will those households that got a UHF only antenna for DTV viewing replace their antenna with a VHF high band/UHF? Hopefully the stations will remind viewers one simple suggestion; if their antenna setup gets a decent 7 and 10 analog picture as well as their DTV equivalent, then when the switch becomes final the viewer can just rescan their tuner. Still, I think in this case discretion may not quite be the better part of valor.

In any case, the FCC did announce today that they would send out reps to the markets making the switch to be on site at walk-in help areas for those needing information on how to get a converter box, install it, and then see is they need the right antenna. They have also started a Web page where viewers can check their DTV reception - http://www.dtv.gov/fixreception.html.

And now, here comes the first wave . . .

2009-02-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

WHO WILL STAY AND WHO WILL GO ON 2-17-09?

Even though the federal deadline for terminating full power analog broadcasts has been pushed back to June 12th, the congressional bill does allow stations to proceed with their permanent switch to DTV at an earlier date, and some stations have just informed the FCC prior to a midnight filing deadline on Monday February 9th that they will proceed with the switch on February 17th as planned. Other stations may elect in the next few weeks to complete their DTV switch in April, and the rest in June.

So which stations will make the 2-17-09 switch as intended? On the evening I posted this entry, February 10th, the FCC posted on its Web site a public notice of those stations, with appendix documents listing the 190 stations that had already made the DTV switch while the delay debate in Washington was ongoing, plus 491 stations that will proceed with their analog shutdown on February 17th as planned. The documents are available for public viewing at http://www.fcc.gov/ - see the "Headlines" section of the page and the 2/10/09 entry. During the Washington debate on the DTV delay, the FCC reported that 61% of full power stations at the time could proceed with their analog shutdown; the actual percentage to do so will be about 35-40%. Appendix A lists the stations that plan to be all digital by February 18th, while Appendix B lists all full power stations currently broadcasting, with entries in red planning to go all digital early, and those in black delaying their analog shutdown.

Several of these stations had their reasons for making the switch. One is that they had already budgeted operations and installations for the February 17th switch, and to delay the switch would only add to their operating costs that are already being complicated by the current economic situation. Another reason is that their research for their specific market shows that less than 1% of households in their viewing area were not ready for the switch, compared to about a 6% national average. What interests me about the list that most of the markets who have several major network affiliates that will make the originally intended 2/17 switch to DTV are in fairly small markets. Does this mean that these markets have either a relatively smaller audience with not as many households to check if they are DTV ready, or these over the air households actually still watch their local news more often, making them more likely aware of the DTV transition? Whatever the case, it will turn out that February 17th will be more like the first wave of the transition which the major cities making the switch in June. This actually could turn out better in the end; European countries have scheduled their DTV transitions by region at different times, so this plan in the US may arguably be no different.

2009-01-21T19:04:00.000-08:00

SO IS THE DATE 2-17-09 or 6-12-09? AND WHAT IS THIS NIGHTLIGHT?

With a new presidential administration now beginning, one of its first issues is, should the DTV transition be delayed from 2/17/09 to June 12th? The primary reason for this delay under consideration is that the DTV converter box program run out of funds, and coupons, forcing those who apply for coupons to be on a waiting list and making the 6-8 weeks for delivery even longer.

I have a few additional arguments supporting the delay. One is the programming - broadcast prime time audiences become significantly lower over the summer months, and there are not that many huge sporting events in June (CORRECTION 1/25/09 - The proposed June 12th shutoff date may be about the time the deciding games of the 2009 NBA Finals and NHL Stanley Cup finals are played, so for some this MAY be an issue). Another is the weather - as I mentioned in a previous post long ago, if people in February do hook up their converter boxes to an outdoor rooftop antenna only to discover they have to either readjust their antenna or purchase a completely different one, are such people really going to go up on an icy roof on a cold day in February to do this? Finally, there is the fact that June 12th is a Friday, which would make installing and configuring a DTV box a weekend project for those who have to adjust, whereas February 17th is on a Tuesday, the middle of the week. One other advantage of shutting the analog signals down on the weekend is it may allow more people to volunteer over the weekend to assist in DTV box installations and configurations, either by visiting households or taking calls in support call centers.

Unfortunately I do not see the delay passing in time because of resistance by companies who have planned to test and deploy new systems in the 700 MHz band to be freed up following the transition. Also, anti-delayers believe an eleventh hour change of the shutdown date will do nothing more than make consumers even more confused about the transition.

But when the date does arrive, some full power broadcasters will be participating in a 30-day "nightlight" period, where these stations analog broadcasts will continue, except it will not be the regular programming, but rather looping spots letting people know the DTV transition has happened, and what to do about it before these signals go off the air permanently. Additionally, in case of emergencies, these analog broadcasts will have news and information. Only several local stations will actually participate in this nightlight period; those stations with analog broadcasts from channels 52-69 cannot participate so this frequency band will be freed up.

UPDATE: On February 4th, two weeks from the original deadline, the House of Representatives passed a majority vote already unanimously approved by the Senate to delay the transition date to June 12th. As I post this, the bill still requires President Obama's signature, which is very likely. Some areas however may still go ahead and complete the transition before the new deadline date; for example, Hawaii has already completed the DTV switch, and most stations in the San Diego area will proceed with going exclusively digital on February 17th as originally planned.

2008-12-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

WHAT WILL THE QUALITY OF OTA HDTV BE IN CITIES WITH LARGE BUILDINGS?

This question was posted by a blogger.com member named Steve in a recent comment; my thanks to him for that great question. This is a big concern for some since city-dwellers live in buildings surrounded by taller buildings that may block the off-air signals.

In areas like these close to the TV broadcast towers, the signals may be strong, but there is also the issue of "multi-path", or, reflected signals that interfere with the line of sight signal and cause "phase variations" in the signal going into the box. Some of the newest DTV tuners, which bloggers and reviewers may mention have a "5th generation or higher" DTV chip set, are supposedly very capable of correcting these multi-path phase variations to allow for a good demodulation of the DTV signal, and a great picture with few breakups (artifacts). However, it also helps to have a directional antenna instead of rabbit-ear or loop antennas that can pick up signals from both directions. Directional antennas focus their reception energy in a single direction, reducing multi-path signals on their way to the DTV tuner, and making its job easier.

Using a directional antenna also allows city dwellers to have options in pointing their antenna. For example, if a resident has a tall building blocking the line-of-sight signal to the point where the received signal (if any) is too weak to result in a picture, the user can simply redirect the antenna and instead pick up a reflected signal. Signals can be reflected off metal structures, like a cell tower, a lamppost, or even a steel-framed building from behind. In these cases, the city dweller may find the antenna needed to be pointed 50, 90, possibly 180 degrees off line of sight to get the best signals and the best DTV picture.

So, if you happen to read this and are having issues getting a DTV picture because a large building is in the way of the direction recommended by www.antennaweb.org or www.tvfool.com, consider a directional indoor antenna (like the Silver Sensor, a TERK with a similar look of the Silver Sensor, or a Winegard SharpShooter), and then try it in different directions, because then the best signal might turn up in the direction you didn't expect.

Of course, if there are few obstructions in the line-of-sight direction, then that is the direction to aim the antenna.

2008-12-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

WINEGARD RELEASES VHF HIGH BAND/UHF VERSIONS OF THEIR HD PLATINUM LINE

It took a while, but perhaps they just wanted to get the right design out at the right time. Winegard Company in the Spring of 2008 released five new versions of their HD Platinum series antennas for long range off-air reception, and they are designed to receive channels 7-69. Most markets in the United States after the DTV transition will have their final frequencies in VHF High Band (7-13) and UHF (14-51), and these five antennas will receive these stations from a single direction.

If you are looking to replace your rooftop antenna, then I would simplify the search and focus on the HD7964P model, and then look at it in reference to the TV Fool Web site with its off-air signal predictor tool, which I discussed in an earlier blog. If your DTV channels can be received in a single direction (with a direction range of under 40 degrees) and all the noise figure numbers on the TV Fool predictor results are 5 or greater, then based on the gain numbers claimed for the HD7984 from Winegard, I would expect this antenna to get good reception provided only one DTV tuner is connected to the antenna with RG-6/U cable, with a direct run of 75 feet or less. If there are more tuners to be connected with this antenna and a splitter is used, or more cable is required, then a low-noise preamp may be needed if several of the noise figure results are between 5-15. This recommendation also is for an outside rooftop mount.

If all the predicted noise figures are above 15 for the DTV stations listed, then it may be possible the HD7964P will work in the attic. Based on the dimensions, this design should be easy to fit inside an attic space, allowing over-the-air reception while keeping the antenna hidden from view and not being an eyesore to some.

Winegard rates the HD7964P as a "zone 3" model for suburban locations. If it turns out the TV Fool model has several results at or just below zero, then you will want to consider one of their larger zone 4 models, which are larger antennas but have more gain and more range.

2008-10-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

HOW DO I SELECT THE RIGHT ANTENNA? ASK A FOOL

One day while reading the site of home theater consultant Peter Putnam at http://www.hdtvexpert.com/ I came across a link to a Web site that I feel may be very useful in determining if a household has enough antenna to ensure their new DTV tuners, be it a new set, a converter box, or a DTV tuner in an HD satellite TV receiver, will get their local channels after the DTV conversion completes. One word of caution - comparing this site to http://www.antennaweb.org/ is like comparing Linux to Windows; it takes a bit of work and practice, but in the end, the system runs a lot better for what you need.

The site is http://www.tvfool.com/, and it has a signal predictor tool for any address in the United States, and it uses the latest FCC data of the stations' broadcast facilities, including those that will be the final DTV post-transition broadcasts. This will allow an antenna user to do a "before" and "after" comparsion to see which stations will change their final DTV broadcast frequency, and if they would expect a stronger DTV post-transition signal, or not.

Like antennaweb.org, which has been promoted more and more by the NAB in their TV PSAs, the TV Fool signal predictor asks for your address for best results, although a zip code is all that is needed. You can also enter GPS coordinates and antenna height for your location for the best results, and if your area is in hilly terrain, then you will have to make sure the results are right at your location.

The results allow the user to not only view the results on the Web browser, but also save a graphic image of the results that can be saved and printed offline. The image file resolution is good enough to zoom in on the image to read the information closely, if needed.

One thing I really enjoy about the TV Fool predictor is on their FAQ page, they provide a detailed explanation on how to interpret the results, something I feel the antennaweb.org site lacks. The trick is to ensure the antenna signals maintain the best signal to noise ratio (SNR) from the antenna to the DTV tuner. The site stresses to notice their Noise Factor number. In the end, if the number is above zero, then the DTV tuner should provide a good picture, although because actual signal varies with the weather, I would set a goal to make that number 5 to 10 to allow for "rain fade" or unstable air effects that reduce signal at the antenna from time to time.

Here is how it works - the results are listed from the strongest signal to the weakest. It is important to note that successful reception always starts at the antenna, and that amplifiers cannot pull in more signal; they only overcome signal losses in splitters and cables. If you have an antenna with a spec sheet showing antenna dB gain, then you can start by adding the gain to the station Noise Factor result. The channel to use must be the Real channel listed; the "virtual channel" is the station you tune your DTV tuner to watch that primary channel. If the antenna specs are listed as dBi, then you must reduce the result by 2.1 to convert to dBd gain. If the station post-DTV transition Noise Factor is at or below zero after adding antenna gain, then if you want to watch that channel, then you will have to consider buying a larger antenna because an amplifier will not do much good.

On the other hand, if the results are above zero, then so far, so good. Now comes the issue of cable and splitter loss. If you are using a two way splitter, subtract 4 from each result, and subtract 7 for a four way splitter. For every 100' length of RG-6 type cable, subtract 1 dB for real channels 2-6, 2 dB for real channels 7-13, and 4 dB for real channels 14-69 (14-51 post DTV transition). If at any point the noise factor results fall below zero, then an amplifier is needed to offset this loss. You will need to start again, however. After adjusting for antenna gain, subtract the number 4 from each result. This accounts for the noise figure of the amplifier you are going to use, which should be a low noise amplifier. Then, add the results to the amplifier gain, and subtract the cable/splitter losses as noted above. If the results come in above zero, then your system is set.

A couple other notes - the results, like antennaweb.org, use a color coded system, but this one is more practical. If the stations are listed as green, then chances are good that an indoor antenna should suffice for your location, because the predicted noise factor numbers are very high that the signals should still be fairly strong indoors after being lost through the building. Results listed in yellow may be receivable by an attic-mounted antenna, since the predicted noise factors are around 15, accounting for likely signal losses through roof shingles on plywood among other typical attic structures, plus the fact that the antenna is mounted higher than an indoor antenna.

The site also determines if the predicted signals will be line of sight (LOS), diffracted, or tropospheric. Line of sight signals will be easy to receive as long as the antenna is properly aimed. Diffracted signals may require the antenna to be raised or lowered slightly to receive the signal adequately. The tropospheric signals are the weakest and come from out of market, and are receivable only on very rare occasions when the atmosphere allows it.

Comparing the results for my area, they work out very well; it is in agreement with some Chicago stations I can receive indoors as opposed to the strong large directional rooftop antenna I normally use for DTV reception. This also gives me confidence that my existing antenna system will continue to receive all the local DTV channels post-transition. So if you find that antennaweb.org color guide a bit confusing and reminiscent of Trivial Pursuit, give http://www.tvfool.com/ a try - you just might find the antenna answers you have been desperately seeking.

2008-07-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

DO PEOPLE KNOW OFF-AIR DTV SIGNALS ARE NOW AVAILABLE?

Lately I have been saying more and more local stations air their own PSAs on the DTV transition, and some of them summarize what actions households need to take, if any, and others put up links on their Web sites. Also last night on Chicago PBS station WTTW (July 23, 2008), on their local news and public affairs show Chicago Tonight, they did a demo of a DTV converter box with information on how to connect it inline to VCRs with analog tuners that will also no longer receive the full-power off-air TV broadcasts after February 17, 2009 (just the low power ones).

There, is however, one thing I am not sure all these PSAs are telling - that off-air DTV is available now, and the converter boxes will allow households the ability to see and enjoy DTV, possibly to the point that the American public will welcome the transition more than fear it. If I was not so aware of off-air DTV, then I wonder if some seeing these announcements are confused into believing that DTV will not become available over the air until February 2009. I think a few of these announcements should make people aware that the converter boxes they buy can be hooked up immediately.

Also, brand new TVs that have off-air ATSC tuners do not need converter boxes, unless maybe if someone wants the benefits of over-the-air picture in picture. Why can't these local broadcasters mention "If you are watching this on channel 4-1 through the antenna tuner, then your set is DTV ready"? Somehow I feel cable and satellite providers, who do sponsor local programming for the station and provide revenue, may be giving the content writers of these spots a bit of fear that if people knew about off-air DTV then they may cancel their pay TV subscriptions so they can afford to fill their gas tanks.

2008-07-23T17:53:00.001-07:00

ECHOSTAR'S DTVPAL FINALLY ARRIVES, ZENITH COUNTERS WITH ANALOG PASS THROUGH BOX

Last month the much anticipated Echostar DTV converter box arrived with a bit of confusion among the hype. Evidently the low-priced TR-40 may be coming out eventually, but for now, the Dish Network branded DTVPal box is now available, online only at http://www.dtvpal.com/. And while it is eligible for the $40 government coupon discount, it is retailing online for $59.99 plus shipping, handling, and taxes, same as the Zenith DTT900 I recently got to convert my TV, and that I got right at the store.

There was some anticipation since CES back January that Echostar would release a converter box retailing for $39.99 that can pass the analog signals, but now that has gone by the wayside for a friendlier brand name. From what little I have read about the DTVPal, it has one significant competitive advantage lacking in many converter boxes - a multi-channel electronic program guide (EPG) allowing you to see what is coming on up to two days in advance. However, that seems to be where the praise ends. The package includes only a coax cable to connect the TV set, and not an RCA cable package nor S-Video cable, and in urban areas the box seems to come up a bit short to the Zenith in terms of decoding the DTV channels. Also, the DTVPal remote from what I have been reading is quite disappointing in terms of use.

Meanwhile, Zenith has made itself more competitive by essentially upgrading its DTT900 box to a new DTT901 model for the same $59.99 retail price. Unlike the DTT900, the DTT901 is capable of passing the analog broadcast TV signals to the TV for those who want to continue viewing low power stations that will continue broadcasting in analog after February 17, 2009. I myself do not watch any low power analog stations that are not available as a DTV multicast, so as I said before, this is a non-issue to me personally. However, Zenith/LG deserves credit for paying attention to the community broadcaster/low power station issue, and allowing a good product to add this analog pass through feature.

Again, there are reports swirling that Echostar will release the $39.99 TR-40, but based on the DTVPal reviews, the TR-40 may lack the EPG and maybe a couple performance features as the $60 to $70 boxes, so it looks like a case of you getting what you pay for, after all.

2008-06-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

CLASSIC DTV IN RTN-VILLE

I have posted a couple blogs about MeTV, the Weigel Broadcasting owned classic TV station for Chicago and Milwaukee. Well, after a little additional research, it turns out that classic TV on a DTV subchannel is available in several markets across the country over the Retro Television Network - http://www.rtnville.com/ If you click on the "RTN Affiliates" or "RTN Programming" link you can see where this classic TV service is available in the country, and on which DTV subchannel.

Apparently in the MeTV case there is a partial partnership with RTN to broadcast these classic shows while Weigel holds a library of its own to fill the time 24/7 while other affiliates have a more limited schedule depending on the affiliate. Anyway, figured I'd mention this before someone out there catches my regional bias!

2008-06-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

THE TRANSITION DATE FOR WILMINGTON NC IS 9-8-08

In the state where the first ever DTV station began over-the-air broadcasting about 10 years ago, a small TV market has agreed to be a beta test for the loss of analog off-air TV signals. Four full-power TV stations in the Wilmington, N.C. market have agreed to shut down their analog signals on September 8, 2008, ahead of the February 17 2009 shutoff date for the rest of the nation's full-power broadcast TV signals, to see how viewers would react to losing their reception of off-air broadcasts by not upgrading their old TV sets. This came following the request of FCC chair Michael Copps in March to see about doing a test run of ending over-the-air analog broadcasts for a short time to prepare for any kind of a public reaction to the end of over-the-air analog broadcasts despite the efforts of the NAB and local stations to make viewers aware of the DTV transition.

The PBS affiliate in the area which is a satellite of a statewide public television service will not participate in this test and will continue their analog broadcast in September as well as a low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate, which would not be affected by the transition at this time, anyway. However, the stations may run a crawl informing viewers who did not get a DTV converter and switching channels what has happened. Additionally, some households in this small market may still be able to receive and view analog signals from outside the Wilmington market.

Based on an early survey, the community has some work to do to make their viewers aware of this experiment. Only 18 percent of those surveyed in the market are aware of this early shutdown, while 29 percent answered February 17, 2009 as the shutoff date.

Still, it is likely that come September there may some national media interest in this experiment that will help make the rest of the nation aware of the transition and prepare their sets for February 2009, and it will allow the FCC and those involved in the transition to be ready to react from any kind of public outcry and unrest when many analog TV broadcasts suddenly go dark.

2008-04-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

AND MY WINNER IS . . . THE ZENITH DTT900, or, How I Spent My DTV Coupon

At long last, I get to share my DTV converter box coupon story, and I can say that it is worth the wait and trouble to apply for one at http://www.DTV2009.gov/. I got my coupon early in April after sending out my application on the site for one coupon back in February, and last Sunday April 21st I cashed in my $40 coupon. I was considering the RCA DTA 800A because it was selling for only $49.99 at Wal-mart. However, Wal-mart stores sell either the RCA or the Magnavox, and not both. I wanted the RCA because it had generally solid reviews and it can actually stand on its end as a space saver. Well, it turns out the Wal-mart nearest me not only carried only the Magnavox, but they were also all out of stock. This by the way was the Thursday before I cashed in my coupon.

But after looking after several sites listing reviews by experts and customers alike, it seemed that the best choice available on the governmental approved list that comes with the coupon was the Zenith DTT900. It seemed in tests to pick up more channels and be more sensitive than the RCA, and that was my most significant factor in choosing a box. Also, looking at the pics of the RCA remote, while the buttons are large and easy to use by those who complain that the buttons on their mobile phone are too small, I could not see a button where you could simply change the aspect ratio of the picture. See, while I have a 4:3 screen, I like to watch scripted HDTV shows in letterbox, and then zoom in on sports, news, and other standard definition 4:3 shows which in letterbox mode have black bars surrounding a small screen.

The Zenith box sells in stores for $59.99, ten dollars more, but you do get what you pay for. In addition to the Zenith remote having that zoom button on the remote I wanted, the Zenith package included a video/audio cable and a coax to connect right to both my DVD recorder AND my TV set on channel 3. The RCA package does not supposedly include cables. The Zenith box is available at Circuit City, and so on Sunday I went to a Circuit City to get the Zenith box. This store had PLENTY of Zenith boxes in stock. I got the box and checked out, and I turned in my coupon, which works pretty much like a credit card/gift card. The difference was taken out of the $59.99 price plus 7% sales tax on the box, so after my coupon, the Zenith DTV box set me back $24.17, which is still half the price of digital cable service in my area that I have since disconnected, so I am still saving money even if the $39.99 Echostar TR-40 is not even available yet. In my case, waiting for the Echostar was not worth it. The store seems very aware of the coupon program, and I had no problem nor ran into any issues using the coupon. I did have to sign a receipt that I used my coupon since it was like using a credit card, but really was not an inconvenience as far as I was concerned.

By the way, I mentioned my DVD recorder, which is a Panasonic - while it does have an ATSC digital tuner, it does NOT allow me to zoom in and fill the screen on a standard definition show broadcast on an HDTV channel. It does have analog, but when that goes away, I am left with a small screen, so that I why I still needed a converter box. I should mention that at the time I got my coupon, there was no mention of a Panasonic converter box on the approved list, or anything else from their parent company, Matsushita Electronics, so this was not eligible for me to use a coupon to buy it. What is also great about the DTV converter box is I can record SDTV full screen now and watch something else, plus I can use picture-in-picture after the conversion date of February 17th, 2009.

So I come home to my place in that grey area between the Milwaukee viewing area and the Chicago viewing area, bringing home the Zenith box. I disconnected the digital cable box that I would return to the cable TV office the next day, and connected the Zenith box. I plug in the box, put the included battery into the remote, and powered on the box. My antenna was a Winegard SS-3000 SharpShooter on top of my TV set, aimed in the direction to receive the Milwaukee stations. Once I powered on the DTV box, it began scanning channels, and within only a couple minutes, the scan was complete, and I got all the major network affiliates and PBS HD in the box, as well as NBC, FOX, and MyNetworkTV from Chicago on the same antenna. Also with a bit of adjustment of the antenna I could get WGN Chicago, which carries the CW. So, I have all the networks on the Zenith on one indoor antenna. The picture quality was good, and I also get classic TV from MeTV Milwaukee on the DTV multicast from the Milwaukee CBS affiliate (see an earlier post about MeTV). The other good thing about getting NBC from both Milwaukee and Chicago is I get NBC Weather Plus from both markets, and instant weather conditions from both areas with it, for no fee.

There were also a couple great features of the Zenith box I enjoyed. One is that you could either do a full rescan and reset your channel list, or switch to a Quick Add mode in the menu and add any channels your antenna may have missed during the initial scan, which for me was the case getting WGN-DT. Second, with the remote you can jump back to the last channel, but then with the remote you can also scroll through the last four channels that were viewed with the box turned on, press Enter, and switch right to that channel, so switching channels, even multicast ones, is actually quite simple with this box. Also, it is possible by following an easy procedure in the manual to set the remote to power off the TV set you converted as well as the converter box, and adjust volume, mute, and closed captioning, essentially making the DTV box remote your new TV set remote.

The only disappointment I have with the Zenith DTT900 box is it has a so-called "Simple Guide" that just lets you see the current show on each channel and what is coming up next, but that's it; you cannot scroll ahead several days or even several hours to see what is coming up unlike some more high-end converter boxes. But that is no problem because I still have my Media Center PC with its on-screen guide that can show programming for the next 14 days, so I can plan my viewing that way. The Zenith box also cannot pass analog signals including low-power channels that will remain analog after February 17, 2009, but again, to me personally, that is a non-issue.

All in all, I feel I made the right choice in my converter box with the Zenith DTT900, and I highly recommend it to those who are willing to give up low-power stations and only $20 to $30 depending on sales tax rates in your area, that is, if you have the converter box coupon to use. Again, the DTT900 is available at Circuit City stores and possibly other locations if you are willing to look, but you must purchase them in the actual stores to use the coupon. Now Best Buy has the Insignia NS-DXA1 box, which may or may not be a private branded DTT900, I actually cannot confirm this, so I would stick with the trusted name brand. I will be interested to see what the reviews and comments are for the $39.99 Echostar TR-40; if the reviews are as good as the Zenith, then Echostar will be the big winner in the DTV transition. If not, then LG/Zenith will be the big winner. I will wait and see.

2008-04-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

THE CONVERTER BOX AND ANTENNA ISSUE

So maybe you found this page because you need a straight answer to this problem:

I just purchased my DTV converter box after waiting eight long weeks for my coupon, I hook up my off air antenna directly to the RF input, and I am only getting a few channels!! What is going on? I thought all the major stations should be broadcasting digitally by now!!!

Well here is the thing - you may have an over the air antenna but probably for the most part been watching off-the-air analog TV on channels 2, 5, 7, anywhere from 2-13 and the occasional UHF, but most of the shows you watch are on a VHF channel. It may be possible that you live in the "fringe area" which is fairly far away, about 50-60 miles.

The thing is, with the analog signals from the major broadcasters still around until February 2009, the DTV broadcasts have to be transmitted on a different frequency, since the analog signals and DTV signals are not compatible with each other, or else you wouldn't need a DTV converter box in the first place. Many channels with VHF analog broadcasts transmit their DTV channels on a UHF channel; some of them will be reverting their DTV broadcasts to their current analog after February 2009, but others will keep their current frequency.

UHF signals, which are at higher frequencies than VHF, by nature do not travel as well by air as VHF. The UHF signals tend to lose their signal strength faster over the miles; consequently, full-power UHF stations transmit at much higher wattages in order to cover the same viewing area and compete with their VHF counterparts.

So as a result, your antenna may need to be replaced with one with more UHF gain, or simply, a larger antenna with more "UHF Elements", which are parts of the antenna that resonate and receive UHF signals. More gain on an antenna means it is more capable of receiving fairly weak and distant UHF signals.

If you use http://www.antennaweb.org/ for your location (please research this site further for more details on how to use it), the last column in the results, "Frequency Assignment", will mention the actual channel being used for the broadcast; DTV channels are noted with a "*", and those entries with a "Feb 17th 2009 (post-transition)" Live Date entry will be the final DTV channel that will be used when the DTV transition completes. Frequency assignments 14 or higher are on UHF.

The channel results are listed in order of predicted strength, with the strongest station on top, and the weakest ones on the bottom. So, if many DTV entries fall near the bottom, or not even show up, then it is likely a stronger antenna will be needed to get all your station. In rare cases, an amplifier will improve the picture, but understand that the purpose of an amp is to overcome signal loss between the antenna and the tuner, through cable, splitters, diplexers, etc. UHF signals also lose more strength in long cable runs than VHF. But an amp will NOT pull in more signal out of the sky; only a larger antenna can do that.

Also. if it turns out many DTV channels are yellow or green, and not showing up, then these signals are very strong, and likely too strong for the DTV tuner to stream the picture, and the thing to do then, if an amp is used, is to remove the amp, and if there is no amp, you may need an inline attenuator, which you can get for a couple dollars at an electronics store.

Once that is taken care of, you will then be ready to enjoy your favorite channels in digital quality as well as their multicasts. But the best thing to do is get the converter box, connect the current antenna, do the channel scan, and see what you get - try that first, you may be fortunate to get all your channels in DTV the first time. Good luck!

2008-04-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

CONVERTER BOXES THAT WILL PASS ANALOG SIGNALS

I have just received my coupon for a DTV converter box, and found that there just a small handful of approved boxes that can pass the analog ones - this is to follow up to my last post about the issue about low-power TV stations, that they feel left out of the DTV transition. These low-power stations will continue broadcasting their analog signals after February 17, 2009.

Here are the converter boxes that will pass the low-power analog stations for those who still want to view them - the coupon program also mentions a site about this at http://www.DTV2009.gov/lowpower:

Digital Stream DX8700
Echostar TR-40
Magnavox TB-100MG9
Philco TB100HH9/TB150HH9

The one choice of the four that is getting the most buzz, and will be due out very soon this summer, is the Echostar TR-40. This is the one that retails for $39.99, which essentially will mean households will just need to pay sales tax for each of up to two units to convert their sets AND not lose the low-power analogs, if they want to watch them. If the Echostar unit lives up to the hype, then perhaps the Community Broadcasters Association should settle down and just their stamp of approval on this box.

2008-04-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

THE LITTLE GUYS BEING LEFT OUT OF THE DTV TRANSITION

Well beyond the major broadcasters, or rather, stations with full power facilities to cover their viewing market, are little "low power" stations, which have call letters ending in "-CA" or "-LP", that broadcast over the air programming at lower power than the major stations, but do have an audience. So watches them? Well, there are low power stations with religious programming, others have ethnic programming, and still others would be known as "community broadcasters" offering information to that community. So while the audience may be small, it is not like there is one for these stations.

These stations are usually owned by individuals or by smaller media companies that operate on limited budgets, so they are usually not capable of getting brand new DTV facilities. The good is, the FCC have given these stations a longer schedule to convert to digital, so those stations will continue to broadcast their analog TV after February 2009. Technically, not ALL television will convert entirely to digital next year.

But now, these low power station operators are crying foul at the DTV transition, feeling they are being left out of the process. They already have fired shots at the National Association of Broadcasters claiming their public education has been using confusing language that all over the air TV will be digital in February 2009. Well, now if you have been watching the NAB PSAs on the DTV conversion, they have added a disclaimer "The DTV transition does not affect low power stations".

Additionally, last week, a group known as the Community Broadcasters Association that represent low power broadcasts, filed a federal lawsuit against consumer electronics manufacturers making DTV converter boxes that do not have a "pass through" option, which would allow these boxes to pass analog signals and allow viewers to continue to watch these low power broadcasts. To put it another way, those viewers with an old TV set that has a coax input to the tuner and do not use the same connections as the RCA for a VCR would essentially rely on the DTV box to watch TV. According to the CBA, some of these converter boxes that are approved by the NTIA in their coupon program do not pass analog signals, so they feel these boxes will take their audience away.

Now one thing a viewer could do is get a two-way coax splitter, one output to the old TV tuner, and the other to the DTV box, so they could get these low power analog broadcasts, but the only way that would work is if the TV had these RCA inputs, like the ones used to connect a DVD player. The Consumer Electronics Association commented on this lawsuit, claming it to be "irresponsible", and that it would cause a meaningless delay in the DTV transition.

I got a message from a friend in Australia who bought a DTV converter box for his widescreen TV, and he seemed a bit disappointed to see he lost a low-power community station in the process. So, are there others in the US who have been enjoying a low power broadcast and wonder where it went when they get their converter boxes? Personally, I mentioned Weigel Broadcasting simulcasting their low-power analog stations on their full-power station's DTV multicast, so whether Weigel will continue broadcasting their low power stations on analog remains to be seen.

2008-03-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

IN THE MIDWEST, DIGITAL CLASSIC TV IS ALL ABOUT "ME"

As people begin to receive and use their DTV converter boxes, they are also beginning to discover what the NAB PSA's mean by DTV offering "more channels", which are the standard definition multicasts to supplement their primary HD channel. A Chicago-based media company, Weigel Broadcasting, is a small independent media company that owns three TV stations in the Midwest: WCIU, an independent Chicago TV station, WDJT (CBS), WMLW (low power independent), and WYTU (Telemundo) in Milwaukee, and three low power stations in South Bend, IN, affiliated with ABC, the CW, and MyNetwork TV. This broadcaster is beginning to reap the potential benefits of DTV multicasting by offering "MeTV", a channel available on a low-power analog channel in Chicago but, more importantly, a DTV multicast on both WCIU-DT 26.2 for Chicago, and as of March 1st, WDJT-DT 58.3 in Milwaukee (58.2 simulcasts WMLW).

MeTV offers viewers classic TV shows from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, including all-time faves like I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, Dick Van Dyke, and The Cosby Show. The great thing about watching these shows on DTV is that the picture quality is near DVD quality, the sound is great, and consequently, it gives people a chance to re-discover great TV shows again and watch them with a picture better than they remember when they tried to get them off the air with an old analog tuner. In Chicago MeTV has been received so well, and Weigel has access to such a large classic TV library, that on March 1st they launched a second classic TV channel, MeToo, on their WCIU-DT multicast channel 26.3. So now Chicago viewers have a free off-air source for classic TV as an alternative to pay network channel TV Land, which as of late has sold out to the reality TV craze and is airing cut 80s movies in place of the classic shows they used to air in prime time.

The great thing about DTV is that Weigel now can provide full-power broadcasts of the analog low power stations, opening these stations to a wider audience. Additionally, the stations allow a new source of advertising revenue for the company, where advertisers can buy time where they were outbid by competitors getting time on the major network affiliates, usually at a more affordable ad rate. Until more advertisers fill the break times, MeTV is filling time with the occasional NAB PSA, but also classic TV commercials from their archives, which are pretty neat to watch.

As I mentioned, MeTV was just added for the Milwaukee audience on WDJT-DT. However, with WDJT a CBS affiliate, and MeTV Milwaukee not yet available on analog, WDJT was able to pre-empt their regular MeTV programming on 58.3 to offer an alternate CBS Sports feed to their primary channel during the NCAA Mens basketball tournament, giving DTV fans an HD broadcast of their scheduled game, and a standard definition simulcast of an alternate game, which I have been enjoying for free over the air. As I write this, I had witnessed on 58.3 an amazing comeback attempt by Western Kentucky in their battle with top-seeded UCLA, once they came close and the other regional semifinal was pretty much over but the shouting, the network feed on the main channel switched over to Western Kentucky-UCLA, but not before the comeback peaked. This was a lot easier for me than to try and wait to see the games online. However, only one HD feed was available over the air; for full HD multi-game coverage, you had to order it from DirecTV.

Still, this is an example of how the DTV multicast model can provide viewers a low-cost option to the television they want, while providing broadcasters new opportunities for revenue. It will be interesting to see if other small media companies will do the same and offer viewers more choices and localized programming while resisting selling to major media companies. You can get more information on MeTV by visiting http://www.metvchicago.com/ or http://www.metvmilwaukee.com/.

Finally on a personal side note, I would like to give to a shout out to Cymon's Place on Blogger for sharing his experience in getting a Zenith DTT900 DTV converter box with a $40 voucher he recently received, as well as making my blog a "blog of note". Since LG Electronics aquired Zenith, they have been making high quality DTV tuners, including the standard for the latest generation of DTV tuner chipsets that can decode DTV tuners even in areas of multipath. With the box retailing for $60 and from a solid brand name, I guess I know what I will get when my coupon finally arrives. There is also a good review of this converter box that you can read on home theater consultant Peter Putman's HDTV Expert Web site.

2008-03-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

ANTENNA MANUFACTURER HAS A NEW AND IMPROVED DIRECT WEB SITE

Burlington, IA based TV and satellite dish maker Winegard Company has finally added a feature to their Web site that was a long time coming. The company who has been a manufacturer of quality TV antennas for over 50 years is finally selling their products on an online site - www.winegarddirect.com - which I feel is to keep up with St. Louis based antenna seller Terrestrial Digital (www.antennasdirect.com), who has been selling and marketing their products online for only a few years, but getting significant attention.

On Winegard's site, there is a link to their OTA Antenna Selector (ota.winegarddirect.com), which just gets rid of the oftentimes confusing color map used by the CEA for www.antennaweb.org and just does what it should. You simply enter your address, and the site uses Google Maps to post your location AND the location of the TV broadcast towers. Additionally, instead of showing a numerical degrees direction, the Winegard Direct results tell you a straight direction, N, SE, W, whichever direction the signals come in from.

The best thing about the Winegard Direct site is that it lists the amount of predicted rooftop signal strength in dBu (decibels above 1 microwatt), and at the bottom of the TV station list, the site recommends the minimum Winegard antenna that, provided it is mounted outside on the roof, will likely receive all the stations listed when pointed in the right direction. This is an antenna recommend site that is much easier to use and gives more straight and useful information than Antennaweb.org.

The only complaint I have with the Winegard Direct selector is while it does mention the digital channels used by the broadcaster, it does not yet mention the final DTV channel that will used by the broadcasters after February 17, 2009, but that is probably because they still need the transmit power of the final facilities to provide that information. So, I would still use Antennaweb.org and look for the DTV channels with a "Post-transition (February 17, 2009)" Live Date entry to see the final DTV channel which may be the station's current analog channel. If the predicted Winegard antenna can receive the analog channel to be used as a final DTV channel, then the chances are good that the recommended antenna will receive all the stations after the transition completes, and the customer will just need to rescan their digital TV tuner.

So I am excited to see that Winegard is finally making steps to make a useful antenna web site that is easier to use than their site's previous versions in the past. And of course, they still have a toll-free technical support line for customers to call and optimize their install.

2008-03-01T16:18:00.000-08:00

THE NAB BEGINS PUSHING THE DTV MESSAGE

The National Organization of Broadcasters (NAB) has started airing PSAs on the DTV transition on television to make viewers aware that "on February 17, 2009, television goes all-digital". The PSAs are also promoting the fact that over-the-the digital television provides more channels, that is, the DTV multicasts. The PSAs invite viewers to get information at www.DTVAnswers.com which lists options for getting televisions ready for the transition, if needed, who would be affected by the transition, and links to news, resources, and the converter box coupon application site. Look for the spots on your TV soon.

Additionally, the NAB has now become a partner sponsor of www.antennaweb.org , the Web site that allows consumers to see what DTV channels are available over the air in their area, and what type of antenna will be required to get the channels. The site originally was solely sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), but now both organizations are sponsoring this informative site, which on its home page provides links to both the organizations' repsective DTV information sites.

One more thing - on the DTVAnswers site, if you click on the "Choosing An Antenna" tab, you will see a picture of a Winegard SharpShooter SS-3000 antenna on top of a tube DTV, so I guess I know what indoor antenna the NAB prefers, at least in terms of marketing looks. Also, they are smart to mention the local stations' likelihood of moving their broadcasts to different frequencies.

2008-02-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

BEST BUY STARTING TO STEP UP CONSUMER DTV EDUCATION

If you get the Sunday newspaper with all the advertising supplements, then check out the one for Best Buy next Sunday. The leading home electronics retailer is beginning to alert consumers about the end of analog TV broadcasts next February through advertising announcements in stores (what they call "point of sale" marekting), advertisments, and soon even receipts. They even are putting their Geek Squad into training to help consumers convert their old TV sets. Best Buy is also planning customer assistance through a toll-free DTV help line at 1-877-BBY-DTV9 (1-877-229-3889)

Best Buy has just released a private-labeled Insignia converter box that is only 8.5" wide by 6.5" deep and can easy fit on top of a tube analog TV set. It is available in stores for $59.99, and eligible for the federal DTV coupon program that allows consumers to get a $40 voucher toward the purchase of approved converter boxes that can send DTV signals to analog TV sets through either an open TV channel or composite (RCA) video, much like a DVD or VCR player hookup.

Also in March, Echostar, the parent company of Dish Network, will release their own converter box, the TR-40, under the EchoStar and Sling Media brand names. The boxes are to retail for $39.99, which means those consumers who use the $40 vouchers toward the purchase of these converter boxes will only pay a couple dollars in sales tax to make their existing analog-only sets DTV ready.

To get information on requesting up to two DTV converter box coupons, visit www.mydtv2009.gov. The catch is that the coupons you request need to be redeemed 90 days after they have been mailed, so as I always say about these things, let the buyer beware.

2008-02-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

ANTENNAWEB.ORG NOW LETS YOU SEE WHAT THE FINAL DTV CHANNELS WILL BE

I am happy to say that today I discovered that www.antennaweb.org is now listing what the final DTV channels will be for your area when you are looking to select an antenna for over the air DTV reception. When you use the site and it lists the results, if you click on the "Show digital stations only" radio button, you will now see among the listings stations that will be changing their DTV frequency once the transition completes on February 17, 2009.

If you look at the "Live Date" column, if a result for a digital station says "February 17, 2009 (post-transition)" it means that the "Frequency Assigment" listed for that station is the permanent one that has been approved by the FCC, but it will not take effect until the transition is completed. Until then, the Frequency Assignment for the same call letters in an entry that does NOT have the post-transition Live Date entry is the one that is currently in use.

However, the listings for the post-transition stations will predict the signal strength of reception as that broadcast will be full-power per federal regulations. So now if you are currently using a UHF antenna to get your DTV over the air, you may want to visit www.antennaweb.org again to see if you may need to add a VHF antenna to ensure you will get all your desired channels following the transition. If you do enough research, you may be able to find antennas designed for UHF and VHF High Band (Ch 7-13), in case the listed frequency assignments are in the 7-51 range, which would not be insanely wide in the back and an eyesore monster on your rooftop.

I believe the reason it has taken a while for Antennaweb to post the final DTV frequency assignments is because many stations are only beginning to submit their construction permits to the FCC to build and deploy their full-power DTV transmissions on their final selected channels. The data would include the expected antenna height and power, which are needed by the Antennaweb program to predict what signal strenghs are expected at a given location.

Given the cold and snow that the nation has been enduring this winter, it may make more sense to get an antenna system set up over the summer so you won't have to go out in the cold to relocate an outdoor antenna next February - thankfully the Antennaweb site will now let you plan to do just that.

2007-05-08T11:41:00.001-07:00

EDUCATING THE CONSUMER ON THE ANALOG BROADCAST SHUTDOWN

As soon as the broadcast networks' TV season officially ends on May 23^rd, which these days has become highlighted by the American Idol finale, the major electronics retailers will begin, in time for advertising their "Dads and Grads" sales campaigns, alerting consumers of the impending analog over-the-air television shutoff in February 2009. That is because the FCC, in an open meeting last April, set May 25^th as the date for electronics retailers to put warning labels on any analog-only sets in store inventories. As I post this, the May 25^th date is pending approval by a federal government committee. In addition, I researched the Web sites of the nation's leading electronics retailers, and I discovered that they are beginning to sell more new digital ready TVs and fewer analog only sets, and on the online spec sheets for such analog sets, the warning disclaimer has been posted. This disclaimer reads as follows:

CONSUMER ALERT: This television receiver has only an analog broadcast tuner and will require a converter box after February 17, 2009, to receive over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna because of the Nation's transition to digital broadcasting. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products. For more information, call the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-225-5322 (TTY: 1-888-835-5322) or visit the Commission's digital television website at: www.dtv.gov.

This disclaimer, should the May 25^th deadline get approved, will become noticeable in retail stores, and then, consumers unaware of the DTV transition should now ask questions about DTV. In addition, as of March 1^st, television set manufacturers, per an FCC mandate, should no longer be manufacturing television sets with over-the-air analog (NTSC) tuners, but digital over-the-air (ATSC) tuners, although many of these sets would also have tuners capable of receiving analog cable TV signals.

While a coupon would be used to purchase such a "converter box", it may make more sense for a consumer to just get a brand new digital TV, which is becoming more affordable. For example, during my retailer Web site research, I noticed that Best Buy is selling a 24" 4:3 tube-style standard definition digital TV set for $200. The page for this particular model also mentions the fact that since the digital TV is standard definition (SDTV – 480i resolution, whereas HDTV sets offer 720p, 1080i, or 1080p resolution), programming broadcast in HDTV will be viewable on the set, but the consumer will only be able to watch in 480i resolution, which is still a crystal clear picture and sound provided the antenna is in an optimal location. Additionally, my research revealed that Wal-Mart carries a comparable 24" SDTV model for $175, as well a 24" analog only set for $137, and the disclaimer on that Web page. So, for about an extra $40 after sales taxes are figured in, the consumer can avoid putting what could be an eyesore converter box on a new set. However, the coupons would be used only toward the purchase of converter set-top boxes, and NOT a new DTV set.

Among the retailer Web sites I visited, I found neither Sears nor Target had an easy-to-find page on their respective sites explaining the DTV transition. I did find pages with good explanations on the transition for Wal-Mart and Circuit City, but Best Buy, in my opinion, has a Web page with the best explanation to consumers about the DTV transition. However, I was a bit disappointed to notice that none of these pages had a statement assuring that an old-fashioned roof-top antenna that may currently be in use by a consumer to get free over-the-air signals for analog sets would also work for digital signals, and a new antenna may not be required. As a small consolation, Best Buy and Circuit City did provide links to www.antennaweb.org on their DTV explanation pages as a means to get information on choosing an antenna for over-the-air reception, but not much helpful information on the antenna selector color coding used for that site. So, I recommend before you visit the retailer pages I have linked on this page that you read my explanation on how the antennaweb site works in one of my earlier posts linked here, followed by my post on some tricks in using the site linked here.

Also, on April 29^th, the Associated Press published a good article about how consumers are using old-fashioned antennas to receive over-the-air digital TV broadcasts for free. That article is linked here. In addition, I found a great Newsweek article linked here about the sudden resurgence of off-air antennas. That page also can link you to additional articles in the "Related Stories" field.

Finally on a personal note, I feel all the links I have created here on this entry should lead you to all the general information you will need about the DTV transition. I am about to start a new position in downtown Chicago, and I do not see myself having much time to post additional entries for several months. Once I come across an issue that I feel should be addressed, I will gladly share my experiences in a future post, but for now, I am becoming more and more confident that in the next couple months the American public will become more aware of the DTV transition with help from the retailers, and now the switch to digital TV is looking to become a little smoother.

2007-04-19T07:24:00.001-07:00

MEDIA CENTER PCs and HDTV

One month ago, I moved out of Iowa and relocated to the Chicago area, taking my HP Media Center PC with me. Because I was in a new area, I of course needed to reprogram my electronic program guide in Media Center for the over-the-air DTV channels in the new market. With the antenna as optimized as possible, I began updating my PC for my new area so I can record my favorite broadcast networks shows digitally and over the air to enjoy on my own time. I found that this was not a quick fix, and that with an automatic scan for my northwest suburban location, I was even getting listings for the local stations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which I could not pick up with the antenna I have. I should mention that my PC uses Windows XP, and not Vista, and I have no plans to upgrade at this time, only because I think Vista will take up a lot of disk space that would reduce the amount of DTV recordings I can keep.

Fortunately, I was able to browse posts on a site, www.thegreenbutton.com, where registered users can share ideas and issues using Microsoft Media Center. I find out through the posts that the electronic program guide (EPG) in Media Center calls on XML files for the guide listings. The files are located in this directory, assuming C: is the location of the operating system software:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\eHome\EPG\prefs

In order to access this directory, you will need to be logged in with full administrator privileges with the ability to view hidden directories. The folder contains two XML files of significance: atscchannels.xml, which maps the digital channels to the FCC-approved "frequency assignments", which you can find using www.antennaweb.org. The other file, atscprefs.xml, lists the multicast "subchannels" that the station broadcasts in addition to their primary channel. I found that the easiest method to fix my EPG for the new location would be to delete these XML files, and just manually add them in the "Settings à Guide" section in Media Center. However, I do recommend renaming the current XML files, adding "old" or some dummy name or extension for backup purposes.

I was aware of the available sub-channels from the Chicago broadcasters using the direct antenna input of the HDTV set connected to my Media Center PC, and their frequency assignments, so that information allowed me to manually enter the digital channels into the program guide. I started by configuring my tuners for a cable tuner and a digital TV tuner. Now while my cable tuner is analog, I could still select the digital cable listing from the local provider for the electronic program guide, which updates via the Internet and NOT the cable company. You don't even need to have a cable connection to the tuner for this to work. This is significant since most of the over-the-air multicasts are available on digital cable in my area, although I am not sure at this time if the FCC has enforced "must-carry" of all local multicasts on digital cable. The disadvantage is that is takes a bit longer for the guide to update because there are more data to download.

After setting the guide to download the digital cable EPG, I essentially deleted the XML files used for the off-air digital TV listings. By doing this, Media Center is now missing the digital TV information, and I could now manually add the channels. The Guide Settings has a function, "Edit missing digital channels". By selecting this, I can choose the option "Add missing DTV channel". The first time I enter a channel ID, I enter the primary channel first, for example, 2-1 for CBS 2 Chicago. With Media Center not aware of this channel in the XML file, it creates an empty atscchannels.xml file entry, and Media Center asks for the frequency assignment where the digital channel is located, in CBS 2 Chicago's case, channel 3.

As I manually load the channels, I also add the sub-channels. Once a primary channel is set, Media Center automatically maps to the frequency assignment for additional subchannels. After loading all channels, I can now use the "Edit Digital TV Listings" setting in Media Center to map the off-air digital channel to the digital cable listings. For example, in Chicago, PBS affiliate WTTW has four channels in its digital multicast, but 11-4 is not yet available on digital cable, and I do not see myself watching it much anyway, so I opted NOT to add 11-4 while programming the guide. I had to be tricky because 11-1 is an all widescreen channel with HD programming while 11-2 is the digital simulcast of the traditional Channel 11. 11-3 carries the all-how-to channel, Create. So, I had to map 11-1 with WTTW-DT on the digital cable listings, 11-2 with analog cable 11, and 11-3 with WTTW-DT3 as identified on the digital cable listings. Once all this was completed, I could now use the Media Center EPG to set up recordings for the right shows on the right off-air digital channels, a big help. Sadly, Media Center in XP does not use the EPG metadata in the PSIP tables loaded by the broadcaster to update the guide listings; you will need to rely on the available digital cable listings.

Consequently, I fear that after February 17, 2009, I will need to manually reprogram the EPG yet again when some of the local broadcasters switch their digital over-the-air transmission on their FCC-approved final DTV assignment, which for some channels will be different from their current assignment. Since I will know what the new assignments will be post-transition, I could simply just go into the atscchannels.xml file and change the channels right there, and that should be it. Otherwise, I will have to repeat the process I just described yet again. I also hope that if my cable company reassigns the digital cable lineup that Media Center will automatically map the off-air digital TV listings to the channel ID and not the new channel, else I will have to fix THAT change in Media Center manually.

In related news, HP announced in late March 2007 that they would be discontinuing their high-end Digital Entertainment PC line, which will leave Sony as the only manufacturer of note of Media Center PCs acting as servers for the living room, home theater, or control unit in a rack for an electronic home with a structured wiring network. It would seem to me that HP, which has been making a huge comeback in the consumer PC market, is focusing its strategic plan on the common consumer, and since the release of Vista, I think HP feels that homeowners can simply use a laptop or desktop PC on a home network to record off-air digital programs, and rebroadcast them on the home network to other PCs or Media Center Extenders, like the Xbox 360. In addition, HP has released a PCMCIA digital TV tuner card for its Vista-based laptops, and with high-capacity external USB hard drives of over 100 GB becoming more affordable and easier to put on a home network, educated homeowners could very easily custom-make a digital entertainment network on their own budgets and capacity without having to shell out over $2,000. So, I would speculate that HP is foreseeing an unprofitable low demand for their "DECs" as they know them. In addition, Vista allows such PCs to be Cable-Card friendly, which would easily allow such PCs to decode and record digital cable channels for subscribers, thus allowing that content to be streamed on a home network. These trends will further allow middle-income households to make their homes connected and share content. Who knows, well-designed home networks could pretty much allow, in the right area, one indoor antenna connected to one networked PC to distribute off-air DTV programming all over the house.

2007-03-10T09:22:00.001-08:00

HOW AND WHEN TO MAKE YOUR CURRENT ANALOG SETS DIGITAL

On February 28, 2007, a number of organizations announced the formation of a DTV Coalition to inform the American public about the termination of over the air analog TV broadcasts on February 17, 2009. The organizations in this coalition are:

Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV)
Association of Public Television Stations (APTS)
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition (CERC)
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR)
LG Electronics
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA)

This coalition announced the launch of a brand new educational Web site, www.DTVTransition.org. The Web site is a general source of information about the digital TV transition, and links to other sources for more information. On the home page of the site you can find a countdown timer to the end date for off-air analog broadcasts.

The government, as part of the budgetary plan to complete the DTV transition in the United States, has created a subsidy plan to allow consumers to allow their existing analog sets that receive programming solely with an over the air antenna able to receive the digital TV signals. In 2008, inexpensive set-top boxes, expected to retail between $50 and $70, will be available for purchase. These boxes will have an input for consumers to connect their existing over the air antenna, and outputs to connect to the TV in the same way as a standalone VCR. The subsidy plan will allow US households, beginning on January 1^st, 2008, to request up to two coupons at $40 per coupon that can be applied toward the purchase of these digital set-top boxes. Therefore, a household that would like to convert two analog TV sets can do so by requesting two coupons, and will end up paying less than $75 out of pocket total to get their sets ready to continue to receive off-air broadcasts after February 17, 2009. This would be less than having to shell out $300 or more for one completely new DTV set. The consumers will have three months to redeem the coupons that will be sent to them via US Mail. How the consumer will be able to request the coupons remains to be determined; it could be a mail request, a Web site request, or a toll-free phone request.

On paper, this idea would benefit households at or below the poverty line. Realistically, there are a few possible pitfalls with the idea that I hope the coalition will consider. First of all, how will the households that need this information the most get that information? They may not have a computer or a good Internet connection to use, so the best sources would have to be by direct mail marketing by the DTV Coalition as well as PSA spots on television and radio, which as I mentioned in my last entry may be handled by the NAB. Second, will these coupons be redeemed legally for the sole purpose of obtaining these converter boxes, or will some be used fraudulently at the expense of US taxpayers? In addition, will the total cost of subsidizing these households come within the expected budget, or add to the national debt due to an unexpected miscount in the number of existing analog sets affected by the transition? Finally, will there be a solid technical support plan for these boxes if customers need help using them, or if they may need to readjust their antenna? Also, will the consumers be notified that after February 17, 2009, they will need to rescan their tuners as several local broadcasters in their area will be broadcasting solely on their final assigned DTV frequency, which may be different from the one they are using now?

As a public service I, having my own Winegard SS-3000 indoor antenna for local HDTV reception, which should be capable of receiving all local DTV broadcasts from Chicago after the transition (its ability to receive CBS in Chicago, currently using channel 3 for its DTV broadcasts, is questionable, but should fare better receiving CBS Chicago's post-transition DTV channel, 11), may want to take advantage of the subsidy plan and get a set top box of my own in 2008. That way I can write me own review on the box and evaluate how this plan will work out now and after the analog shutoff date. After all, I have one analog set, so I would be entitled to get a coupon and a box for under $30 after rebate. I would expect that when 2008 arrives that we will finally start to see more media coverage of this transition and more public awareness, and this may become a political issue in a Presidential election year. The fact that several organizations are now beginning to come together and send forth a plan to generate public awareness is, at least, an encouraging step in the right direction.

2007-02-26T10:12:00.001-08:00

HOW WILL THE PUBLIC BE EDUCATED ON THE ANALOG BROADCAST SHUTDOWN?

We are now less than two years away from the February 17, 2009 date that analog over-the-air television broadcasts will end. Sadly, there exists significant evidence that the American public as a whole is unaware of what is going on. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is now reportedly in plans to form a committee to educate the public on the transition to digital. The NAB clearly is out to take a stand to educate the public under the awareness that Congress is reportedly planning to spend $5 million for DTV education, which is only a small amount relative to the big amounts advertisers spend, including cable and satellite companies.

The NAB is seen as a political lobbyist group, and they likely may be vocal to the government agencies who will be debating the approval of the recently announced plan for the XM and Sirius satellite radio providers to merge into a single entity by about this time next year. The NAB may see this as a monopoly, while the satellite radio providers feel their unified pay service will be a competing content CHANNEL to terrestrial radio, television, and now, podcasting and user-generated content that is becoming more accessible to an increasing number of high speed Internet customers. In the same way, the NAB could push getting the word out about the transition in the same way we will be seeing politicians make ads during election season. NAB DTV transition VP Jonathan Collegio is expected to head this education group, and you can see read an interview with him on the TV Technology Web site.

I do agree with Collegio that this transition will mostly affect minorities, seniors, households below the poverty line, and people in rural areas. For the most part, those who have the ability to afford cable or satellite TV, or even a broadband Internet connection that would allow people to watch most popular network TV shows online the day after their original air date as well as news headlines, would likely not see the transition as a big deal. Collegio in his interview hopes to create a campaign that will create a coalition with the NAACP, the AARP, and public broadcasters. These days, PBS stations may be supported for the most part by individuals who do not spend much for cable or satellite, and they primarily choose PBS when watching television. As for minorities and disadvantaged households, I would expect the NAB to throw out the Hurricane Katrina card, and argue how broadcasters were able to inform such households affected most by the natural disaster with free over the air TV, which will now be suddenly lost to them after the shutoff, unless they have an analog to digital TV converter box. I also hope the education will include those who are currently enjoying off-air free HDTV since many stations will be using a different final DTV channel than what they are using now, so those viewers need to be aware that they will have to rescan their tuner to get some channels they lost right back after the shutoff date. In some cases, they may need a different off-air antenna than the one that is on their rooftop or in their attic, if that antenna is strictly UHF.

Also according to reports, some newspapers and TV stations were mandated on February 17, 2007 to run a report on the analog TV shutoff in two years. I unfortunately did not notice any in my area, but probably because I was getting most of my news from a video podcast, and I did not watch much local news during the time. Still, the mandate must have been for local newspapers and stations and not national organizations, as I did not see any national news headlines regarding the shutoff. But is clear retailers are getting the idea as there are some reportedly not selling any more TVs without an off-air DTV tuner, which will be required from all retailers over the course of this year. As for converter boxes, I am still waiting for news on how such analog to digital boxes will be distributed and subsidized. I say, why wait? Thankfully, I am now seeing that Winegard Company has put up a fairly informative Digital Television Center on their Web site to educate consumers on the DTV transition. Winegard has also now made available an analog to digital converter box of their own, the RC-1010, which is retailing for $210. They are marketing this for RV owners whose TV sets for the most part will also be affected by the analog shutoff, and I do not feel are being counted in addition to analog TV sets in households, but should be. Winegard also has a marketing partnership with RV dealer Camping World, which has posted a nice instructional streaming video on the RC-1010 receiver and the advantages of over the air DTV.

So with two years left before analog signals shut down, some progress is being made, and the education is slowly but surely becoming available to the public. I hope to help out by linking to additional sources of information about the transition, some of which are already available in previous blog entries for you to browse, or in the banner ads. The NAB will in all likelihood begin to lay out their publicity campaign during their convention in Las Vegas in mid April, and I will be interested to see the initial PSAs.

2006-10-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE FINAL DTV ASSIGNMENTS

On Friday October 20th, 2006, the FCC made public its proposed final table of DTV allotments for the over the air broadcast stations in the United States. The information will now indicate the channels where your local over the air broadcasts will be after February 17, 2009. The reports are available for free public download at http://www.fcc.gov/dtv in the 10/20/06 public report field of the page.

Appendix B, available in both Excel and PDF formats, lists the proposed table of allotments, organized by city and state of operation. The NTSC Chan column lists the current analog channel in use, and the adjacent channel lists the approved final DTV channel elected by the broadcaster using that NTSC channel. In order to get off-air availability for ALL channels in your area, use http://www.antennaweb.org/, and in the results area, use the analog stations only radio button to see your current analog channels and their operating cities, which should be coordinated with the FCC list. Then, note the final DTV channels that will be used by each station. The rest of the entries in each row will list the final DTV channel broadcast power in kW, the transmitter antenna height, and the GPS location of the permanent DTV transmitter. On antennaweb.org, the "show digital stations only" will list the CURRENT channels being used for DTV over-the-air broadcasts, but not all of them will be the final DTV channel after February 17, 2009; some broadcasts will revert back to their original analog NTSC channel. Currently, only the FCC reports will indicate what the final channels are; hopefully antennaweb.org will make this information available in the near future.

If all the final DTV channels are 14-51, then a UHF only antenna will suffice to receive all local channels digitally when the analog broadcasts end. However, many markets will require an antenna receiving VHF high band and UHF (7-51) to receive all local broadcasts over the air with a digital television for free. Some markets will require the common VHF/UHF combo to receive channels 2-51.

NOTE: this post is the promised update to my post from October 9, 2006, on improving the performance of an HDTV antenna.

2006-10-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

PIMP YOUR ANTENNA

With flat screen TVs, laptops, mobile devices, and portable digital entertainment players suddenly becoming purchased for style in addition to functionality, common off-air antennas have gotten a bad rap over the years, classified as being eyesores. Fortunately, indoor antennas have evolved to have looks almost as stylish as the flat screen TVs, and there are a few outdoor antennas that can be attractive outdoors, most notably those entirely encased in plastic. Such outdoor antennas are available from Winegard, TERK, Terrestrial Digital, and Radio Shack.

The nice advantage about the plastic housings is that they can be painted. One idea is to use a monochromatic color to match the color of your residential building, essentially "hiding" the antenna while keeping it outdoors, where the most off-air field strength can be received. The important thing to consider is when selecting a paint, make sure it is a paint with no metallic compounds, because any metal in proximity to the antenna will change its reception performance, and usually not for the better. The other consideration is to make sure you select a paint that covers well, and one or two thin coats are all that are needed. Multiple thick coats of paint might eventually start reducing signal received by the antenna a bit. A brand I personally recommend is Krylon Fusion, a spray paint available at several leading hardware, automotive, and paint stores, like Sherwin-Williams. That paint covers plastics well, and literally bonds with the plastic as long as the surface is dry and clean before applying.

A monochromatic color to match the house is a conservatively attractive and functional style. However, I thought why stop there with my own antenna? That is why I went a step further on a Winegard SS-2000 SquareShooter I own, and pimped my antenna, as seen in the picture. Okay I have never seen the MTV show, but I am very familiar with the custom tuner car craze -- one of my occasional diversions is going to custom car shows and checking out the stylish designs and modifications of custom rides, street racers, and drift cars, like the ones you have seen in the Fast and the Furious movies. Well, I don't have a monster garage to get into the hobby, but I did take the customized paint and body idea and put it to my antenna.

Here is what I did -- I removed the plastic cover of the Winegard SS-2000 so that I would not affect the active antenna elements inside. Then I painted the outside cover blue with Krylon Fusion paint. After letting the paint dry to touch as directed, I then applied automotive vinyl custom race stripes that I purchased at Auto Zone. I made a pattern design alternating barb-wire tattoo stripes and simple lines, applied directly to the painted housing. Then with everything set, I reassembled the cover to the antenna, and yes I still get my off-air DTV signals as expected.

So there you are -- a unique twist to turn an antenna into an outlet of self-expression. However, please understand that this idea is for PLASTIC HOUSINGS and not the antenna elements inside those housings. Again, this idea can be applied to similar antennas from Radio Shack and Terrestrial Digital. You can also paint the Winegard SS-3000 SharpShooter housing and apply labels to it, as long as you remove the antenna elements and circuit board inside the housing, and the reflector, before painting the housing, and you can also paint the plastic brackets holding the reflector. It may be easier to do the painting prior to assembling the reflector on the SS-3000.

As far as traditional outdoor antennas go, the elements can be painted, or "masked" as well if desired, provided you use a paint that is NON-METALLIC. You can try ou the paint by just getting a small disposable piece of aluminum sheet metal and try the paint on the surface first. So now in the age where cell phones, laptops, and home theaters have become an outlet of self-expression, off air antennas can do the same, and be part of a stylish and functional HDTV experience.

2006-10-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

CAN I IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF AN HDTV ANTENNA?

This time I would like to present a suggestion that might improve the performance of a few antennas in the the market for certain locations. Specifically, they are available antennas that are directional on UHF (frequency assignments 14-69) and bi-directional on VHF high band (frequency assignments 7-13). There are antennas out there that are branded as HDTV antennas, but if you see such an antenna to get off-air HDTV broadcasts, this branding is a serious case of "let the buyer beware". Several of these branded HDTV antennas that are small and attractive may really be nothing more than directional UHF antennas. While they may be great for getting off-air HDTV broadcasts on frequency assignments 14-69 that are coming in from about the same compass direction (this information for your specific location may be found by using http://www.antennaweb.org/), if you have available off-air DTV broadcasts on VHF frequency assignments 2-13, that so-called HDTV antenna may not get all your channels. Those small nice looking antennas are not tuned for 2-13, so their reception of such channels is very limited in terms of distance; they may get UHF channels from 50 miles out, but the best some can do for 7-13 is 30 miles, and even less for 2-6.

There is another issue -- suppose you do have one of these small HDTV branded antennas, and they are getting all your local HD broadcasts. Well when your analog off-air TV tuners stop working after February 17, 2009, those effective antennas may suddenly not get all your local off-air channels that are exclusively digital. Right now the FCC is allowing analog and digital over-the-air broadcasts from channels 2-69, and in some markets all the digital broadcasts are on UHF, but not all. The FCC has ordered broadcasters to select a final DTV frequency assignment from 2-51 that will be effective following the analog shutoff, so frequencies allocated for TV broadcasting on channels 52-69 (702-806 MHz, or the "700 MHz band"), will be freed up for new wireless applications, including for homeland security. So, some stations now using channels 52-69 for digital off-air broadcasting will HAVE to relocate their DTV channel. In addition, station broadcast engineers are willing to select a final DTV of-air assignment on VHF high band, channels 7-13, as those channels can cover a viewing area with less power than UHF stations. So, if you are using a UHF antenna only for off-air DTV broadcasts, you may want to check to see if 14-69 will be the final assignments, because if they are not, there is a chance you may need to replace that once functional antenna.

You can get a heads up on which channels will be the final digital TV assignments by going to http://www.fcc.gov/dtv which is a DTV page that has notices on the broadcast TV transition to digital available for public viewing and use at no charge. You can download the MS Office or Acrobat notices on the page, whichever format you prefer. There are three rounds of final channel elections that took place over the past year and a half. The tentative final assignments for the first and second rounds are listed on the documents dated 5/23/06, while tentative assignments for round 3 are listed on the documents dated 8/29/06. You will need to use http://www.antennaweb.org/ and pay attention to the city the station is located -- there is a chance that a few local stations are based out of your state of residence. For instance, WPWR, the My Network TV affiliate out of Chicago, is actually based in Gary, Indiana. Another example is WWOR out of New York, which is actually based out of Secaucus, New Jersey. As I said, these post-analog shutdown channel assignments are TENTATIVE, and a few stations, including WABC, the ABC affiliate from New York, are still disputing their final elected channel with the FCC. Once al these issues are resolved, which hopefully will be by year's end, the FCC will release a "final table of DTV allotments" which should have the official secured list of the station assignments for exclusive digital broadcasting, and once I see that table posted, I will let you know in a future blog post.

So, suppose you realize that you need an antenna for channels 7-69 as a long term solution, so that after February 17, 2009, you can simply rescan your DTV tuner to get all your broadcasts instead of readjusting your antenna. Here now I offer a few truths and a couple tricks. First, it is possible that some UHF antennas can get that one or two VHF high band (7-13) frequency assignment DTV channels. I have found that the popular bowtie UHF antennas, like Channel Master's 4228 and Winegard's PR-4400 and PR-8800, do have bi-directional VHF reception on 7-13, although with less mileage range than UHF. By "bi-directional" I mean the antenna can receive signals from both the front of the antenna, and the backside of the antenna, but not off the sides. Bi-directional antennas may be good in open areas with little obstructions, but in areas where ghost-causing signals may come in off the back, that may be a problem, as these signals will break up DTV pictures.

Meanwhile, the highly lauded Silver Sensor is a good UHF directional antenna which great rejection of unwanted signals from behind. However for VHF high band, this antenna has an issue. The antenna has a phase line inside the antenna that pretty much cancels any chance of receiving unwanted UHF signals from behind that could cause picture breakup. However, I have found that the same line can receive VHF high band, but unlike some UHF antennas, the Silver Sensor can only receive frequency assignments 7-13 OFF THE SIDE, which means in areas where DTV signals are on 7-13, a user may need to turn the antenna just to get those channels, and that could become a tiresome inconvenience.

As a result, TERK, a division of Audiovox, took the Silver Sensor design concept and added a fixed dipole for channels 7-13 for their HDTVo model for outdoor and attic installs, and a telescoping "rabbit-ear" like adjustable dipole for their HDTVi indoor antenna, as well as good VHF/UHF isolation between the elements. By the way, there is also an amplified version of the HDTVi available, the HDTVa. Philips appears to be selling a similar concept to the TERK HDTVa, the model PHDTV3, with a more attractive and low-profile design and a 10 dB amplifier. I would personally recommend indoor antennas with a gain no more than 15 dB, as higher gain versions may deliver saturated or overpowered signals into your DTV tuner. Radio Shack also has an attractive amplified model for outdoor and attic installs, model 15-2187, that is directional for UHF and bi-directional and tuned for frequency assignments 7-13. Finally, there is the simple yet tried and true Winegard Sensar III "batwing" antenna (GS-1000 nonamplified, GS-2200 amplified) that is bi-directional on 7-13 and directional on UHF 14-69 with a wide look angle for outdoor and attic installs.

However all the models I listed in the paragraph above are bi-directional on 7-13, and that may be a problem in areas of high ghosting for those particular channels. As of now, the one antenna I know of that is directional on channels 7-69 is the Winegard SharpShooter SS-3000, and Winegard is now about to come out with a kit for outdoor installation of this antenna, which has a 10-12 dB amplifier, just the right amount of amplifier gain when needed. But what about the other antennas I mentioned? Well, here is a trick you can try to make bi-directional antennas on 7-13 directional, which would reject ghosting from behind, and possibly pull in stronger 7-13 signals. For the models used for outdoor or attic installation, if your home has aluminum sided walls or the walls have foil-backed insulation, you could mount the antenna with its backside 7 to 8 inches from the wall, or, for an attic install, place some aluminum material, even aluminum foil, or metal meshing, behind the antenna. The material would have to have a rectangular geometry width a length at least 10% longer than the width of the antenna, and at least 10% higher than the height of the antenna. Again, the material would be placed 7 to 8 inches from the back of the antenna. The metal material would then become a reflector of energy on channels 7-13, and it would block unwanted signal from behind while increasing reception from the front. It is just like a lens on a flashlight focusing light in a single direction. For the antennas I listed, there should be little effect on the UHF performance since the antenna design is already focusing its energy on UHF 14-69 reception regardless of what is behind the antenna.

For the indoor antennas, if there is a metallic backed cabinet or wall that the antenna can fit in, but NOT on a metallic shelf, then you could try the antenna in that space, and if there are telescoping elements, try the elements fully retracted and parallel to the floor first. Again, make sure there is a 7 to 8 inch space between the metal backing and the telescoping elements, which are for VHF reception, for best results. Finally, it would not hurt to use the existing analog antenna tuner to check for picture quality from channels 7 through 13, because if they look good with little ghosting, your current antenna should be all set to get the exclusively digital broadcasts after February 17, 2009.

Now I need to finish with a disclaimer -- what I recommended is for areas with TV signals generally available from a single direction for receiving frequency assignments 7-69. At last check there are about 50-60 stations in the United States looking to use channels 2-6 as their final DTV assignments. In addition, there are markets with DTV broadcasts currently available from 2-6, so I do recommend using http://www.antennaweb.org/ and paying attention to the "frequency assignment" column in the results, as well as looking at the FCC reports for your area. If you need 2-6 reception, there will be other issues to consider that will be addressed on a future blog entry -- until then, you may need to do some more research -- and be willing to use a large antenna.

2006-09-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

COULD NOTEBOOK PCs BECOME PORTABLE HDTV SETS?

If you have a portable handheld TV with a telescoping antenna with an analog NTSC tuner, I have bad news. It will be worthless and not functional on February 17, 2009 unless the analog shutoff date changes, or it can pick up a low power station with programming only four people care about. But if you have a high end laptop with a fast processor, a lot of memory, and a lot of disk space, it is very possible that you can turn that laptop into a portable HDTV set.

First of all, let me tell you about the screen resolution of most laptops. For a TV monitor to be HDTV, it needs to be widescreen (16x9 aspect ratio), flat, and have at least 700 lines of vertical resolution. Resolution on TV sets are specified as the number of horizontal pixels by the number of vertical pixels, and there are laptops available with a widescreen LCD display. A display specified as WXGA widescreen has a resolution of 1280 x 768 or 1280 x 800, and that arguably qualifies such a monitor as a 720p HDTV! There are also monitors available with a WXGA+ resolution with 900 vertical lines or more, which is almost ideal for watching 1080i HD broadcasts, although you can see them on 720p monitors as well at the expense of a bit of resolution.

Now in order to enjoy the DTV broadcasts, you will need to keep in mind that broadcast HDTV uses an MPEG-2 stream of 10 Mbps or more. So without a fast processor and much memory, the video streams will be very jumpy, and freeze quite often. You will also need an off-air ATSC tuner, which can either be an internal aftermarket card, or a USB tuner with a BDA driver. Some USB tuners do not need an external power supply, they are powered by the laptop power pack or battery. You will have to be aware though the battery usage may be limited to jut a few hours. Then you will need software, and there are several options. You can purchase a laptop with Windows XP Media Center Edition with Service Pack 2. Another option is that you can just get a widescreen WXGA or WXGA+ laptop with Windows XP with Service Pack 2 without Media Center, and instead purchase a third party media center software. There are also packages available with a tuner and media center software available as a bundle. One such third party Windows XP media center software I have tried is BeyondTV by Snapstream. Here is a link to a page which has a list of recommended DTV tuners and PC requirements for a good HDTV experience: http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtv/hdtv-setup-center.asp. You will also have to have a good, fast video card for smooth HDTV video, just like the kind recommended for gaming.

Finally you can enjoy off-air HDTV broadcasts with an antenna, and a portable UHF antenna, although it may not get all the off-air channels, may get you several outside your residence, although outside you will have to be restricted to a nonamplified antenna. It will not be too much of an inconvenience, however, if you use a short piece of RG-6 cable, since there is very little signal loss through RG-6 cable lengths of under 25 inches. Remember that amplifiers are really intended to offset signal losses through long cable runs or splitters.

However bringing an antenna and USB tuner, especially one that can drain your laptop battery, understandably may not appeal to you. Well, if you travel often with a laptop and need to kill some downtime on a plane, a train, or in the hotel, you could use the media center software and an antenna at home to record off-air HDTV to watch later during those times. If your laptop has a 100 GB hard drive or more, you can record 10 hours of HDTV programming. The programs are stored as video files that you can easily access in the media center software, and you can use it to schedule a recording. Then you can disconnect the antenna or USB tuner, and take a recorded HD show with your work. The picture quality would be superior to subscription video podcasts or videos from iTunes that are meant to be watched in full screen on video iPods, and best of all, off-air HDTV shows are free! Keep in mind, however, that most recorded HDTV shows on PCs will be file protected, so you likely cannot be able to copy or redistribute the file to someone else. If you have a portable video player, you can convert the HD show to a lower resolution and enjoy on the portable device with the right software and some patience, and the conversion process takes time depending on the length of the program.

If you do record at home, even though the files are protected, if the laptop is connected on a Ethernet or 802.11g based (54 Mbps) wireless home network, the files could be accessed on a Media Center PC or extender, like on a high-end XBox 360, on the home network, and enjoyed on a big screen HDTV. So, you could either send high quality HDTV through a home network using a small indoor antenna, or the laptop DTV tuner can be connected to a wall plate on a MATV system hooked up to an outdoor antenna.

So if you are thinking about getting a laptop to do work and send emails and documents on a WiFi network, check the specs and consider adding on a DTV tuner and antenna, and with DTV recordings as well as on-demand broadband services like Akimbo, Movielink, and CinemaNow, all of whom can provide pre-recorded HD programs themselves, you can have great entertainment that suits your needs, and you will need to explain a pay-per-view purchase on your travel expense report.

2006-08-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

WHERE ELSE CAN I GO TO GET SOME GOOD OFF-AIR DTV ANTENNA INFORMATION?

I must confess that I don't read the message boards (http://www.avsforum.com/ is one of the leading ones) where members are giving advice and help on how to get the right antenna for their area. I can say they do help, if you look at them for a given market you might get some advice, but everyone has their own opinions.

There are two independent Web sites that I can recommend that can provide some great information. There is a retailer in Michigan who sells antennas in his area but also online. The site is http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/ Denny is a fantastic and knowledgeable source for an unbiased opinion because he sells off-air products from both Winegard, where I work, and our leading competitor, ChannelMaster. His "HDTV Antennas: Fact or Fiction" link is a definite read, and he posted similar truths about HDTV reception to my own. I must confess, however, that he has posted some great comments from himself and his customers on the SharpShooter antenna, which I helped design. And I do feel that this indoor antenna has an edge because unlike most indoor antennas, this one is directional on both VHF high band (frequency assignments 7-13) as well as UHF, where most HDTV is broadcast, and will be in most markets when the analog broadcasts end in 2009. Denny is also aware of the analog shutdown date, and he notes it on his site. It is so refreshing to see an antenna installer and seller who actually knows how antennas work!!! Definitely visit this site, and reward him by buying an antenna from him!!

Another good site to visit not just for antenna information but also information on HDTV home theater equipment is http://www.hdtvexpert.com/, a site managed by Peter Putman, a consultant based in the Philadelphia area. Peter has reviews of HDTV antennas and equipment, and he goes to the trade shows religiously to find out the latest. Peter wrote a review on our SquareShooter antenna, which is primarily a UHF antenna that is a very well matched broadband antenna compared to traditional UHF antennas. Unfortunately Peter ended up giving a mixed review of this antenna because DTV tuners have become more advanced with bit-error correction circuitry to improve picture streams when the simplest of antennas are used in high-ghosting areas. Early 1st and 2nd generation tuners had problems decoding signals affected by multipath, and a well-matched broadband antenna like the SquareShooter initially seemed like the best solution. But then the 4th and 5th generation DTV tuners came along to work better with traditional antennas. Still, people are enjoying the look of the SquareShooter outdoors, and that has made it a seller. There have been other antennas I have found that are now packaged in attractive plastic packages.

So again after exploring the archives in this blog, go to http://www.hdtvexpert.com/ to check out the home theater equipment, and then to http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/ for an unbiased guide on getting off-air DTV, and then buy that antenna!! And if you post on the AVS forums, tell them about the sites, too -- believe me, I'm sure they get at least one or two posts a week saying "where can I get some GOOD antenna information??!!!"

2006-07-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

SO WHY BOTHER PROMOTING GETTING BROADCAST TV WITH AN ANTENNA?

I suppose you may be one of those people stumbling across the blog and wondering to yourself, "Why is this guy blogging and making a living working with of-air television antennas? I mean, who isn't get their TV from cable, satellite, or maybe even their phone company which is offering a lot of channels to choose from?" Well, from what I have observed and experimented with lately, I have quite a few arguments that support that there are others like me who still believe in the terrestrial broadcast TV model. I will list these arguments here in this entry.

1) Off-air broadcast television, analog or digital, has NO MONTHLY FEE. You don't need to shell out over $40 per month to a digital cable, satellite, or telco provider for HDTV from your local broadcaster. The right antenna an a DTV tuner is all you need. In addition to the HDTV, you will also get the multicasts from the broadcast stations for no monthly fee. In some major markets, you will get multicasts such as family-friendly channels, live weather and radar information (i.e. from your local news or NBC Weather Plus), and now even music videos. A new music video channel, The Tube Music Network, is available in some markets on a local station's multicast, over the air for free. Let me say that as a fan of quality music, The Tube is a blessing. For the moment, there are no advertisers, and this nationwide network provides nothing but music videos from GREAT TALENT from classic seminal artists like the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, to '80's videos from when we actually wanted our MTV, to great new artists like Beck, Coldplay, Modest Mouse, David Gray, Norah Jones, etc. No reality shows, no gossip, no over-commercialized fluff. Now while The Tube IS available from some digital cable providers, again, this multicast is free over-the-air with an antenna and DTV tuner where available. To see if The Tube is available, visit http://www.thetubetv.com/ and click on the "Where To Watch" link.

2) Because off-air reception is, if anything, a great backup source of information when cable or satellite service goes out. Yes, cable service still goes out once in a while, and with satellite you sometimes have to contend with "rain fade" or even re-adjusting the dish. But if that happens, if your antenna is getting the signal, then you can switch to the antenna tuner and either see the game you are trying to enjoy, or maybe there is important emergency information from the local news that you may need to know. Recently I looked through a pamphlet published by our local radio station about how to be prepared for weather emergencies, and one recommend is to have an off-air antenna should the cable or satellite go out so you can stay informed of developments and the latest information.

3) Off-air HDTV looks better. Cable and satellite providers do need to receive the broadcast signal, but then they need to re-route the data on their bandwidth, and unfortunately, that does result in some bit errors. Like making a copy, it is not quite as good as the original. By getting the digital data over the air, if the antenna is positioned optimally, you are receiving the bitstream broadcast from the station -- think of it as eliminating the middleman and increasing efficiency as a result.

4) Are you actually watching the channels you are paying for? Interestingly enough, with broadband Internet becoming more available, people can now be informed and entertained on their own time with different methods other than getting it from cable and satellite, and just "surfing channels". Here is my personal take -- for now I don't have satellite TV, and the cable video service I'm getting is just a $15 per month basic broadcast package with the broadcast channels, and that is a backup to my free off-air DTV reception. And in reality, I'm paying $5 per month for the backup because I'm getting a $10 discount by combining it with my high-speed Intenet service through my cable system. With my broadband Internet, I have actually been getting news and information that fits me through video podcasts, most of them for no additional charge, through my Media Center PC. I have it hooked up to an analog TV through the S-video, and these podcast vids are of pretty decent video quality, and I am watching the HD shows through the built-in ATSC tuner on my PC, and recording the content to watch later. If I feel like watching something and I'm all caught up with what I got over the air, I can get additional on-demand content that actually interest me with few to no commercials for free to $5 with on-demand content services like iTunes, Akimbo, and Cinemanow. Okay maybe I'm missing out on some original dramas on cable, but I really don't have the time or interest in them personally. Where I live, I'm within a short drive or even bike ride to Fun City (http://www.onefuncity.com/) where I can watch live ESPN and satellite TV sports watchable all over the place because it has over 100 HD monitors. So I can enjoy live NFL action there, listen to the audio with a little receiver, and actually socialize with people. I am single and live alone, so these great methods suit me well and give the time and money for other things. And with the price of gas the way it is, at least I can swing the cost of getting to work or an occasional road trip. By saving on cale bills, I've got my Media Center PC all paid up now, and I'm happy to say I'm living the debt-free lifestyle, and I am able to put a bit of money away for an annual getaway, and for the future.

5) Do you have the time for all those channels? Again, I don't with my lifestyle. I find myself online quite a bit chatting and swapping emails, pictures, and videos with friends and family, even entertainers whom I've become fans of. So broadband Internet and these popular online social sites has actually helped personalize my entertainment, and the time I've spent of it has pretty much denied time to just sit and surf channels. Oh, and of course I'm taking a bit of time blogging about what I do because I do like helping out and being someone instead of being a lazy couch potato. In fact, I read somewhere that in the UK, more people are spending more time online than watching TV. Being online gives people unlimited choices in on-demand video if you know where to look.

6) Off-air DTV is mobile! And now laptop PCs are being made with built-in DTV tuners, so if you bring one out with a small off-air antenna, you can watch live TV anywhere, and for free. Of course as I mentioned in a previous entry you will soon be able to watch live TV on your mobile phone, but those services will likely cost you. Off-air DTV on the right laptop in the right place? No charge.

And one more thing, I mentioned that I am watching digital content on a Media Center PC hooked up to an analog TV set via S-video. That is how I am enjoying off-air DTV. You really don't need an HDTV set to enjoy free DTV, a Media Center PC or even an affordable terrestrial set-top-box with an ATSC tuner will suffice in watching free-to-air TV with incredible digital picture quality. However, you will need an HDTV monitor to experience the true HD resolution, but me personally, I can do without it for now, so I choose to hold out for the monitor prices to continue to drop.

So there you go, this is why I do what I do for a living. Those who have great fulfilling lives are the ones who make a living doing what they love and having a passion for it, and a reason for that passion. And now you have just read my reason for my passion. I do hope that people will become more aware of the DTV transition and the benefits of free off-air DTV. Maybe as 2009 nears this will become a more talked about issue. We shall see, but with broadband Internet connecting a lot of people and producing the ability to unleash do-it-yourself content, and on-demand libraries continuing to grow, a paradigm shift may be happening soon with broadcast media. Maybe soon people will just watch live TV events and breaking news and get the rest of their entertainment on-demand online, and if that is the case, some may just choose to do so for free with an off-air antenna. They just need to be aware that free off-air DTV is here, and the means to get it effectively.

For additional information, visit http://www.myfreehdtv.org/.

2006-07-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

NEW TRICKS IN USING ANTENNAWEB.ORG TO DETERMINE WHAT IS NEEDED FOR OFF-AIR DTV RECEPTION

When I started this blog, I wrote on how to use http://www.antennaweb.org/ to select an antenna and aim it for off-air DTV and HDTV reception. This week I visited the site, and I discovered that the address information page has a new advanced feature, an "options" feature.at the bottom of the address page, which will be useful to truly determine your local DTV off-air reception capability. The options, which are expanded on the browser using a Flash plug-in, allows you to enter Latitude and Longitude coordinates as well as the height in feet of the antenna above the ground. The trick is that the coordinates need to entered in decimal degrees, and not degrees minutes and seconds. I will give you a trick to convert from DMS to decimal in a little bit.

Before this option was added by site creator Decisionmark (based in Iowa) in association with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the most accurate results were presented if the user entered a complete address, although a zip code was the minimum requirement. Some users are still a bit hesitant, however, in providing address information over a Web site, and the site is not secure. But now with providing latitude and longitude information instead of the address, a user can get accurate information on local off-air coverage without sending address information over the Internet.

Playing around with coordinates for my office at Winegard Company in Burlington, Iowa, I noticed that when I entered latitude longitude coordinates I once recorded while helping the plant set up a production test for RV dishes using GPS technology to lock onto satellite TV "birds", and compared the results with entering the address of the office, I got an interest difference in the results. The latitude/longitude results added a DTV PBS station from Macomb, IL, about 30 miles southwest but broadcasting at a relatively low power, which I did not notice when entering the address. The PBS station services Western Illinois University based in Macomb. I mention the fact that the station transmits DTV at a relatively low power because its reception does become spotty here in Burlington as the field strength starts to get low. In such cases, the field strength starts to vary significantly between strong voltages and nulls, sort of a "checkerboard" effect, and the broadcast would come in simply by relocating the antenna by just a few feet.

One other important point to mention is using the latitude/longitude entry instead of the complete address is you still may need to select the state where you live. This will allow you to see the street level map if you select that option on the results page. When I checked the street level map, the selected location where the field strengths of the off-air channels were predicted was noticeably different than the location of the address, but only by what appears to be a couple hundred feet on the roof of a fairly large manufacturing facility taking up a city block. This would prove to me that changing the coordinates by just a little bit may determine if an available station signal would be in a "checkerboard effect" at the given location, and trying different locations for an antenna may lead to good reception of a hard-to-get digital channel with a small-to-moderately sized antenna.

The other key "options" field is the height of the antenna, entered in feet above ground, which can be measured with a ruler tape. This entry is above ground, and not sea level, the prediction is already factoring in the terrain of the neighborhood. Because terrestrial VHF/UHF television signals are transmitted with a direct path, and do not follow the natural curvature of the terrain like AM radio signals do, antennas that are mounted at rooftop heights outdoors in most cases will collect more signal. So, by measuring the height of where you may want to put up an antenna, either on the roof or on the wall, and by determining the latitude/longitude location of the antenna, you may be able to use antennaweb.org to locate the "sweet spot" of best reception for your location even before buying the antenna, cable, or mounting equipment.
So how do you determine the latitude/longitude? With GPS devices that are becoming more easily available. GPS devices use latitude/longitude information to determine where you are and to set up navigation directions. Some newer mobile phones have GPS location technology as a feature built right in, so take a look at your cell phone manual and see if you get can latitude/longitude information from it. You can also get GPS navigation devices from many different places, or borrow one from a friend or neighbor. Garmin is a leading manufacturer of GPS-based navigation handheld devices.

If the device gives latitude and longitude information in degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS) only, and not in decimal degrees, here is how to convert DMS to DD using a calculator. First, take the MINUTES integral value and multiply by 60 to convert to seconds. Then, add the result to the SECONDS value read on the GPS device. Divide the result by 3600, and add the intergral DEGREES value read on the GPS device. Write the result down and be prepared to enter it into the options field at antennaweb.org. Play around with the GPS values while leaving the height field blank and indicating you are in a single-story home. Once you find the best results, use the GPS device to find the sweet spot and plan to mount your antenna there. You will want to minimize the violet results if you want to use a relatively small antenna from off-air reception outdoors, and play around with the height value as well.

Now understand that antennaweb.org assumes the antenna is outdoors with no visible sources of blockage (i.e. tall buildings, trees, or other radio sources) in the compass directions listed in the results. If you mount the antenna in an attic, the signal strengths are cut in half by standard composite shingles on plywood. However, here is a trick to see if indoor or attic reception is possible. First of all, try using the GPS device indoors by your TV set or in the attic and see if you can get a reading. If you can't, your building may be pretty much shielded from receiving off-air signals and putting an antenna outdoors may be the way to go. If you can get a reading, or are able to use a cell phone indoors, then indoor reception might happen.

If that is the case, use antennaweb.org and enter "0.1" in the height field; the program requires a positive non-zero value to get results, and 0.1 is practically right on the ground. Because of the direct nature of broadcast TV signals over-the-air, the signal strengths are expected to be fairly weak, and the results will be reflected on your available station list. So, if you use this trick and see the DTV stations you want listed and not listed as violet, then you just might be able to use a small, unobtrusive antenna indoors or in the attic space to get the off-air DTV channels you want. If you see these results and you are able to aim an antenna through a window in the listed compass direction, then an indoor antenna just might be all you need if you just want to use one off-air DTV tuner in your place. If you do not see the stations your want, or you do but most of them are in violet, then you will either need to use the largest possible antenna that can fit in your attic space, or put an antenna outside.

So I am excited that Decisionmark has added this new feature to what is already a very useful Web site. Now a customer can use GPS and measurement techniques that are easy to carry and affordable, and this useful free online tool to find the "sweet spot" where an antenna of manageable size may be all that is needed to get local broadcast HDTV for free over the air, or at least help a customer make an informed decision on whether or not an off-air antenna is worth the cost or the trouble. I feel that this is good to know as the attitude at work right now with the satellite companies beginning to provide local HDTV via the satellites and USDTV in bankruptcy is that indoor antennas may become the hot sellers. It is just a matter of marketing them right, and antennaweb.org just gave me some big help.

2006-07-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

HOW WILL MPEG-4 INFLUENCE HOW CONSUMERS RECEIVE HDTV AND PAY CHANNELS?

Right now digital cable, satellite, and over-the-air free DTV is using the MPEG-2 codec, the same as for DVDs. However, the more efficient MPEG-4 codec is opening up new opportunities for content delivery, most notably alternatives to cable and satellite. The MPEG-4 codec has facilitated Apple iTunes to deliver videos and episodes of popular shows for consumers to purchase and download, and now the major broadcast networks and a few of their cable partners have been providing iTunes video content, and the library continues to grow.

The excitement over MPEG-4 is that because its compression is more efficient than the MPEG-2 standard, more digital standard definition and high definition channels can be packed into a content provider's available bandwidth. Unfortunately, with HDTV programming becoming more available, and consumer interest growing, more HD channels are coming available. In the past year TNT, NBC Universal (USA/Sci-Fi), MTV, National Geographic channel, and HGTV have launched cable/satellite HD channels, and ESPN has been heavily promoting their HD channels, and has been providing the most live HD content. Needless to say their premiere HD shows will be SportsCenter and NFL Monday Night Football. On a quick side note, I loved watching the FIFA World Cup on ABC HD, whose broadcast (on the soccer field anyway in addition to studio and analyst face time pieces) was converted from a live global 1080i HD feed from the host German broadcaster, and ABC and ESPN took advantage of the global feed by providing complete World Cup HD coverage from the opening match to the championship final.

Unfortunately the increasing demand for bandwidth is leaving the cable and satellite companies somewhat painted in a corner. Between the two, the cable companies are the more trapped. The cable companies are providing analog channels which require a lot of bandwidth to begin with, and then comes the bandwidth for the MPEG-2 digital cable channels. To provide MPEG-4 digital cable channels would require their thousands of customers to change their digital cable converter boxes, and that would require the cable company to buy a lot of new hardware, and that may contribute to even more increases in rates. In addition, the cable companies have needed to compress the native broadcast HD streams to load the channels into their digital tier, and people have noticed the diminished quality in the HD pictures compared to watching broadcast HD over the air, which is not compressed beyond the transmitter. This restricted bandwidth from cable providers also is slowing down the ability to add new HD channels to the lineup, and a strong argument for the cable industry against "must-carry" of local broadcasters' complete broadcast DTV content, which may include local broadcasters' primary channels, some of which are HD, and multicasts. Cable companies fear that must-carry would force them to actually remove a few channels that are of strong interest to some of their customers.

The satellite companies are taking the more aggressive approach to deliver more HD channels and converting to MPEG-4. Their plan is to launch new satellites providing MPEG-4 content and pack more HD channels, most notably local channels via satellite with HD programming. Because the satellite providers are going to lauch new satellites, those interested in receiving the new HD channels and local channels would require a new dish and a new receiver. However, existing customers who opt to stay off the HDTV bandwagon for a while can continue enjoying their all-digital standard definition channels without the need to change their dish or receiver. Simply put, satellite companies are more capable than their cable competitors of increasing their available capacity for HD and MPEG-4 channels by just simply lauching new satellites and giving the consumer the option to upgrade. How they will charge consumers so the satellite providers can pay for the new hardware remains to be seen.

But now a new player has arrived in the television content delivery arena - the telecommunication companies, or telcos. Verizon has just started its fiber-optic based FiOS TV service in some East Coast markets, including select areas of the New York City market, while AT&T, recently merged with SBC, has started rolling out their U-Verse "triple play" service of phone, DSL high-speed Internet, and television services. AT&T just launched their television service in San Antonio, with more markets to be added between now and the end of 2008, close to the analog broadcast television shutoff date of February 17, 2009. Here in Iowa, my telco is Qwest, and I have not seen any information of plans to provide television services on fiber optic/phone line at this time, although it certainly is inevitable. Qwest is providing 5 Mbps DSL premium service in my area.

While cable and satellite systems rely on radio frequency (RF) channels delivering digital TV bits to receivers with "radios" in their respective receivers, similar to off-air VHF/UHF ATSC MPEG-2 receivers but using different modulation schemes, the telcos will deliver data streams on their lines using Internet Protocol, or IP, instead of RF cable. Digital television involves datastreams of bits, ones and zeroes, and they can be delivered either via RF packets on cable, or along phone lines or fiber optics using varying electrical pulses. The lines would then be connected to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) set-top boxes which would decode the pulses and store information on a hard drive, and stream content to TV sets using the appropriate video output. Because of the new technology, the telco services can start from the ground up and go right into delivering video content, including HD channels, using the more effective MPEG-4 video compression standard. As a result, the new telco services are already capable of providing 180 digital channels, including about 20 local and national HD channels, for $40 per month plus $10 for renting an HD IPTV box, and an additional $12 per month for DVR services, very competitive to digital cable or satellite services. The telcos have not needed to invest a lot of capital to develop the infrastructure needed to launch their services. However, some households may still be hesitant to go IPTV on the basis that they would need to wire their homes with CAT-5 telephone or fiber optic lines and replace the cable. Thankfully, companies like Swedish-based Multilet have developed special diplexers to faciliate the transisition by delivering IPTV content and DSL service over existing RF coax cable. So, the door has flown open for customers to go IPTV when the service becomes available in their area. If a telco service goes right into MPEG-4 video delivery, they will have a great competitive advantage over the cable and satellite companies needing to upgrade their infrastructure and hardware to deliver more HD programming with the best picture quality possible.

USDTV, the Salt Lake City based over-the-air pay TV service available in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Alberqurque, is also going from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 to provide select popular channels using broadcasters' available bandwidth on their over-the-air DTV channels. Initially the channels available for $20 per month were MPEG-2; howvever, going to MPEG-4 would allow them the ability to add more channels. Because USDTV at last count has 16,000 subscribers in their four markets, the transition is not hard; they have developed special "dongle" add-ons to customers' existing boxes to decode MPEG-4 datastreams embedded with the broadcasters' free DTV MPEG-2 streams available to anyone with a DTV set with an antenna input. Yes it is possible to embed MPEG-4 multicasts with MPEG-2 streams on the same DTV channel, it is just that a tuner capable of using either/or is needed to view it all. After that, USDTV can provide new set-top-boxes that can do both MPEG-2 for the free channels and MPEG-4 for their pay channels, and they had hoped to get these out by years' end and expand into new markets.

Unfortunately, USDTV's expansion plans hit the brakes this month as they haved filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It would seem to me that USDTV had spent their backing granted last fall by several broadcast partner groups on investing in these new MPEG-4 encoders for the broadcast engineers and the new receiver technology. Now USDTV is stuck providing their service to only four markets and is not planning to add new subs at this time until they get through the bankruptcy plan, and maybe provide the MPEG-4 upgrades to their existing subs. That is, if they can afford to I fear that USDTV will need yet another strong financial backing like last fall in order to them to expand into new markets next year. By then, maybe the telcos will already have made their presence known and turned over existing cable and satellite subs, even if USDTV can provide a pricing and lineup plan that still would be an affordable alternative to even the telco TV service. The phone companies simply have more money and reputation, and it's easy for them to send an announcement to customers in their phone and/or DSL bill.

2006-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

UPDATE ON THE ANALOG SHUTDOWN DATE

Here is a quick little blog on when analog broadcasting will end. As I write this, a budget bill on President Bush's desk ready for signing into law will have analog broadcasting to end on February 17, 2009. The date came out as a compromise between the House and Senate on choosing a hard date. The House considered a January 1, 2009 date to get the new public services moving, while the Senate considered an April 7, 2009 date, which would have immediately followed the NCAA Men's basketball title game.

Personally, I was hoping for the April date for the reasons mentioned on a previous entry (see my entry "WHEN WILL OFF-AIR ANALOG BROADCASTING END" from 10/16/2005). With a February 17th date, that would follow the college football bowls and the Super Bowl, but also in the middle of the networks' February sweeps, meaning some viewers may miss out on an episode of their favorite shows while adjusting their sets and antennas after a deadline. Maybe people will ask to borrow someone's iPod to watch a missed episode of a favorite show if they cannot download an episode from iTunes themselves, or watch on a Modeo enabled phone. I am also concerned that some people may need to readjust their antennas on a cold, icy day in some areas, which some people will not want to do if the antenna is roof or tower mounted outdoors.

Some stations will be reassigning their broadcast channel when analog broadcasting ends. However, if an off-air loyalist is aware of what the final digital assignments for their area are, they can check an analog set to see if the picture has little snow and interference, if so, then the antenna may not need to be repositioned. If there is interference, the antenna could be adjusted well before the shutoff date on a nicer day. However, it will be August 2006 at the earliest when the final DTV assignments will be finalized by the FCC, and realistically, that release date may be later.

In any case, it is expected that President Bush will approve this budget bill, and the date will be set. Now it is time for the electronics manufacturers and broadcasters to get people aware of what is going on. If you are an off-air loyalist, you have three years to get yourselves DTV ready. If you have cable or satellite, you may not need to do anything.

2006-02-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

DVB-H -- THE OTHER OFF-AIR DTV

Hello there -- I know it has been a really long time since I've posted something new, but with me busy testing and evaluating products, I really haven't had a chance to find something new to post. However, now that CES is over I can provide even more extensive information on DTV over mobile phones, or DVB-H. In the months to come, you will be hearing about Modeo (1.6 GHz L-Band developed by Houston/UK-based Crown Castle) and MediaFLO (700 MHz UHF band developed by San Diego based Qualcomm). These are new terrestrial broadcasts of multiple channels of live and recorded video and audio to be played on portable mobile devices, like mobile phones, PDAs, laptops, and portable media devices, like the iPod.

From an antenna standpoint, receiving this programming would require antennas the size of mobile phones. Because of the frequencies alcated for these services, the antennas, and in turn the devices, would easily be portable, especially since the antenna size would be small out of necessity, as opposed to a 9-foot wide dipole to effectively receive VHF channel 2. Also because the signals are digital, I can confidently say that receiving these DVB-H services have similarities to receiving off-air broadcast DTV/HDTV. The differences would be the modulation and required bitrate, which is the job of the receiver circuitry.

The Modeo service (www.modeo.com) plans to use the Windows Media codec and stream video at 320 x 240 4:3 resolution at 30 frames per second (fps), the same resolution as the Apple video iPod. I think the advantage of using Windows Media is that the opportunity arises for PC cards and antennas to receive the Modeo service on PCs and laptops, and record them like a PVR. Then the content, likely protected to prevent redistribution to non-subscribers, could be replayed easily on the PC, especially in Microsoft Media Center. It might be possible even to watch this recorded programming in other rooms using devices with Media Center Extenders. I have watched 320 x 240 videos on my Media Center PC on a 480i analog 25" set, and yes while the resolution may look cheap compared to broadcast DTV, I would have to say it looks no worse than a VHS video that taped an analog NTSC program.

The number of channels that can be provided is dependent on the selected resoltution, and the amount of allocated bandwidth. The higher the resolution, the more bitrate is needed. It is like downconverting an HDTV program into DVD, you would the video file size since the required bitrate would be lower, but you give up resolution. For an 8-VSB ATSC broadcast DTV signal, a broadcaster would be restricted to 6 480i standard-definition DTV channels, with 2-3 Mbps bitrateper channel encoded into 19.5 Mbps of bandwidth (at least 1.5-2 Mbps are needed for PSIP tables). For 320 x 240 resolution at 30 fps, a bitrate of only 640 kpbs is required. In case you're wondering how I know this, I just bought a handheld digital camera with QuickTime video clip recording, and I got this information off the manual specifications; it is capable of 640 x 480 (480i) recording at 30 fps as well as QVGA (320 x 240) recording. My camera stores the clips on Secure Digital media cards, so if I am willing to give up resolution, I can get more recording time. I have a 1 GB SD card allowing me to get an hour of 640 x 480 recording at a 2 Mbps bitrate, with an option of recording less at 3 Mbps for video where there may be a lot of fast movement, like a car race. Incidentally, the camera I have is a Sanyo VPC-C5, and they will be releasing a 720p HD handheld camera ($800 retail, and you'd better be willing to shell out $150-$200 more for a 2 GB SD card since you would be encoding at 8-10 Mbps) in April.

Back to Modeo, with QVGA resolution, which would look good on handheld devices like video iPods, and 12 MHz badwidth, up to 30 channels, maybe more, can be provided by this service. In addition, radio programs and podcasts may be offered by this service. This would be a lot more content than a maximum 12 480i channels on 2 DTV off-air channels, and fewer to provide HDTV. For MediaFLO (www.qualcomm.com/mediaflo/index.shtml), I believe they plan to use the QuickTime video codec, or a similar global standard, especially since Qualcomm has its proprietary audio codec, QCP (Qualcomm Pure Voice), which is played primarily on PCs using QuickTime. I know this because I have a Palm Treo smartphone using QCP audio, I recorded my voice, emailed it to my PC using SMS through my wireless provider, and found I needed QuickTime to play my recorded clip.

Just like off-air HDTV reception, in order to get a consistently solid stream on a device, these would have to be a minimal bit error rate (BER) in the signal collected by the antenna and being demodulated by the receiver. So, the receivers and chipsets for DVB-H would have to be capable of correcting in areas of high-multipath, since the devices themselves would likely use an omidirectional antenna. The problem with omnidirectional antennas is that they can collect desired and undesired interference signals from any direction. A directional antenna, however, can reject multipath, and deliver signals to the receiver with a lower bit bit error rate. When the signal has a lower bit error rate, the bitrate is maximized, the receiver has an easier time decoding the signal, and the video streams are consistently smooth.

Crown Castle decided to use an unlicensed US L-band that was available for purchase, because they feel that in this frequency assignment there would be less interference from other sources. This would give the devices a better chance to consistently decode signals even with omnidirectional antennas. Meanwhile, MediaFLO needs to contend with existing broadcast TV signals now, and public safety networks in the future after broadcast channels 52-69 are returned when analog broadcasting ends. So Modeo has the edge there, it now comes down to the content deals that will be going down in the next few months to see which service will have the edge. You can expect Modeo to launch its service on a trial basis in New York later this year, in Pittsburgh now, and in 30 markets in 2007. MediaFLO will be rolling out about the same time. Whatever the case, market research indicates DVB-H to become a billion-dollar industry by 2009. So get ready, within a year ot two, you'll probably be keeping an eye on the big game while attending your kids' soccer game, or checking out the morning news on the train to work.

For more information on DVB-H, visit the Mobile DTV Alliance Web site.

2005-12-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

WHAT ABOUT DTV OVER MOBILE PHONES?

Hi -- thanks for the great comments on my last post. Sorry it's been nearly a month since my last post, busy with work and the holidays and this may be my last new post of 2005 -- but I will resolve to keep posting in 2006.

And one exciting topic at the 2006 CES show will be watching terrestrial DTV on your mobile phone. There will be two services that will be providing this in the United States -- MediaFLO from Qualcomm, due in 2007, and Crown Castle mobile, which is right now doing a test market in Pittsburgh. Qualcomm plans to use UHF channel 55 to transmit MediaFLO while Crown Castle has reportedly spent relatively not much for an unlicensed spectrum at 1.6 GHz that is pretty much free and less susceptible to other terrestrial interference.

I think there could be some exciting applications over this emerging technology. Not only can a busy person watch live video on the phone while on the go, but I would think that the content on the right mobile devices may be stored and transferred to PCs or other home video sources, possibly in a Media Center PC for viewing in a home network, as long as licensing controls like on iTunes or Audible are applied. I also would think that there may be a new telematics antenna to place on a car to allow people in the back seat on a long drive to view and download live video, and even audio files, over the air, just like talking on a cell phone. Certainly a nice way to keep the kids entertained as long as parental controls are applied. I can imagine this -- a 10 year old watching a rather risque music video and the driving parent going, "Don't make me go back there!"

So what has this got to do with HDTV? Well, HDTV and mobile video are both DTV, using streaming video being transmitted over the air or via cable or satellite to a tuner. Mobile video will use a video compression on a screen, and due to its size one would think the required bitrate would be much less than HDTV, especially since newer and more efficient video codecs are being standardized. I have read in the November 28 EE Times (or December 4th if I'm wrong) with an interview with Crown Castle CEO saying that they have selected Microsoft Windows Media as the video format. This would give people the opportunity to easily save and transfer a downloaded file to a PC for storage and viewing at home, or maybe transferring to another video device like a Pocketdish, within reason.

I am not sure what codec Qualcomm will use although I can say that my Treo Smartphone uses a Qualcomm audio codec which I could record and save to a PC but needed Apple Quicktime to play. So maybe they may go with a codec that can played on Quicktime? If so, the content might just be transferred to a video iPod, which certainly has already been a big hit this holiday season!

Speaking of the video iPod, I got a feeling video blogging could start to become a trend -- a person can record a Quicktime movie and maybe through RSS upload the files for a person to check out, download, and transfer to a video iPod. And there could be several sources to allow this; I am thinking about getting a new Kodak digital camera, and their latest series supposedly can record Quicktime video files from the camera with a 320 x 240 resolution, the same format and resolution used in the video iPod.

But in addition to little mini video clips of the family gathering, one could be able to use an existing UHF antenna to receive the Qualcomm MediaFLO service since it would be in the 700 MHz band, the same band now being used to broadcast TV channels 52-69. Keep in mind those channels will be eliminated when analog TV broadcasting sunsets in 2009, it would appear at this rate that by next summer the date will be set by Congress with President Bush making the approval. I'll definitely break the news then and how to get ready. But one nice thing about getting the Qualcomm service is if it is providing news and somehow off-air HDTV reception has problems, the little mobile device receiving the mobile video content might provide a nice little backup until the technical difficulties are resolved!

Happy holidays to all, and good look to anyone going to CES. Sadly, I'm not going personally but my company, Winegard, will be on hand to answer all your questions on HDTV and now home networking. Winegard will be at booth #26135. Best wishes this holiday season, and if you're getting your first HD set this holiday season, please browse the archives for what you need to know to get HD over the air!

2005-11-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

CAN I SEND DTV TO DIFFERENT ROOMS THROUGH A HOME PC NETWORK?

You certainly can, and I'm going to let you know how to set up such a network not by running Ethernet cable, but rather using your existing coax cable! I'll give you the details a bit later, but first I'd like to tell you how you can watch DTV using a home PC network as well as a review on an on-demand video service using the Internet instead of cable TV or satellite called Akimbo.

In my last blog I told you about my Media Center PC that I have been using to watch and record off-air HDTV. This PC uses Microsoft Media Center software. The Microsoft Media Center platform not only allows you to add PC capability to your den home theater system as well as showing and making home videos and pictures to share, but it also allows you to "extend" the media to other rooms in a house using a home Ethernet or wireless network and special compatible devices called Media Center Extenders. These extenders access the main Media Center PC and allows people in other rooms to access digital media files, like pictures, music, video, and online games, stored on the PC, but without needing an entirely new PC or hard drive. A user in a room can use a Media Center Extender, connect it to a TV monitor, stereo, or digital recorder (like maybe a Pocketdish), connect it to the home network, configure the software, and access what is available on the Media Center program on the main PC. Media Center Extenders are standard on Microsoft's just released Xbox 360 video game system, which Microsoft probably hopes will give their system a competitive edge over the Sony Playstation. This allows an Xbox 360 gamer to compete with other players online; look for the TV ad for the Xbox 360 featuring the world's largest water balloon fight.

Now with Media Center PCs and extenders, it would appear possible to at least convert recorded DTV be it off air or through a connection to a digital cable satellite box into accessible "My Videos" that can be watched in other rooms using extenders instead of separate digital cable boxes or satellite boxes. However, I am a little unclear on to what extent you can actually watch such DTV. For example, Media Center gives a user the capability to start recording a show and watch it from the beginning on a delayed basis while the program is still recording on the main PC. I am not so certain if this can be done through a Media Center extender. or for that matter, if you can view, access, or program to record a show via a Media Center Extender from another room instead of from the main PC. I am also uncertain about using extenders to run "Other Programs" that are accessible in Media Center on the PC. For example, my HP Media Center PC has a special ITunes program where you can play Apple ITunes and create playlists in Media Center instead of the actual Apple iTunes program. But I am not sure if this program would be accessible via an extender. By the way, HP is the currently only PC manufacturer that has an iTunes program for Media Center thanks to HP's partnership with Apple iTunes. I don't know, however, if HP has modified, or planning to modify, its Media Center iTunes application to view videos available on iTunes -- if it could, then a user could view Quicktime videos using HP's iTunes program for Media Center. Unfortunately Media Center is restricted to playing only Windows Media video and audio files, and not Quicktime video; the Windows Media standards and the MPEG-4 standard used by Apple are literally competing standards with each other, hence the restrictions. Since I don't plan to buy a Media Center Extender until I buy a house and setup a home network, I can't try this myself, so you will have to try it yourself or research Microsoft.com or other blogs to see what actually can be done.

Another "Other Program" that is available online through Microsoft Media Center is an Internet video-on-demand service I am currently trying called Akimbo. Akimbo last month released a special program allowing a subscriber to access the service through Microsoft Media Center. Before then, the only other way to access the Akimbo service was with a $200 set-top-box hardware unit that would be connected to a wired or wireless home PC network to access the service and download programming using a broadband Internet connection. You can get information on this service at http://www.akimbo.com/. Akimbo offers for $9.95 per month access to a wide variety of programs to download for different lifestyles, from amateur video blogs and podcasts to popular programs from cable channels. In the past week on a free 1-month trial I am currently using, I have downloaded and viewed a couple podcasts as well as movie trailers, a BBC comedy show, an hour-long interview with jazz singer Jane Monheit, and a commercial-free episode of the Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters", one of several popular shows airing on Discovery's networks that is available on-demand from Akimbo. Some programs are available at no additional cost to the monthly subscription (what they call "Free For Alls"), others are available for a small extra fee or via a monthly subscription to an Akimbo channel that ranges from $1.99 to $9.99 per month.

Again, if a subscriber could use a Media Center Extender to access and enjoy the Akimbo service from another room, then all that user would need to do is login with the account, and view downloaded content, without the need for an additional digital cable or satellite box. Now Akimbo itself admits on its Web site that it is not intended to replace cable or satellite, who in addition to off-air broadcast can provide live events, sports, and breaking news and emergency information while Akimbo offers solely prerecorded content on-demand. Still, for me personally, I wouldn't mind using Akimbo to view some cable/satellite programming on my own time and budget while relying on broadcast for live news, sports, and the favorite network shows. If there's a game on ESPN, it gives me an incentive to go out of my place, living by myself.

So using Media Center PC and Extenders does seem like a lucrative solution to access digital media, including at least recorded DTV let alone live HDTV; now all that is needed is a PC home network. And here is where I begin to tel you about setting up such a network not by running Ethernet cable, but using existing coax cable in your home that is bringing either cable, satellite, or off-air programming to multiple rooms. My company, Winegard, this week attended the EHX Smart Home Expo in Anaheim, CA, where we announced a marketing partnership with a Swedish-based company, Multilet, who have developed technology to send Internet data from an Ethernet router to coaxial cable. We announced this idea as our "Home Run System".
Here is the idea -- suppose a household has digital cable with HDTV with two parents and two children, both of whom about high-school age, and the household wants to provide high-speed Internet to several rooms so the parents could do online banking while the children research online for a paper, or download some hit songs for their iPods. However, this could require either buying expensive laptops with wireless access or wired PCs with separate cable modems, each of which could be subject to viruses on EACH PC if not properly protected. Our Home Run idea would necessitate solely a special hand-held distribution box, a network router, and ONE modem.

Suppose there were a CATV splitter in an accessible closet or utility room with the main cable input and some open shelf space. The household would use a two-way splitter from the main line, and then the other splitter (say to four rooms) to coax inputs on a multiplexer used to combine cable TV and data lines. The data lines are made by connecting the other main line to one cable modem, which connects to a network router with four Ethernet hard wire outlets. Instead of spending all day making long Ethernet cables and running them along the cable line, only very short Ethernet cables would be made, connected from each router output to the multiplexer, and then the existing coax to each room would then be connected to the multiplexer outputs.

Now in the rooms, there would be a wall plate with a coax connection where a TV set or digital cable box would be connected. In each room, the wall plate would be replaced with a new one with both a cable jack and a data port, where the cable TV and Internet data would be separated. Now the head of household connects the PC to the data outlet and configures the router, and eventually a cable installer would configure the modem to provide the 2-way gateway. The PC would be XP based, and the head has an administrative account, while also setting up limited access accounts for the other family members. Now each PC in a room on a hard-wire is added to the network while a TV is set up, and the rooms are networked together with only one modem.

There are other advantages. In a house with the Home Run technology, a household could easily switch from a "triple-play" (TV, Internet, and phone) from cable to a telco with DSL, and back, depending on cost and broadband access speed, which certainly would heat up the competition between the two and introduce consumer-beneficent competition. Also a household who gets TV over-the-air exclusively could get a Media Center PC for the den and get off-air HDTV, and then use Media Center Extenders to access digital media anywhere, or could just get high-speed Internet from the cable company, or DSL from the telco, and provide high-speed Internet for all rooms easily and inexpensively. Most of all, this would provide an apartment manager the easy ability to offer high-speed Internet to tenants using the television cable run instead of having to invest in a lot of Ethernet cable, which would be extremely costly.
If there is one limitation with this concept, it is that the data rates would be restricted to 10 Mbps, which is the maximum datarate each PC would be set to. This would restrict the ability to send pure HDTV throughout the house using Media Center Extenders; however, if the HD wee recorded at a "good" or "fair" bitrate instead of the best quality, then the video could stream easier and more smoothly using an Extender. Another item to consider is that if the router in the network had a wireless standard, like Wi-Fi or Zigbee, then wireless laptops and devices could allow access of digital media and Internet access from anywhere in the house, assuming the router were placed where the wireless coverage is ample.

Thanks to Winegard's partnership with Mulilet, the devices supporting this technology will inevitably become easily available to households and apartment property managers. With this exciting and inexpensive technology, home networking will become an easy weekend DIY project that will allow the exciting ability to make video-on-demand, Internet, file sharing, and digital entertainment available throughout a house, which will certainly lead to a rapid takeoff of many exciting new digital media opportunities. Information on these products and the concept of putting Internet/home networking on existing coax cable can be found at http://www.mulitlet.us/, and once the Home Run devices become available for purchase, there will be information at http://www.winegard.com/.

2005-11-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

SO I GOT AN OUTDOOR ANTENNA, WHERE SHOULD I PUT IT?

This week I wish to share a couple tips on how to position an outdoor antenna. For DTV reception, positioning the antenna is very critical, as I mentioned in my first post, available for viewing in the archives. Not only could lack of signal break up a DTV picture, but also anything that would cause visible interference on an analog TV picture, which cannot be seen on a digital picture. Unfortunately, when a DTV picture breaks up, it is too easy for the average consumer to assume that there is a lack of off-air signal causing this, so that consumer gets an amplifier only to find that the so-called "digital signal strength" has either not improved at all, or got even worse.

So if there is a problem with the signal, before you spend money on an amp from a place with a strict return policy (or lack thereof), check for these little pitfalls. If the antenna is inside an attic, some of these issues could apply as well.

1) Is there anything metallic in the presence of the antenna? If there is metal, even meshed metal, in front of the antenna, then the metal is blocking the signal, leaving not much for the antenna to collect. Also, if there is sheet metal within five feet or less below the antenna, then the metal is either loading some received signal, or reflecting some signal, which would result in "multipath", a condition where undesired reflected signals are being collected in addition to the line-of-sight signal, resulting in ghosts in analog pictures, or reduction of the DTV signal.

2) Are there any obstructions to the line-of-sight, such as trees, tall buildings, or hills? These items may block signal collected by the antenna. Heavily wooded areas may require a stronger antenna to pull i off-air signals. In other cases, you may want to get a little open-minded and try pointing the antenna off the line-of-sight and aim it at a tall metal structure that is visible, like a water tower, cell tower, or skyscraper with a metallic frame. Here multipath may actually become BENEFICIAL since there is more multipath signal and little line-of-sight. A directional antenna would be very helpful in such cases; "directional" being an antenna with at least 10 dB front-to-back ratio on the channel you are trying to receive. In addition, the curvature of the earth between your area and the transmit towers may also result in having you turn the antenna off the line-of-sight angle only to find more signal! You can determine the line-of-sight angle for your area by visiting http://www.antennaweb.org/ or http://www.checkhd.com/ (locate the "Antenna Guide" link after entering in your location information).

3) You might also find that raising or lowering the antenna by at little as a foot could shoot up the digital strength meter on difficult channels. It is possible that by doing this an undesired signal interfering with the digital signal will miss the antenna, improving the integrity of the digital signal being sent to the tuner. In "fringe" areas, at least 50 miles from the transmit towers, the signals start having strong points and nulls as the field strength becomes weak. So, raising or lowering the antenna a foot could allow reception of a stronger signal where a null otherwise would be.

4) If after doing all that, the amplifier should be put into place, and if there is no change, then maybe you might want to find someone with an RF field meter to actually see the digital signals received by the antenna. Seeing the signals will allow you to see if there is an interfering analog signal either causing a "spike" or a "valley" in the response, which would complicate the ability for the tuner to decode the signal. If you are a professional installer, I would strongly recommend you get such a meter. Good manufacturers are Sadelco (http://www.sadelco.com/) and Sencore (http://www.sencore.com/); Sadelco offers more affordable solutions.

Other little tricks is to check the cable; there may be a break in it inside that you can't notice. If you have an amplifier with a plug-in transformer that sends voltage up the cable line, hook one end of the cable to the transformer, plug in the transformer, and then check the other end of the cable with a voltmeter. The red lead would touch the center conductor/wire of the cable, and the black lead on the nut. If ample voltage is read by the meter, the cable is okay; if there is low reading, there may be a break or short in the cable, and should be replaced. Also, if the cable run is going to be close to electrical wiring or conduit, quad-shielded RG-6 cable should be used to contain the signal in the cable without the electrical wires introducing interfering noise in the signal.

Last but not least, CHECK THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE ANTENNA, INCLUDING THE SAFETY WARNINGS. The antenna should be grounded and free from power and phone lines. Not only do such items introduce unwanted noise into the signal, it could introudce a hazardous condition. If you do not understand the warnings or need information, you could check with an electrician or your municipal government office dealing with electrical or building codes.

If you are planning to get an HD tuner, do some research to see if it has a 4th or 5th generation ATSC/8VSB chipset. These tuners are more capable of decoding off-air digital signals affected by multipath than earlier DTV tuners, which would allow a little more leeway in positioning an antenna. These tuners have also made it easier to use an indoor antenna to receive off-air DTV -- there could be several sources of blockage or multipath in your living room area.

Hopefully these little recommendations will help improve your off-air DTV reception a lot faster than spending time or money and getting you nowhere. Also if you are ordering an antenna and an external preamp or inline signal booster, position the antenna first, and add the booster later. That way you can use the tuner's so-called digital strength meter to optimize the antenna position for the best signals, and then you give the best possible signals collected by the antenna the boost needed to get you the most consistent DTV/HDTV experience. Again, go back to my first and earliest post for more details, with pictures, on how DTV signals work.

2005-10-31T16:21:00.000-08:00

CAN I RECORD AND STORE DTV?

This time I wish to let you know about recording DTV and HDTV, and some exciting new ways to take at least RECORDED DTV with you outside. Surely you are aware of PVRs, or personal video recorders, allowing people to record television digitally as well as pause and replay up to half an hour of live television on most units. To record longer, you would have to press the record button and let it run, or use an electronic program guide to record a show. HDTV can be recorded; however, the amount of HDTV you can keep is pretty limited, as I will explain shortly.
PVR capablities are being offered by digital cable and satellite TV. However, there are also PVRs available where you can record off-air terrestrial DTV. There are stand-alone terrestrial STBs, one I know is made by LG Electronics, or, what I use, an HP z557 Digital Entertainment PC using Microsoft Windows XP with Media Center. My Media Center PC has a dual analog cable tuner and a single off-air ATSC tuner, allowing me to record up to two shows from analog cable and one from off-air DTV simultaneously. And now fresh-off-the line Media Center PCs will have a dual-ATSC tuner allowing recording up to two off-air HDTV shows -- you would have to check to see if the PC has "Media Center Update Rollup 2". Satellite HDTV PVRs have dual-satellite and dual-terrestrial tuners.

One advantage I have found with my Media Center PC is that I am using a high-speed cable modem with it in addition to an off-air antenna for HDTV. I only have analog cable, and not digital cable, so I am not using a digital cable box. But, Media Center software allows the user to connect to the Internet to download an electronic program guide with scheduled listings up to 14 days in advance. Incredibly, this download not only provides me analog cable listings, but also programming on the HD channels I am getting over the air, even though I have found with my old HD terrestrial tuner that I was only getting programming information for just one to two days depending on the PSIP information being broadcasted over the air. So now I am finding my cable provider is doing a better job providing me off-air HDTV scheduled programming information than the broadcasters, even though I am not getting digital cable service! I would not expect to get this convenience with a terrestiral HDTV PVR whose program guide relies solely on informtion sent by the broadcasters.

On a side note, my high-speed cable modem and Media Center software are providing me access to exciting Internet-based broadband "channels" like ESPN 360 and MTV Overdrive, allowing me to access streaming video on demand of sports news, highlights, entertaiment news, and music videos of my choice based on what is available. The video quality of the streams are about what you would expect from a streaming video, far below HDTV quality, but decent video quality nonetheless over a high-speed broadband connection.

Now just a PC, the amount of content in addiiton to quality tht you would be capable of storing would depend on the size of the hard drive, which would rnge from 100 to 300 GB. If you read my previous article in this blog, you will get information on how picture quality, or resolution, of digital video depends on the bit rate of the video. My Media Center PC has four different bit rates to record a show, ranging from 2.75 MB/s (fair) to 6.09 MB/s (Best). DVD quality would be about 3-4 MB/s, while 1080i HDTV would have about 12 MB/s, so the best I can do in terms of HD recording would be 720p. The tradeoff here is disk space versus picture quality; the more near-HD quality programming you do, the less programming you will be able to record. You can store lots more hours of programming on the fair setting, but the resolution will be reduced.

I can observe this from personal experience -- I digitally recorded the Major League Baseball World Series off Fox HD on a "good" setting, about 3.25 MB/s. I was watching the coverage both live and recorded with my Media Center PC connected to an analog 480i TV set through an S-video connection. Yes I may not be getting the full crispness by ot watching it on a 1080i HDTV, but I can tell you that live HD still looks quite stunning even on an analog set if S-video output is used. Watching segments on the recording, the picture quality was still quite good, but not quite as good as the live broadcast.

I then ended up reducing the resolution even more by encoding the recorded HDTV to fit on a single DVD, and even by cutting out the commercials I still had a good three hours for a game (For 2 and 4, anyway, I didn't get all of game 3 as it went well past 6 hours and I had to end it sometme). So I had to select an even lower bitrate just to fit a game on a single 4.7 GB DVD. By now the pure color of the live broadcast was noticeably down; however, the sound was still good and the picture was static-free, so I did get a nice copy for my own personal preservation -- by the way, if you want a copy, forget it -- I don't think I'll be able to get prior written consent from Major League Baseball.

At ths point I should menton that broadcast HDTV and the recording uses the MPEG-2 video compression. There is also now the MPEG-4 compression which supposedly can maintain picture quality at a lower bitrate, and would require less disc space as a result. Perhaps in time MPEG-4 will be used for terrestrial HD broadcasting and recording; and DirecTV is planning to use MPEG-4 to provide dozens of satellite HDTV as well as local-to-local HDTV in the future, for those subs who have a receiver that can decode MPEG-4 I think I may have seen this potential already from an exciting new addition to Apple's popular iPod, the VIDEO iPod, which was released earlier this month.

I don't have an iPod, but I do have iTunes software on my HP Media Center PC, and I am capable of purchasing, downloading, and viewing videos from iTunes on my TV using the same S-video connection to my PC. With this new video iPod, Apple's iTunes is now allowing customers to purchase recently aired episodes of popular TV shows as well as short films and music videos to download and view on a PC or video iPod used with that PC. So I thought I'd try it out -- once I got my new Media Center PC with iTnes pre-installed, I upgraded the iTunes software online to the newest version allowing downloading and playback of the new iTunes videos; see I ordered the PC literally a couple days after Apple announced the new service, and since the PC was shipped same-day from stock (10-17-05, the same week as Apple's video iPod release), HP clearly couldn't get the new software loaded themselves on my machine.

So when I did get the new iTunes loaded, the video content I could purchase where short films from Pixar as well as current season episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Night Stalker, all ABC shows. Since I have seen all the Lost episodes this year but I don't watch Housewives as much, I decided to go with a download of Housewives. Each uncut, commercial-free episode is $1.99 per download, compared with $0.99 for an audio track. The 45 minute episode took 200 MB of disk space, and mind you, it took me about 15 minutes to download it on a high-speed cable broadband conenction, so broadband Internet service is a MUST if you wish to use this service, unless you have an awful amount of patience.

So this file relates to an average bitrate of under 100 Kb/s, way below DVD quality. But I have to tell you, on my 480i TV, the picture quality of the TV show ws surprisngly good, better than streaming broadband video on these brodband channels I mentioned. Even the animated title sequence looked amazing. Now I haven't reserached it, but I'm willing to go all in by saying Apple's iPod videos and player use MPEG-4 and not MPEG-2. My current Windows Media Player which uses a completely different HD-quality codec of its own would not play it, only the iTunes software. I'm also pretty certain the deocding is similar to Apple Quicktime video with MPEG-4 compression. Otherwise, the picture quality of the show would not be as good as I saw it, it did seem quite close to as if I would have seen it on DVD. And if the picture quality was surprisingly good on a 480i 27" TV, imagine how it must look on a small 3" screen on these new iPods. In addition, one could pacakge an entire season of a single TV show on an iPod with 10 GB or more. Apple's Quicktime 7 player uses the latest MPEG-4 video codec standard, H.264, being internationally recognized as an efficient compression of high-quality video, and it's a good bet the iPod videos are being encoded with this standard. Those who decide to purchase Quicktime 7 Pro with video editing software could use this to compress recorded HD on a PC more efficiently while maintaining picture quality' unfortunately, the only way to view such video files right now would be with Quicktime 7 or on a video iPod, and not on Windows Media Player nor a standalone DVD player, using MPEG-2 compression. Supposedly, the H.264 MPEG-4 standard will be used for HD DVDs, so when such players become more widely available, then PC videophiles may start making home HD videos with Quicktime Pro to play on an HD DVD player.

The same week the Apple video iPod came out, Dish Network introudced the PocketDish, a handheld mobile device where a user can carry videos, pictures, and audio files on this device and enjoy them anywhere. Whle Dish encourages PocketDish users to connect the device to a Dish network receiver and transfer programming recorded on the PVR from Dish Network, you don't need to be a Dish Netowrk subscriber to use a PocketDish, just a means to transfer video files. They can be done either with a high-speed USB connection to a PC, or maybe a memory card. It certainly would be easy for me to use such a device with my Media Center PC, as I could record a show, compress it to save space, and then transfer it to the mobile device via USB, which has a connection on the front panel for great convenience. Unfortunately I do not know if the Pocketdish can play MPEG-4 videos like the new video iPod, which may be a disadvantage.

So now thanks to recordable DTV, as long as you are aware of disk space and recording bitrate, you could either record a show off-air or through cable, or buy a commercial-free download in case the recording didin't work out, and enjoy it on your PC monitor, or transfer it to a mobile device and take a lot of your favorite entertainment with you. I think this new method may actually encourage people to use public transportation more, so they can download a favorite show, transfer it to their iPod, and watch on the bus, train, or plane instead of fighting traffic in the car where watching something else would be distracting to the driver. I also figure people at parties or recretional activities will share their favorite music, TV, or pictures with each other with mobile devices, a new form of personal expression that just may become the norm before too long. The thing is, will video-on-demand and the Apple video iPod begin to distance a consumer from broadcast TV possibly the same way iTunes may have started to distance consumer from broadcast FM radio? Maybe not, since live sports and breaking news still will allow the general public to tune in. Nonetheless, as video compression improves, memory devices become greater in capacity, and brodband Internet gets faster and more affordable, there could be quite a paradigm shift on the horizon in terms of the consumer getting and enjoying video and audio entertainment. What do you think? Please let me know, and check out my archives for info on getting HDTV over-the-air if you just stumbled onto this blog for the first time.

2005-10-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

HOW WILL MULTICASTING AFFECT HD QUALITY ON THE PRIMARY DTV CHANNEL?

In a recent post I had mentioned that USDTV, a service providing cable channels over the air for about a $20 monthly fee on unused broadcast DTV bandwidth, had recently received capital for nationwide expansion from several broadcast groups. While trying to research exactly which markets they will expanding to in the next couple months (Dallas appears to a definite, since a lot of Texans appear to enjoy off-air reception), I came across a message board for HDTV viewers in Milwaukee concerned that USDTV’s inevitable presence may reduce the quality of the HDTV provided from a broadcaster partnered with USDTV. The concern is that the presence will reduce the bitrate on the HD transmission, and the picture quality with it.

Nearly a couple years ago I was wondering the same thing, so I contacted a broadcast engineer by email at one of the local area stations. This station is broadcasting NBC in 1080I HD, as well as one multicast channel. This engineer gave me an excellent description on how the bitrate on the broadcaster end works, which I would like to share with you here in my own words. The issue here is based on the video codec being used for DTV broadcasting and reception in the US, MPEG-2, the same codec that allows you to view some streaming videos online.

A digital video stream, be it from DTV reception or from your modem, is like going through a flipbook of still pictures to give the illusion of full motion – let’s say 24 pics per second (24 fps video). If you ever have taken digital pictures with the same camera on the same settings, you would have a few different image files at the same resolution, such as 640 x 480. Yet two pictures of different items on the same resolution from the same camera may have different file sizes. One could be 100 kb, while the other 200 kb. The differences in file sizes would, for the same resolution, be due to the amount of content or detail in the picture. This is because of variations in colors and textures in the photo. If there are few variations from pixel to pixel, then there need not be many variations in the digital data putting the picture together for you to see, and the resulting file size would be small. To put it another way, for the same resolution you would expect a picture of a crowd at a concert to have a noticeably larger file size than a close up of an apple on a yellow tablecloth with a black background.

Now suppose the resolution on the apple pic were 1920 x 1080, the same resolution as a 1080I widescreen HDTV picture. If you took several pictures of this apple in the same location and flipped them together at 24 per second, you’d be making an HDTV video, although there wouldn’t be much happening. If the video were encoded digitally and saved as a Windows Media video file, and played on a PC with a high-resolution monitor, it would be HD. However, because of the still motion, the file size would not be very large because there is no motion, minimizing the variations of digital data (1s and 0s) in the stream, and keeping the file size relatively low. So one could record the video to a DVD at the lowest possible quality, play it on an HDTV monitor, and the quality would APPEAR to be HD, because the file is small, and a limited amount of bits-per-second (video file size divided by length in seconds) results.

If instead of a still life set of photos, the set of flipping photos were actually a NASCAR race. Now with the racecars in quick motion, there becomes more variation in the digital data. If a "pixel" in the screen remains the same color for a long period of time, there need not be a change in the digital data for that point, allowing for video COMPRESSION, a reduction of bitrate. Here though, with a lot more activity, the video file becomes larger, and so to maintain the picture quality, the video stream would have to take in more bits in one second. If the DTV tuner or PC streaming an Internet video clip cannot keep up with the required bit rate, this is because the variations of bits are exceeding the bitrate the tuner or PC are capable of. As a result, to keep up with the variation, the streaming hardware needs to drop some of pixels in the resolution, and this results in "pixelation" on the picture, with a noticeable reduction in that resolution.

An interesting item of note is that HDTV viewers may have seen programming with better HD quality than others. Such shows are filmed with digital 1080I cameras, recording and encoding live action at a very fast bitrate on the order of 1 GB/s! Yet a broadcast HDTV stream of 18 Mbps would be the maximum rate allowed to broadcast the program. Still, at times the viewer may not notice such a drastic reduction in HD picture quality watching the broadcast because the program may have little variation in action. The less action, the more able a broadcaster to reduce the channel bitrate more, and viewers would still be mesmerized by the HD picture. You may have noticed however if a picture is pixelizing, it happens when there is a lot of motion in the video, so the broadcaster would still need a minimum bitrate to maintain the picture quality.

So if you are concerned that multicast opportunities will kill your HD picture quality, you probably will not notice it much except in cases where there is a lot of fast motion. In fact, this issue does not seem to faze CBS, whose HD programs seem to have top-notch HD picture quality. Now there is talk that CBS may launch a nationwide multicast, CBS.2, on their O&O DTV stations initially with more to come. They will devote this channel like DVD extras, a place to get more information and entertainment. CBS is also supposedly planning to "bit-starve" the multicast at times when a HD program with a lot of potential fast action, like NFL football, is airing, and a faster bitrate from the broadcaster is necessary to ensure the 1080I HDTV picture quality for such programming. Perhaps CBS could use its muilticast channel as a place with up-to-the minute scores and stats on a frozen graphical screen, with a small corner picture rotating the NFL action, probably every 10 seconds between games without sound (to fully air a single additional game would probably anger DirecTV with their NFL Sunday Ticket package). Such an information area would require very few bits-per-second on the multicast, maintaining a high bitrate to broadcast CBS HDTV.

I will give a few more numbers comparing bitrates and video quality next time, including encoding an HDTV program onto DVD (whose picture quality is now supposedly inferior to HDTV), and the newest form of pay DTV, Apple’s Video iPod, released earlier this month. Both of these I have been experimenting with on my new Media Center PC. Remember, the so-called signal meter on a DTV tuner is a measure of the BITRATE being decoded by the receiver, and NOT necessarily the amount of signal going into it. DTV should be fine with a strength over 80%, whereas under 70%, the bitrate is less than maximum, and you would see occasional pixelation. Feel free to see my archives for more DTV information if you recently found this on a Blog search. Take care!

2005-10-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

WHEN WILL OFF-AIR ANALOG BROADCASTING END?

Perhaps you may have heard something about broadcast TV becoming fully digital. Currently, both the current analog (NTSC) TV and DTV (ATSC, which delivers HD programming) are being broadcast on two separate off-air channels. The TV industry is hoping that the general public will embrace HDTV and DTV broadcasts to the point where the broadcasters will shut down and obsolete the analog broadcasts.

The issue of when to shut down analog broadcasts are probably going to be debated and maybe voted upon later this month (October 2005, when I am writing this). This will be a bill that is, as I write this, being discussed and drafted by the US Congressional House Commerce and Energy Committee. Hopefully in the next few days a DTV bill will be introduced in the House of Representatives to be debated and voted upon en route to make a "hard date" for ending analog TV broadcasting official. For all the rest of the details in passing a Congressional bill, there is a catchy bit that explains it on a Schoolhouse Rock DVD. There is also a similar bill being drafted in the US Senate Commerce Committee that may be debated this month as well, under the working title "Digital Transistion and Public Safety Act of 2005".

Now what that hard date will be has been the subject of debate well before this bill is being drafted. Originally the plan was to turn the signals off when 85% of the households in a market have a digital-ready TV or tuner. That would be a tough count, especially since the issue is off-air broadcasts, and 70% of households get their local channels through cable, which will still provide local channels when the analog off-air broadcasts end; the cable company would just need to modulate the digital channels to analog.

The other issue is what the FCC is planning in the post 9-11-01 era. Currently, broadcast television is available on channels 2-69 (VHF 2-13 from 54-216 MHz, and UHF 14-69 from 470-806 MHz). The plan for off-air broadcasts is that after analog broadcasting ends, and broadcast TV becomes fully digital, channels 52-69 will be eliminated to free up spectrum from 700-800 MHz. While some wireless providers will be using this new allocation for new technologies, including broadcast DTV on mobile phones, the real purpose of the new spectrum will be to provide a "public safety" band that will be used for instant communication to first responders, like police, fire, military, and EMTs, or a ready passerby who just happens to be in the area and hears the alert, in the event of an emergency.

There are currently off-air analog and DTV broadcasts available on channels 52-69 in many US markets, so the FCC is enforcing a plan for all US broadcast stations to select a final frequency assignment from channels 2-51 for broadcasting DTV exclusively. The plan is based on three rounds of final channel election for each full-power television station. After each round the FCC will check for any interference and conflict issues, send alerts to the stations in question, and request a resolution of conflict. Round one ended in February with the majority of stations selecting their final channel, round two is currently in progress, and the final round is scheduled for next February/March, with a final approved assignment to hopefully become resolved and public in August 2006.

So now back to the hard date issue. One of the strongest voices in Congress pushing support for a hard date, and one as soon as possible, is US Senator John McCain of Arizona. Senator McCain wants the 700-800 MHz spectrum freed up an a new effective first responder system in place quickly, and according to reports he has vocally criticized that a lack of such an effective system may have consequently resulted in lost lives during the terrorist attacks of 9-11-01, and more recently from Hurricane Katrina.

Recent events have caused a little talk of of a January 1, 2007 hard shut-off date for analog broadcasting, but in the eyes of most lawmakers, this date is unrealistic, so the House Committee bill is reportably mentioning a hard analog shut-off date of January 1, 2009. The Senate Commitee draft currently requests an April 7, 2009 shut-off date for analog TV broadcasts.

There is also some buzz in Congress that the hard date should be July 2009. Well, if I had a say in Congress, I am for a hard date, but only if that date is July 2009 instead of January 2009. Here are my reasons for waiting it out until after January 2009.

1) More time for the public to not only embrace DTV, but also afford it. For those 10 million or so households who receive off-air broadcasts, only a small percentage right now are DTV ready. In time digital TVs will come down in price, and hopefully consumers will release they do not need an HDTV set to get clear off-air digital broadcasts. They can instead purchase a special set-top-box, about the size of a DVD player, and hook that box like a DVD player to their existing analog TV sets. As a result, the consumer will not lose their off-air broadcasts when analog broadcasting ends, because their analog NTSC tuners will not be receiving anything over-the-air, just their DTV boxes and HD sets. Congress would also be considering a plan to subsidize such DTV tuner boxes to low-income households and prepare them for an analog shutdown. However, while electronics manufacturers have recently demonstrated boxes that could retail for around $50 apiece, or maybe less, there remains the issue of planning to manufacture the boxes to meet the demand on time. To wait until July 2009 would give these manufacturers time to not only meet the demand, but possible also tweak a design to make the costs of the boxes even lower, which would certainly save big money on the Congressional budget.

2) Americans generally watch less broadcast television in July than January. So, there would be less to miss on TV just in case a household true to off-air broadcasting doesn't get their analog TVs converted in time, or they do, but they find out that their antenna is suddenly not getting all their now fully digitized signals. Remember earlier I mentioned that the broadcasters are now required to pick a final DTV channel from 2-51, which means it is likely in most markets that a few broadcast channels will be electing a final DTV channel different than what is being used now for DTV broadcasting. Well suppose on this new channel its coverage is spotty in a certain neighborhood and the customer suddenly needs a different antenna setup to receive the free off-air digital broadcast consistently that they may have once had?

At least in July the customer wouldn't miss much on the air with the exception of a midseason baseball game, the news (both of which the customer could hear on radio until the antenna situation is straightened out), NASCAR, and the only significant championship sporting event of the time, Wimbledon tennis. As far as the popular broadcast series go, they are in reruns with no return until September, assuming the show was picked up for another season. Also, July 1st, 2009, would fall on a Wednesday, so the consumer could fix the antenna before the 4th of July weekend when the aforementioned sporting events would take place.

Now for the April 7, 2009 date that the Senate Committee is looking at . . . , well, I have mixed emotions on that. That day looks to be a Tuesday, and the day AFTER the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four championship game. It would also be a time when the hit broadcast network shows may be in a little spring hiatus before the season finale episodes, but I don't know . . .

What would the consumer miss January 1st? A lot -- the college football bowls, the Rose Bowl Parade (two events HD was made for), and if the antenna situation isn't readjusted in time, the next new episode of a favorite series returning from the holiday break. And this situation leads me to . . .

3) The weather!!! I mean, suppose you were an off-air only household and found out you had to readjust your antenna situation to get back a couple major off-air channels you might have lost in the DTV channel shift, and the antennas were on the roof outside because that is where you catch the most off-air signal. And, you lived in a part of the country where it is snowy with 40-below wind chills in January. Are you REALLY that willing to climb on an icy roof to fix the antenna just to watch the Rose Bowl? At least in July you would just have rain to contend with, and it would be warmer. Perhaps Congress should realize this situation when considering the safety of the American public.

4) In case a few issues and hiccups arise when analog broadcasting ends, at least Congress would be in session just before the 4th of July to deal with them, and NOT be just coming back from the holiday break. Plus in January 2009, Congress would just be coming into session with new legislation after the November 2008 Presidential election.

So if indeed the House does begin debating the DTV bill in the next couple weeks, somebody will bring these issues to the floor so that the bill would be properly amended and approved to serve the American public's best interests. If you are reading this in October, it probably wouldn't hurt to write or call your Congressional representative to have him/her prepared to debate on how to resolve and finalize the DTV transition.

WHEW -- Did I get a lot out this time out, but I was away and busy over the last couple weeks. If you've just come across this and want to know more about the DTV frequency assignments, feel free to browse my archives or visit the "Antenna Guide" at http://www.checkhd.com/, and note the "frequency assignment" column on the right, where the DTV broadcasts actually are. If that assignment is 52 or higher, you will expect a switch of that assignment when the analog broadcasts end, if you getting that DTV channel over the air right now. Thanks as always for reading this, I have gotten a couple nice comments from causal blog readers so far, and I do appreciate it!

2005-09-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS MULTICASTING?

If you have ever received HDTV over the air, you may have noticed there are subchannels in addition to the main channel. For instance, if you live in the Los Angeles area and get DTV over the air, you may have noticed there is a channel 4-1, which is NBC 4 with HD programming in HD, but also a channel 4-2, which is “NBC Weather Plus”. This is a common example of “multicasting”, which gives a local station the ability to transmit multiple channels on the same digital signal. How a station chooses to multicast depends on what DTV format the primary channel is used for, ownership, and ability to provide the community a service as their operating budgets allow.

Multicasting also provides a broadcaster unique opportunities to provide multiple programs on their digital channel based on scheduling. For example, the NBC affiliate I receive from Davenport, Iowa, has a 6-1 and 6-2 channel. Since the station is not an owned-and-operated (O&O) affiliate of NBC Universal, they have chosen on 6-2 to provide local weather information, and not NBC Weather Plus at this time. However, this freedom gives the station a chance to use the secondary channel to provide network programming when local programming on their primary channel takes precedence. For instance, the station primarily provides Iowa College Football. On September 17th, channel 6 pre-empted NBC’s Notre Dame/Michigan State game for the Iowa football game. For their digital channel, channel 6 aired the Iowa game on 6-1 while simulcasting NBC’s Notre Game coverage on channel 6-2 in place of the local weather. The station even announced this plan during their local news the previous day, and described the option very well. So there I was enjoying two college games from the same broadcaster! Also when NBC aired the Athens Summer Olympics last year, the station, as well as other NBC affiliates with multicasting capability, showed NBC’s regular Olympic coverage and local programming on 6-2 while providing an HD loop of Olympic coverage from the previous day on 6-1 24/7 during the Games.

Also, the DTV channel of the ABC affiliate, channel 8, from the area (Moline, Illinois), has an 8-1 with ABC HD and local programming, as well as a live radar service on 8-2. This has been useful to me in my line of work as I sometimes collect data outside, and I can tell right away if there is rain or heavy weather on the way. This is great to know for other viewers whose schedule is dependent on the weather.

The FOX affiliate I receive is owned by a broadcaster that also owns the WB affiliate in the viewing area. The interesting scenario here is that the WB analog broadcasts here in Burlington, and used to be a repeater for FOX, so now due to FCC approval I suppose, the WB is only available over the air in a limited area around Burlington and NOT in the more populated Quad Cities about 50 miles away. Before DTV became available, the only source of the WB in the Quad Cities was through cable. So the FOX broadcaster here, channel 18, is sending their FOX affiliate, in HD, on 18-1, and their sister WB station on 18-2. The downside though is that only one HD is allowed, and with more people watching FOX primetime and sports, FOX has the HD while the WB is only in standard definition, but at least now it is available over-the-air in the Quad Cities. The station has elected their final DTV transmission and it has been cleared by the FCC, so in about a year they will build a separate full-power WB DTV transmission available for the entire viewing area, at which time the WB should be available around here in HD.

Which leads me to how a station is able to multicast. If the network affiliated with the station broadcasts HD in 1080I (CBS, NBC, PBS, WB, and UPN), the station has the ability to multicast 1 standard definition channel. If the network is 720p (ABC and FOX), the station can multicast 2 standard definition channels, or possibly an ADDITIONAL 720p multicast. This is because 720p does not require as much bitrate as 1080I, leaving extra room to provide additional multicasting. The downside, however, is that 1080I HD does provide better resolution. In addition, if a station does not offer HD programming at the present, that station is capable of multicasting up to 6 standard definition channels on the same DTV transmission.

Such a case of multicasting several channels opens new opportunities. One station can multicast innovative local programming, educational programming, ethnic programming, or music programming, all available for free over the air providing services to the community. A very important benefit of DTV multicasting came about in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Belo broadcasting, which owns several stations in the south, used DTV multicasting to simulcast New Orleans news broadcasts over sister stations’ DTV multicasts in Louisiana and Texas to keep the evacuated survivors informed of the latest information on a local basis. If you did a Google Search of “Belo+Katrina+New Orleans”, you may see Web articles and posts with more details.

There is also a pay service called US Digital Television (http://www.usdtv.com/) that is, through arranged agreements with local broadcasters, utilitzing unused DTV multicasting bitrates to make available, over the air, a select few but highly watched cable channels, including ESPN, Discovery, TLC, Fox News, and Lifetime among others. A consumer who is able to receive all their local DTV channels over the air can, for about $20 per month, subscribe to these cable channels provided by USDTV using a special HDTV set-top box that is capable of “unscrambling” the locked digital multicast channels once the receiver is activated, just like for a digital cable or satellite receiver. As I write this, USDTV is available only in Salt Lake City (where the company is based), Las Vegas, and Albequrque. However, USDTV recently received a substantial amount of funded capital allowing this service to expand to additional markets in the coming months. I suspect Los Angeles is next because I have read in a trade mag that a Los Angeles based independent station, KJLA LA-57, which has no HD programming at this time and can multicast up to 5 additional SD channels, is currently transmitting USDTV channels on a test basis, with a launch, I would speculate, this coming November.

Unfortunately I think USDTV in order to remain competitive may want to consider making ESPN HD part of their service in place of ESPN, especially with ESPN airing NFL Monday Night Football next year. I have seen ESPN HD via satellite and have noticed that like local broadcasters, ESPN HD simulcasts non-HD ESPN programs as they air. It is possible especially since ESPN HD is in 720p, so allocated bandwidth should exist, at least in major markets.

Despite all these great opportunities for broadcasters to provide services and get revenue, there is some controversy that in essence is delaying setting a sunset plan for analog broadcasting, and that involves cable. The FCC is debating forcing local cable operators to make available the entire DTV channel for the local channels, including all the multicasting. The broadcasters want cable to provide this programming that would be useful to local viewers and maintain localism. The NCTA who supports cable, on the other hand, claims that cable operators just do not have enough bandwidth to accomplish this, and should just simply reload local HD channels on their digital cable tier while providing cable channels. The NCTA fears that by providing full multicasting, cable companies may be forced to drop some cable channels that their customers have been paying for to enjoy to meet their personal interests, and that would not help a probably shaky relationship between the cable company and some of their customers.

Here is my personal take on this – I think the FCC should side with the NCTA and let the customer decide what channels and services they want and how to get them. If a customer is interested in a lifestyle channel that is available on cable or satellite, and can afford to pay for it, they should order it. With the ability to receive DTV with even an indoor antenna, the customer can get an HDTV with a built-in tuner AND a component or DVI input for the cable or satellite box. Then the customer can enjoy all the cable or satellite channels they have paying for, and through the antenna, can enjoy the free multicast services available over the air. The station should then consider promoting the DTV channel on their Web site, what services are available, and the fact that an antenna would be needed to receive it – the CheckHD.com site helps consumers find out what free multicasts are available over-the-air as well. Plus, if the cable goes out or rain fades the satellite, the antenna becomes the backup, and if off-air reception becomes difficult on certain days, cable is the backup. Because in the end, cable and broadcasters are serving the community – they should focus on letting them know about the DTV transition and that analog shutdown is inevitable (if the shouting ever ends).

If you just discovered this page and want more of the HDTV off-air reception tricks you probably have been desperately Googling the Web for, please browse the dated “Archives” sorted by date, there is one column per week. Thanks for viewing!

2005-09-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

HOW CAN I COMBINE OTA HDTV WITH SATELLITE?

We at Winegard have been supplying DirecTV and formerly VOOM with off-air antennas, so that customers can enjoy their local channels in HDTV in addition to the satellite HDTV. Now DirecTV is already underway providing local HDTV channels via their satellite, but it will take time to deliver to all the US markets. In addition, there is the issue for paying an extra $5 per month for local channels, plus MAYBE the off-air signal could hold better than the satellite in heavy rain.

Customers do not want to run extra cable, so they would prefer a single run with the satellite signals (950-1500 MHz or up to 2400 MHz in a stacked system) with the off-air signals (54-806 MHz). This can be accomplished. However, given the choice, I would prefer doing the extra work running separate cable lines for the off-air system, as I shall explain.

Combining the off-air signal with a satellite dish signal requires a device called a DIPLEXER. It is about the size of a common TV splitter, but is moreso a band separator and combiner. The advantage of SEPARATING bands instead of splitting them is that is, in theory, little loss. However, I say IN THEORY. Here comes the reality. Adding devices along a cable between an antenna and receiver will introduce two forms of off-air signal degradation. One form is INSERTION LOSS. Ideally, separating a signal will have zero insertion loss, but realistically you can see about 10% signal loss of signal through a diplexer. The other form of signal degradation is MISMATCH LOSS. This can be specified by the VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio) of the diplexer. Mismatch is due to variations in the RF impedance through the diplexer (the ideal impedance of a TV system is 75 ohms). If the impedance of the diplexer on all the frequencies, the VSWR would be a perfect 1, which would indicate that the voltages of the signals would be equal going out compared to going in.

Sadly, in a broadbanded device, a VSWR of 1 across all operating frequencies is an RF challenge. Realistically I would consider a diplexer or splitter with a maximum VSWR of 2 to be good, and 1.5 to be outstanding. If the VSWR for a certain frequency is very high, then the line from the output to the diplexer to the tuner would have a standing wave in the cable, and a mismatch to the tuner. As a result, some signal would bounce back on the line, and a secondary signal could return, which results in a form of ghosting on an analog picture. As I mentioned in a previous post, a cause of ghosting in an analog picture, is a cause for picture breakup and loss on the DTV picture, even if the antenna being used provides enough signal.

In addition, there is a double whammy when diplexing. At the tuner, the combined signal needs to be separated AGAIN for the respective signals to connect to the proper inputs. This involves a diplexer in reverse, introducing potentially MORE mismatch and insertion loss. If the combined line has a bad VSWR to begin with, the additional diplexer could multiply the ill effects on the DTV signals over-the-air, and possibly the satellite signals as well. I would figure you would be looking at 30% signal loss MINIMUM for off-air in a diplexing case than for a separate cable run.

Now while my explanation may seem gloomy, what I am saying is not hopeless. As long as diplexers are selected with a good low VSWR, success may be realized. The same, by the way, goes for using multiswitches that add off-air VHF/UHF signals. Paying attention to insertion loss and cable loss would allow an installer to select a proper preamp to overcome the signal losses.

Speaking of preamps, Winegard’s preamps and amplified antennas can be powered through the cable. We normally provide an inline power supply for a separate antenna line, but it is possible to power the amplifier in a satellite system diplexed with an off-air signal. This can be done by using the voltage delivered by the receiver at the satellite port that switches the LNBs and keeps the dish live, allowing program information to be updated by the receiver. It is tricky, though. First, the indoor separating diplexer will need to be DC passive on the SAT side only, not on the off-air side, to keep the desired voltage in the combined line. The diplexer that combines the satellite and off-air signal would then be power passive on BOTH the satellite and antenna side, providing voltage to both the dish and the off-air amplifier. There is a potential pitfall, however, and that is the maximum current rating of the receiver’s SAT port. If the maximum current is enough to power the dish, but that amount of current is close to the rating, then there is little power left to power the off-air amplifier, resulting in possible loss of picture. Also, for the combining diplexer, the power-passive on both side item will work with Winegard Chromstar preamps, SquareShooter SS-2000, and SharpShooter SS-3000, thanks to a voltage regulator in the circuitry. Unfortunately there is no such regulator in the Sensar and Metrostar, so a special combining diplexer is required with a 12VDC voltage regulator at the VHF/UHF port to the amplified antenna.

But as I mentioned at the top, the most effective means on delivering the off-air signal in a satellite system is to use cable runs separate from the satellite, since this setup is very well matched. So if you are planning to get satellite HDTV from an installer, I would challenge your satellite provider by asking if the diplexers what their VSWR ratings are; if they are under 2.0, then the installer is well-prepared to give you a good install. I would also use http://www.checkhd.com/ and the antenna guide to give to the installer, it would be a big help in pointing the off-air antenna the right way, or with practice to realize that your area is not RF friendly for a small antenna, and a larger one may be needed, which they may require you to provide prior to the install. Also, in areas close to the off-air signals (within 20 miles), the installer may provide a non-amplified antenna, but in a diplexed situation, the boost from a preamp may make a difference, so you may have to be ready to add a high-input low-distortion preamp (like the Winegard HDP-269). To put it another way, let the buyer beware, and always prepare.

If you just discovered this page and want more of the HDTV off-air reception tricks you probably have been desperately Googling the Web for, please browse the dated “Archives” sorted by date, there is one column per week. Thanks for viewing!

2005-08-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

WHY IS ONE ANTENNA BETTER THAN ANOTHER?

There will never be one single antenna that will work everywhere in the US due to the fact that not all households have all the local HD transmissions from a single location. Oh there are some, most notably Los Angeles where just about every LA and Orange County based TV station has their digital transmission from one area on Mount Wilson just north of Pasadena. In this case a directional antenna is great. However, in other areas, like San Francisco, a household may have their local TV transmissions in a couple locations; most of the DTV transmissions are from the Sutro Tower along the bay, but NBC HD is available from San Jose, requiring a multi-directional antenna in some areas, or a directional antenna on a rotor.

In those areas, if a household has all their local HD within 30 miles in multiple directions, an omnidirectional antenna may suffice – if the neighborhood is RF friendly enough. I would consider an RF friendly neighborhood to be either a run-of-the mill suburban type that was the setting of family-friendly 1960’s sitcoms, or a rural area over flat terrain. If the neighborhood is surrounded by tall buildings or trees, or deep in a valley where TV transmissions could pass over, the household will deal with either no signal or multiple reflective signals (multipath) that cause ghosting on analog TV pictures, and loss of DTV picture. If you are just seeing this entry, to get the details on how multipath can kill a DTV signal, click on the 08-21-05 “Archives” link. The archive will provide a background for what follows.

In areas of heavy multipath, or signal blockage, an antenna user would definitely require a directional antenna. If a user of CheckHD.com notes on the antenna selector that there are obstructions, the selector will automatically recommend a minimum medium directional (red map) antenna, not so much because of the gain of the antenna, but the ability to reject multipath signals. The CEA qualifies a medium directional antenna as one with a front-to-back ratio of 12 dB or more, which means the antenna will deliver 75% or more LESS signal picked up by the antenna than the front, and if the front of the antenna is pulling in the most desirable signal, the picture quality should be pretty good.

In areas of high multipath or obstructed areas, that most desirable signal likely will NOT come from the expected direction of the TV signal. That signal may be blocked or interfered, and a reflected multipath signal may be good enough for a DTV tuner to decode, as long as undesired signals are rejected by the antenna to the point where the DTV signal is flat enough. DTV tuners have become more able to deal with received signals that are not very flat thanks to bit-error correction algorithms in the tuner chipset, most notably the 4th and 5th generation chipsets designed by LG/Zenith, which when used in the right areas MAY allow a less expensive multidirectional antenna to do the job.

However, even with advanced DTV chipsets it would not hurt to use a good antenna to keep the received DTV signals as flat as possible, thus keeping the channel signal strength up. In addition, I myself haven’t had a chance to see these advanced tuners receive DTV signals with old-fashioned bi-directional rabbit ears in a high ghosting area, like a downtown urban area surrounded by tall buildings, so as an antenna guy I remain a bit skeptical. So let me give my analysis on some popular antennas used and praised on other HDTV blogs and boards on why they may be doing the job and are highly recommended, most of them are UHF, and a few are made by Winegard.

Before that I will start with a regular Yagi style antenna that is large and still may be sticking out on a rooftop. Directional ones have the front-to-back ratio, but there does exist the possibility that such antennas may pick up a reflected signal from the ground, or even the sky due to scattering from the atmosphere during daylight hours or high humidity, or even trees in a certain spot. A height adjustment of a Yagi may suffice in some cases, but some have seen improvement by stacking a pair of identical Yagis in an array. A vertical stack is like closing Venetian blinds on light; the energy becomes more focused on getting signal power from a straight direction while rejecting reflected signal from the sky and ground. Another idea is a horizontal stack which is like putting blinders on a horse; the energy is again more focused straight ahead by narrowing the side-to-side antenna beamwidth, reducing potential multipath from the SIDES of the antenna.

This array stacking is the reason why a bowtie antenna, most notably the ChannelMaster 8-bay 4228, has been a noted UHF directional antenna faring well for DTV reception (Winegard has a similar model, the PR-8800). There are 8 UHF drive elements, 4 vertically stacked in 2 horizontal arrays. The result has a forward pencil-beam gain focusing on just the DTV line-of-sight signals and not so much the reflected signals from the sides, ground, and sky, unlike a traditional Yagi antenna of similar gain. In addition, the reflector grid behind the drive elements provide the desired front-to-back ratio, and the size of the reflector becomes a larger brick wall that becomes more impassable by undesired signals from behind. The downside of such an antenna is that if desired DTV signals are spaced at least 30 compass degrees apart, the 8-bay’s on-a-dime focus may MISS one set of signals. As a result, an antenna with a wider beam width may fare better in a fixed position, like the ChannelMaster 4224 (or Winegard PR-4400).

Another popular DTV antenna is the Zenith Silver Sensor, sort of a Yagi UHF, more log periodic throughout the UHF band, which was designed with a very high front-to-back ratio (I’ve measured it at 20 dB on some UHF channels). This has about the same beam width as a 4-bay bowtie, so this has proven to be a good directional UHF DTV antenna. The SquareShooter (Winegard SS-1000 or TERK HDTVs) and SharpShooter (Winegard SS-3000 or TERK HDTVlp) antennas I have helped develop at Winegard use a different type of means to get medium directional front-to-back, a GRID printed with a conductive ink on plastic. The grids are arranged to essentially load and scatter undesired signals from behind the assembly, preventing them from being transferred on the drive elements. The SharpShooter drive element is a simple pair for high band VHF and UHF reception with the scatter plane on the grid doing its part to ensure the DTV signals stay flat en route to the tuner; same case with the SquareShooter, which is larger, and more capable in outdoor high ghosting areas. The SquareShooter drive element is a sinous pair that is more broadbanded in UHF, to keep it matched to the cable and tuner, this also helps maintain the flatness of the received DTV signals, and the reason we have been able to claim the antenna’s ability to perform well in high ghosting antennas, or as our marketing peeps say, “solves problems other antennas cannot solve”. The patent for the SquareShooter antenna was officially granted in July 2005, and can be viewed at http://www.uspto.gov/, just search #6,922,179 (gee, who will nab the lucky 7 millionth?) for more information (I didn’t get the design credit, nor do I deserve, the gentleman who did get the idea and did most of the development, but I did write most of the “BACKGROUND” section!).

So there is a summary of the different antennas out there and why they can do what they can for DTV reception. Despite all advances for corrective DTV tuners, the antenna still remains the key in getting the over-the-air signal in the first place, and as long as its properties and features can dress up the signal so it looks presentable upon entry into a DTV tuner, the viewer will enjoy a colorful and spectacular feast for the eyes. Thanks for viewing, and again, feel free to leave comments or find my contact link on my profile!

2005-08-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

HOW DO I IMPROVE THE DIGITAL SIGNAL STRENGTH LEVEL?

Well let me begin by explaining what I feel is the most misunderstood and unexplained item is receiving off-air HDTV – the “digital signal meter” or “signal strength meter” found on most DTV tuners. Some show the strength in terms of a scale of 100, others use signal bars sort of like on mobile phones. In either case, people who watch a channel and tune to this meter feel that if it is lower than desired for a consistent picture, they should add a signal booster or a larger antenna, thinking that the boost in signal will increase that level. So they buy the amp, install it, double check the installation, and notice – NO CHANGE!!!

Allow me to clarify what this level is – contrary to popular belief or implication, it is NOT the amount of off-air signal being received. Rather, it is a measure of the bitrate of the DTV stream for the channel you are viewing. Let me explain the concept of bitrate and how it relates to a good DTV picture. DTV uses the same video compression codec (MPEG-2) as streaming video over the Internet, like some Windows Media or Quicktime videos (though other such streaming videos use the more advanced and supposedly more robust MPEG-4 codec). Perhaps in the Windows Media player you notice a smiling sun or clouds when you are watching a streaming video, and depending on network traffic and the quality of video the picture may freeze up once in a while when the player shows clouds and displays a “Buffering” message. This is because possibly at the time the network traffic is impeding the download speed of your connection, creating errors in the bits (1s and 0s) that the player is unable to decode, so the player wants to stream at a lower bitrate, and reduces the quality of the video.

Your DTV tuner works about the same way, except the bitrate at your tuner is determined by the quality of the signal collected by the antenna. A TV station may send its 1080I HD channel (usually on ##-1) in its DTV bandwidth at a bitrate of 10-12 Mbps in its allocated datastream of about 19.5 Mbps. This allows additional bandwidth in the datastream with program information and a secondary SDTV channel, which I will explain in detail on a later date. Right now I just want to focus on getting a good off-air signal.

To show a visual example, I have attached what a DTV signal looks like on and RF spectrum analyzer (which you can buy if you have $1K-$10K to burn for no good reason), and how it relates to the signal meter. This signal is for KGWB-DT on frequency assignment 41, transmitting at a low power from Burlington, Iowa. The signal is replicated for the Quad City market, served by this station, on a sister digital channel, so this transmission is there to fill a coverage hole and conform to FCC requirements, I suppose. The signal is received indoors in a fairly high-ghosting situation by the Winegard SquareShooter antenna, the nonamplified SS-1000. The first signal you see shows a good-looking DTV signal. Ideally, the signal will have a carrier spike on the far left of the signal and then a plateau. If the plateau is perfectly flat, and the level AT THE RECEIVER is at least 20 dB above the noise floor (what the bottom line on the trace is), then the signal meter should be close to 100%, or 5 bars, or whatever. That 20 dB level of the signal above the noise floor is called the “signal-to-noise ratio”, or SNR. The SNR is the TRUE measure of picture quality, and it is set in stone by the antenna. In this case the plateau is not perfectly flat; there is about 5 dB of variation (each vertical grid is 10 dB if case you can see it), but the tuner, which is an early model chipset, is capable of decoding about 85% of the 1s and 0s in the datastream being received, and that is enough to maintain a good quality DTV picture.

The next case is in the same location with me rotating the SquareShooter moved just a FEW INCHES from the good spot. In the area there are also nearby FM transmissions and KGWB’s analog 26 channel. There are also reflections due to metal walls in the vicinity of the area where all these signals and harmonics of these signals begin to have a destructive effect on the desired DTV signal. You will notice the carrier spike and maximum level on the plateau has NOT CHANGED MUCH. Yet the interfering signals have created deep valleys in the signal. Now, the same DTV tuner is having serious issues trying to separate the good and the bad, and can only decode about 50% of the KGWB-DT bitstream being transmitted. The DTV picture starts to pixelate, freeze, even disappear. This happens by moving the antenna ONLY A FEW INCHES from a good spot.

If this were an analog picture, well first of all there would just be a series of “spikes” in the bandwidth, but the viewer would be seeing undesirable patterns and noise in the analog picture. Or, there could be “ghosting” in the picture. At least here at Winegard we had a diagnosis for just about every poor analog picture. You had heavy snow, you need more antenna. Light snow or a grainy picture? A preamp will fix that. If you saw a “herringbone” pattern in the picture, a strong FM signal was present and needed to be filtered. Ghosting, either check you cable or slightly reposition your antenna to make an undesired reflected signal “miss” the antenna. Unfortunately, ANY ONE of these same problems can give your DTV tuner issues in decoding the DTV bitstream, and give you a low reading on the “digital signal meter”. So it is not always a lack of signal at the tuner that is why your DTV picture may be breaking up.

Now I wish to add how amplifiers relate to this issue. The important thing to remember is that an amplifier only increases the signal levels of WHATEVER INFORMATION IS COLLECTED BY THE ANTENNA. The signal may go up, but so will the noise floor, so the TRUE measure of picture quality, the signal-to-noise ratio, does NOT change. In fact, additional noise is created by the amplifier circuitry; the amount of this noise created is related by the Noise Figure (NF) of the amplifier; this is why low-noise amps (LNAs) are highly recommended for DTV reception. Amplifiers will NOT pull in signal collected by the antenna or extend the antenna range. The intention of amplifiers is to offset signal losses in cables, splitters, and diplexers, details I will explain on another date.

So, if an amplifier were used with the antenna in a position where the DTV signal had those deep valleys in the signal, those valleys will still be there at the amplifier output, and the DTV tuner will STILL have issues decoding the signal. As a result, the digital signal meter level will likely NOT change. There are other cases where people have tried using an amp only to find the signal meter got worse! In this case, they may be in a location very close to the TV transmitters (about 25 miles or less). The amplifier is then OVERDRIVING the signal into the DTV tuner, and next thing the viewer knows, the meter goes from nearly 100% to ZERO! In this case the user may have too much antenna with little signal loss in the downlead to a signal tuner. This can be fixed by getting a 6 dB inline VHF/UHF attenuator pad (you can get one at Radio Shack for a couple dollars), and attach it on the antenna input of your DTV tuner, and the antenna cable then connects to the other end of the pad. One other possibility is that the amp is saturating, and introducing undesired harmonics into the good DTV signals, making the digital signal worse. High-gain amplifiers require low signal input levels in order to work properly, so a huge 30 dB amp should only be used in fringe or rural areas WITHOUT NEARBY STRONG TRANSMISSIONS to POSSIBLY make a difference. However, if the SNR at the antenna is less than 20 dB, the amplifier will likely NOT help you, no matter how strong the amp is. You will need a stronger and larger antenna to get more SNR.

So if you are not getting good signal levels after putting up an antenna, before spending money on an amp, try adjusting the antenna a few degrees off its position, or raise or lower the antenna about a foot on the mast. You might find the signal meter shoot up because you tuned out an interfering signal! If you get an antenna, try a direct home run, and use the signal meter to adjust the antenna (80% or better will ensure a consistent DTV picture). If after this you have a couple low signals, then add in the amplifier. And if things suddenly change the next day, it’s because the signal strengths and reflections changed with the weather, and you may need another adjustment until signals hold day after day.

Next week I will have a new post explaining why some types of antennas (bowtie vs Yagi) work better than others in DTV reception, using the concept of the good signal. I will now open this post to comments; if you have a Blogger account, just simply click on the “comments” link below and have your say or question. If you do not have a Blogger account, you can create one for free at http://www.blogger.com/, and use the same username to post your views on other boards powered by Blogger. Take care!

2005-08-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my message board. This is where I will share the tricks in receiving digital and HDTV over the air with an antenna. HDTV is here and is now on the verge of taking off based on market research. While only about 5% of US households are watching HDTV, it is bound to grow over the next several years, and with a lot of new ways to be informed and entertained, there are choices and alternatives. While cable and satellite can provide ESPNHD and exciting HD original programming, you CAN get broadcast network HDTV offering local and big sporting events, most prime time shows, and concert events with the right antenna, if you can, for free! These days the right antenna will pay for itself in terms of saving the cost of getting local channels in HD from cable or satellite.

You can take a peek at my profile -- for about the past four years I've been working at Winegard Company, a manufacturer of off-air TV antennas and satellite dishes for home and RV. During this time I've learned a lot about off-air reception, the tricks and trials, the pros and cons, and most of all, getting HDTV with an antenna. There is a lot of confusion out there, like where it is transmitting, why am I getting zero signal when I am so close to the transmitter, which antenna is right for me, like the SquareShooter, SharpShooter, Silver Sensor, ChannelMaster 4228, or can my current antenna get HD (WHICH IT CAN!!!)?

OK I selfishly dropped these names since these are popular antennas that people may do a Google search on, possibly leading you to this stop on the information superhighway -- I am a bit of a sneak and a wise guy, consider yourself warned!!

Since this is my welcome post I am expecting no comments at this time, next time I will open things up with comments and a bit of myth-busting. But I do invite those of you painfully browsing for a simple answer to visit a site to see your capablility of getting local HDTV. It is http://www.checkhd.com/ and all you need is your zip code to get you going. After getting going you will see what HD shows AND special multicast programs are available off-air in your area! Then click on the "Antenna Guide" link, sponsored by Winegard Company, to check your coverage. The strength is listed based on strongest to weakest on a color map (from strong to weak it is --- yellow, green, light green, red, blue, and violet). The popular HDTV antennas that have been topics of discussion on other blogs I mentioned may be able to receive DTV signals up to red, possibly blue with a preamp or signal booster with a low noise figure (NF of 4.5 dB or lower). Violet ones may need a larger antenna, and if there are only a couple stations listed (or none at all), you are probably in a very weak coverage area, possibly in a low valley surrounded by hills that can block off-air signal reception (cable and satellite may fare better for you unless you are willing to try a monster antenna on a tower).

The CheckHD antenna guide will also tell you the directions the off-air signals are coming in from. You also need to pay attention to the "Frequency Assignment" column on the far right of the results page, because that is the ACTUAL channel the DTV programming is transmitting on (for instance WLS in Chicago is ABC 7, and you can watch it in HD by tuning in 7-1 on a working DTV tuner, but the signal is ACTUALLY transmitting on channel 52). So, if all the frequency assignments are 14 and higher, then a UHF antenna is all you need. BUT, there is a catch -- when analog eventually shuts down (Congress is presently debating a December 2008 hard shutdown date), some channels in VHF (7-13 for the most part) in the US are intending to return to that analog frequency assignment for exclusive digital broadcasting. So in most areas an antenna tuned to channels 7 and higher may do the job now and in the long run.

There is a map on the antenna selector -- entering your complete address will give more accurate results as some neighborhoods in a single zip code have better coverage than others. If you are concerned about giving your address over a Web site, just try the zip code and click on the map until your reach your neighborhood -- the covergae prediction WILL UPDATE automatically, and your home address will not be visible on the Web page.

So hopefully this will get you rolling, and once you see my next post feel free to share the issues, I will also hook you up for more information on getting answers, too. I think I am going to appreciate having a Wi-Fi enabled laptop and PDA!!! To find the answers you are seeking, begin by clicking the "Archives" links on the left end of this Web page.