As we wait for DTV Transition day to approach....

As you can see from the above countdown clock there isn't much time left until DTV Transition day.  Since this is my last official blog post on the subject, I decided to rundown some things that I have learned over the past few months while researching the subject.     

The first thing I learned about the DTV Transition is that it is actually happening.  I know that sounds pretty crazy, but you can watch the commercials and scrolls all day, and never really grasp the fact that this is an actual event that will take place on February 17, 2009.  I am pretty sure there are still people out there who still haven't gotten to this state of realization that I have reached.  For them, I suggest going back and reading over my blogs to really inform themselves about the transition and what it will mean to them.

The next thing I learned involves the dissemination of information.  The government, along with many other companies selling converter boxes, have tried several different methods to get the information out to the consumer, including a contest involving YouTube and ambitious individuals who like to make videos.  (Incidentally, the winner of the contest, jkierangarvey, was named today.  See the last blog for the top 5 videos including the winning video.)  The different types of advertising and methods used to inform the public about the DTV Transition show the lengths people have gone to to get the information out.  I just hope all of this effort will have helped come February.

One of the last things I learned about the DTV Transition has less to do with the transition and more to do with the idea of it.  During the past few weeks, I have been learning more about Michael Bugeja's theories involving interpersonal communication or more like how media has affected the use of it.  After thinking a lot about the DTV Transition and how it will affect our lives, I began to realize that because this new technology is being forced upon us, we must take the time out of our lives to adapt to this changing technology.  This is time that could be spent with loved ones or at a community function and, as Bugeja is quick to point out, is something that we are already lacking.  Also because this new technology will bring a far superior picture than the old rabbit ears used to pick up, even more people may be more apt to choose to stay home to enjoy their new found technology.    

I really hope my blogs have helped you understand the DTV Transition as much as they have helped me understand the need to talk about it.  If you still have any questions about the transition, you can still search the DTV.gov site to get more information.  While your there you can take the quiz to become a DTV Deputy just like me!! 

DTV Convert Now Contest

As you may remember I posted a blog a few months ago about the DTV Convert Now contest that the Consumer Electronics Association was sponsoring.  For those of you who don't remember, the idea behind the contest was to make a video and post it on YouTube telling people about the DTV Transition.  I received a blog post the other day telling me they picked the five finalists, so I decided I would analyze them and post them on here for you to help pick the winner.

The first video is from YouTube user modeeb2.  

I think this video does a good job explaining the DTV Transition and the need for the converter box, but is just very cheesy.  The weird water in the background noise is very distracting and the theme reminds me of a classic kung fu movie.  Maybe this video would have been more enjoyable to me if they would have spoken in Chinese and dubbed in English words over the top.  Overall though the video has a good message so I can see why it was chosen for the top five.  

The next video is from YouTube user frankcaliva.

I'm really not sure why this video was chosen.  Again the message was pretty good, but the cheesy acting really made me want to turn it off right away.  I think it is important when trying to convey a message to the audience about something as important as the DTV Transition that the message is appealing to the viewer.  I think this was a good effort and could have been a top pick with a little better acting.  

Finalist number three is YouTube user shtickmen.

Again, we have yet another cheesy video, this time using stick figures and annoying background narration.  I do have to admit I chuckled a little when the hand came in with the converter box coupon.  It was really hard to get the message though because the stick figures were distracting and the narrators sounded like they had just abused some illegal drugs.  This one doesn't rate very high on my scale either.

jkierangarvey is the next YouTube user who qualified for the top five.

This video starts off much like the movie The Blair Witch Project.  I think he was trying to make the transition seem less scary, but it really took a while to get to the point of the video, which was supposed to be about making the DTV Transition.  I guess the message was there, but it really didn't seem as strong as the other videos I've featured so far.  I do like the content of this one more, but the contest is really supposed to be about the transition so I don't know if this video is the best candidate to win either.  

The final video of the top five is from YouTube user jhbmw007.

This video is very reminiscent of the Ren and Stimpy cartoons that were on television in the 1990's.  It is also very creatively put together and very funny.  Although the video is short and to the point, the message is still clear and presented in a way where people want to keep watching.  I could see this video being used on television in the future to promote the DTV Transition.  This one definitely gets my vote.

I think this contest was a good way to get the word out about the DTV Transition.  The way the Consumer Electronics Association used new media produced by online users to inform other online users about the transition reminds me of a concept from John Pavlik's book Media in the Digital Age.  Pavlik outlines four different forms of media and role each form plays in the online environment.  The forth form, which is original content designed for the digital domain, is exactly what was done with this contest.  I think it will be interesting to see if the winning video makes it off the web and back on to the television.  Pavlik may have to add an additional form for original online content that transitions back to traditional media.

Before I forget, if you would like the opportunity to vote for the winning videos, you can go to http://www.dtvtransition.org/vote/index.php and enter your email address.  You will then receive an email with a link to go and vote.  The winner will be announced on December 10, 2008, so vote early and check back then to find out the winner.  

A Strange Approach to the DTV Transition

What do you get when you mix Joe the Plumber with the DTV Transition?  Apparently you get the new spokesman for VelocityStore.com. Velocitystore.com is an online retailer of digital converter boxes who has decided to use the recently found fame of Joe the Plumber to inform their consumers about the DTV Transition.  

For those of you who don't keep up on politics, Joe the Plumber, whose real name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, became nearly as popular as the candidates during this year's presidential election.  After asking now President Elect Barrack Obama a question at a campaign stop in Ohio, Joe the Plumber became a symbol representing middle-class Americans for the rest of the election.  Now that the election is over, Joe the Plumber is now representing the average Joe to relate to consumers in a series of videos about the DTV Transition.

 
  

Right now this is the only commercial VelocityStore.com has listed on it's website.  However, you can sign up to be alerted by email when a new Joe the Plumber commercial is posted.

Although I'm not sure Joe the Plumber is the best spokesperson for this company, I do have to admit this is an innovative approach to getting the word out about the DTV Transition.  People may look at these ads and think, "Wow if Joe the Plumber can do this so can I."  However, the reality of it is that Joe the Plumber is a pseudo-celebrity that is being paid to sell a product to the average American.  He may be able to sell a few boxes for velocitystore.com, but I think this company will soon realize they should have just saved the money they paid him to endorse their online business.  

I personally am sick of hearing about the Joe the Plumber and I think many other Americans feel the same way.  For instance I found this video on YouTube from www.theyoungturks.com. 

Although this blog post seems more about Joe the Plumber than about the DTV Transition, I felt it was important to talk about it to show how the lines are being blurred between politics, popular culture and public service information.  This new convergence is a great example of how media can make someone a pop culture icon overnight and how this icon can go from politics to commercials nearly as quickly. 

It seems with all the technology we have available to us these days, nearly anyone can get their 15 seconds of fame.  Unfortunately for us, Joe the Plumber gotten more than his fair share.  I just hope, for Joe the Plumber's sake, they don't start showing these commercials on TV.       

Businesses Helping with the DTV Transition

With DTV Transition day right around the corner, retailers are changing their strategies to help people understand what they need to do to be DTV compliant.  One such retailer is Best Buy.  In the last month or so they have put up a website to help their customers (and other interested parties) better understand the DTV Transition. 

  

At the Ask A Blueshirt site, visitors can read the latest blog posts, search frequently asked questions and even submit questions they may still have about the transition.  There is even a boot camp link that talks about the in-store workshops that were held at Best Buy stores around the United States earlier this week.  I'm hoping these are not the only workshops Best Buy plans to have as I see the some of the smaller cities, such as Fargo, were missed the first time around.    

Another interesting feature Best Buy has incorporated into this site is the Play 80's and 90's TV Trivia application for Facebook.  Users get to test their knowledge of classic television trivia while learning about the DTV Transition.  In between questions, a blue-shirted Best Buy employee  gives the player useful tips and suggestions to help them make the DTV Transition.  I found the game to be quite entertaining, although I do have to admit, I didn't do as well as I thought I would considering the amount of TV I watched in the 80's and 90's.  If you would like to play 80's and 90's TV trivia yourself and you are already a Facebook user, click on the image to the right to load the application.   

I think Best Buy has really tried to target a large group of consumers with this marketing plan.  They have the website available for people who are just looking for information.  They have the in-store workshops that target the not-so-computer-savvy crowd and they have the Facebook application, which appeals to the younger college generation consumers. 

This marketing plan also shows how Best Buy has been able to use convergence to target these different audiences.  The DTV Transition is a television based concept, but by thinking outside the box, Best Buy was able to integrate that concept on the internet, in a Facebook application and into their stores.  I think this use of convergence will be useful in getting information out about the DTV Transition effectively.      

The DTV Transition and the Interpersonal Divide

There are about 3 months left until all of the United States transitions into the digital television era, and officials still have the task of informing everyone about the DTV transition. With the constant barrage of scrolls across the bottom of the screen during primetime programing and the commercials that run at least once an hour, most people would think the government is accomplishing its task of informing the viewer. However, an article on multichannel.com states when Wilmington, NC, stations turned off their analog signals a few months ago, 5% of the community did not know about the transition.

Although 5% is not a very high number, it actually is very significant when you take into consideration that this is one medium size market in one state. If something is not done to get the word out soon, this number will be quite a bit larger by the time the rest of the country makes the transition in February.

So the question is why weren't the government and local television stations able to reach this portion of the population in North Carolina? I think part of the reason is that they were primarily using technology to inform people about the DTV Transition. If someone is going to be needing a digital converter box for their current television set, chances are they don't watch a lot of television to begin with. Also, these people probably don't have computer access either, which is another primary means of getting information out about the transition. If by chance they did have access to a computer, the information about the transition still needs to be sought out on the Internet.

Although the government still has the daunting task of figuring out how to inform all Americans about the transition, it makes me hopeful to think we all haven't succumbed to what Michael Begeja calls the "Interpersonal Divide." Bugeja highlights this concept in his book Interpersonal Divide, where he explains how people have become disconnected from society and from other people in their households due to the technology of the 21st Century. Bugeja claims people focus more on social relationships they have formed on the Internet and spend more time watching their own television away from other members of the family, and they have forgotten the importance of face to face interpersonal interaction.

I don't completely agree with all of Bugeja's concepts, but I do somedays feel I am one of those people who have become so wired that interaction with other humans almost seems foreign. This is probably the case with many other people whose jobs and lives revolve around technology.

Living your life through technology may seem like the norm in today's society, but there is still that 5% North Carolina population that I like to think escaped the interpersonal divide. I want to believe they were out serving on a city council or involved in a quilting circle as to not get the message about the DTV Transition. I know this may not have been the case, but it is certainly a pleasant thought to think that not everyone has given up on the basic social skills needed for a functioning society.

We may never know why this percentage of the population missed the message, but the point is they did. Because of this fact, the government needs to step up its efforts to get the word out to all Americans. Any questions or comments on how you think they could help can be left below under comments.

Are DTV and HDTV the Same?

One of the topics that confuses most people about the DTV Transition is High-Definition Television (HDTV).  Many people think that HDTV is something you have to have in order to make the DTV Transition.  In actuality, HDTV is a form of digital television that offers at least 720 lines of resolution as opposed to the 330 lines of resolution on a standard definition analog television.  The picture quality on a HDTV is sharp and clear, and the sound rivals the quality you would get on any audio CD.  

People, who currently have a standard definition television that will be needing a digital converter box in February, do NOT have to buy a new HDTV to make the transition.  However, if you were in the market for a new television, a HDTV would not be a bad way to go.     

When shopping for a HDTV there are many things to consider.  Consumer reports suggests you take these things into consideration before heading to the store:

• How much you are willing to spend
• LCD or Plasma
• Screen size
• 720p or 1080p
• What type of service you will be using

All of these items will help you to be an informed comparison shopper to ensure you are getting the best television for your needs.  

The good news is once you have found your new HDTV, you no longer have to worry about getting a digital converter box as most new HDTV's being sold already have built in digital tuners.  However, if you do not want to pay for cable or satellite service, you will still need an antenna to pick up a signal.  

As I have mentioned in past blog posts, getting a good digital signal is much harder to do than receiving the current analog signal.  This is equally as important if you are trying to pick up an HD signal too.  You need a special antenna designed to receive HD signals and without it the new HDTV you just got will not be living up to its potential.  Although I have not been out shopping for an HD antenna,  I have heard that many on the market still fail to deliver a quality signal.  I did find this video on YouTube that explains how to make a fairly inexpensive HD antenna out of everyday household items.  

I cannot speak to the effectiveness of this antenna, but if anyone out there does try it and it works, I would love to hear your comments about it.

Again I cannot stress enough, buying an HDTV is NOT necessary to make the DTV transition.  If you do decide to purchase a new television, be an informed shopper and choose the best television for your needs.   

The Funny Side (or not so funny side) of the DTV Transition

A few days ago my sister sent me this video, which was broadcast on Talkshow with Spike Fersten.  My first thought was "Wow this is really funny."  But then I came to the realization that this video may not be that far off.   There are a lot of people who may not understand the DTV transition because they fall on the opposite (non-technical) side of the digital divide.   

The digital divide is a term used to describe those who have the resources available to access technologies and those who don't.  It is also used to differentiate between those who know how to use technology and those who don't.  In the case of the DTV transition, the two scenarios go hand in hand.  

Most of the people who need to get the digital converter boxes to comply with with DTV transition are generally people who have a limited income and who don't have a cable or satellite subscription.  Because of this limited income, these people probably have not kept up with the rapidly changing technology of the past few years either.  They probably don't own a computer or even a DVD player, and the VCR they own sits unused because they don't know how to hook it up or program it.

I know this seems pretty unbelievable for those of us in the technology driven computer age, but these people exist and will need more help making the DTV transition than the rest of us.  Since most of the people who are on the other side of the digital divide will not be reading this blog, I encourage all of you who are reading this to help them make a smooth transition.  There are several ways you can do this such as:

• Read my blog.  I have put several helpful suggestions on here that you can share with others struggling with the transition.
  
• Go to www.dtv.gov to find the answers that you or those you are helping may still have.
• Help them set up their box.  I know this seems pretty basic, but just imagine your grandmother as the woman in the video above and think about how she would be setting it up.  

These are just a few suggestions to get you started.  If you have any more you would like to add, feel free to leave a comment and I will include them in this list.  Also, I would like feedback from your experiences helping others make the DTV transition.  Hopefully with our collective intelligence, we can slowly bridge the gap in the digital divide. 

Digital Technology Headaches

As the DTV day approaches, I'm sure many people out there are thinking why the government is mandating the switch to a digital signal since there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the old analog signal.  Although I cannot speak for the government, I am guessing the switch has to do with how everything else in this world seems to be going digital.  This includes pictures, movies, music and anything else having to do with computers.  Although we may not like the idea that our world is going digital, we have to deal with it and all the headaches that go along with it.

I for one am a personal advocate for digital technology.  I consider myself a very techie person and enjoy the quality digital media provides.  However, I also dislike when digital technology gets the best of me.  This happened to me earlier tonight in fact.  I was taking an online midterm exam for my web design class when something happened causing me to be booted from my exam when I was about halfway done.  Needless to say I was feeling pretty frustrated with digital technology at that point.  I just kept thinking this would never have happened if I would have been taking an exam in class the old fashioned way.  Then I realized that if the technology didn't exist to take an online test or to do anything else online, then there probably wouldn't be a need for a web design class either and I would have to look for something else to minor in.  This helped to ease the pain slightly, but I'm still hoping my teacher will have a heart and let me take it again.  

I'm sure there will be some people out there feeling the same frustrations when they make the switch to digital television.  The signal may not come in the greatest and the screen will freeze up at the most inopportune time.  When that happens, just keep in mind that technology advances may be frustrating at times, but sometimes you have to take the bad if you want the good that goes along with it.  Often times, too, I've found the good outweighs the bad when it comes to digital media.  Just remember to keep that in mind when you are watching your favorite football team attempt a game winning touchdown during the next Superbowl only to have the digital picture freeze up as the ball is flying into the end zone.  

Digital Versus Analog Television

With all the hype of the impending DTV transition, many people are left wondering, "How do I know what kind of TV I have?"  This blog post will attempt to answer that question.  I must give you fair warning though; I am not an electrician or a television repair person so I will try to explain the difference to the best of my ability.  To help me make sense of the difference between the two types, I consulted www.howstuffworks.com and did a search for television. 

I'll start with what I found on analog television first.  Aside from the type of signal the television can receive, an analog television set usually looks a lot like the one below.  

As you can see from this picture I got from www.howstuffworks.com, the inside of a television is quite complex.  Someplace among the wires above is an analog processor, which converts the frequency waves into usable information.  Once the analog signal is received and processed, the cathode ray tube (located at the back of the set) a beam of electrons onto the screen.  Right in the middle of the picture above, there is a big bundle of copper wires.  These wires create a magnetic field that moves the electron light beam all over the screen.  Once the electrons hit the screen, which is made of phosphor, the screen begins to glow and broadcast the picture to the viewer.  Although this is an older type of television and most analog televisions look like this, there may be some cathode ray tube televisions on the market today that actually have digital processors in them.    

In a digital television, the signal is received as a small packet of information rather than in a frequency wave.  Because of the type of signal being received, a different type of processor is needed to broadcast the information on the screen.  Nearly all of the televisions being sold today already have those processors in them, but for some of the older models, which may have only be boughten a year or so ago, still only have the analog processor in them.  Most of the digital televisions today come with a LCD or plasma screen because they produce a better quality picture to broadcast the digital signal.  These televisions are normally lighter and flatter because they don't have to include tube and copper wire design as shown above in the cathode ray tube picture.  If you are going out to buy one of these types of televisions, I would do some homework first to the different types and what they offer before making a purchase to ensure you are getting the best television for your money.      

For those of you not in the market for a new television, a good test to know if you have a digital or an analog processor in your current television is to find out when one of the local stations will be shutting off their analog signal for testing purposes.  When they do, hook up the antenna and see if your television still picks up the signal.  You could also check the instruction manual (if you still have it) to see if it says anything about a digital processor in it.  If you don't have the manual, I would also recommend running a channel scan to see if your television gives you the option for a digital scan.  

I hope I haven't lost anyone in this sea of television technology.  Television is a complicated process and doesn't really need to be understood to enjoy.  However, if you would like to find out more about the LCD and plasma televisions or to get a better understanding on how television works, I would recommend checking out www.howstuffworks.com. 

Helping with the DTV Transition

In preparation for what to write in this week's upcoming blogs, I discovered the "Digital TV: Convert Now" contest on YouTube.  It is a contest being sponsored by Google and the Consumer Electronics Association where you could win a Panasonic 50-inch Plasma HDTV, Sony Blu-ray high-definition disc player, and Pioneer Surround Sound System.  I'm not sure about you, but any one of those items would greatly enhance my television viewing experience.

By now I'm sure you're wondering what you have to do to win these wonderful prizes.  First you need to make a video that is less than three minutes in length.  The video's theme will inform and educate the public on how to prepare friends and family for the DTV transition.  After you have made the video, you need to create a YouTube account (if you do not already have one) and submit the video between October 21, 2008 and November 23, 2008.  After that time, judges will chose 5 finalists and the YouTube public at large will get to vote on the video they like the best.  The winner will be chosen on December 10.  This is just a brief summary of the contest and if you would like to find out more click on official rules. 

I've chosen to include this information on my blog not only to inform people of this contest (which I intend to win), but also to show how the media industry is using convergence media to disseminate information about the DTV transition.  I think this is truly an ingenious way to get more people informed about the transition.  Not only are Google and CEA using the Internet to reach people about the DTV transition, they are recruiting people to spread the word to their families and friends by having them make a video about how they plan to tell them.  I've often learned that the best way to hear about something is through word of mouth so this seems like a very good way to teach people about the transition in a way they may understand rather than watching a 30 second ad on a local television station.  Also, I am contributing to the convergence aspect of this plan as well by writing about the contest and the DTV transition on a blog, which coincidentally is owned by Google.  This just proves that converged media has really taken over.  

I'm off to get some ideas for my video project and to start making room the for the 50-inch plasma HDTV.  If you have any ideas on how to help me win, feel free to comment and let me know!

Just When You Thought Snow Was Bad....

If you have been following my blog for any amount of time now, you will remember I said I was going to do a test of the DTV broadcast system and that I would report back with the results I found. I have since done so and I can honestly say, with a great deal of sadness, the results were not that wonderful. What I witnessed was actually worse, in my opinion, than watching the "snowy" analog channels, which will soon be no more. One might ask, "With all of this great new digital technology, how could it be worse than snow?" My friends, let me tell you, it can be!

I'll start by giving some background information on the equipment I conducted my analysis on. I have a new HDTV with a built in digital tuner, thus I have no need for a digital converter box. I also used an old pair of rabbit ears that I dug out of the back closet and placed them strategically on top of the entertainment center. After hooking them up and changing the settings on the television to scan air and not cable signals, I began my analysis.

At first glance, I was rather impressed on the way the picture looked. I was thinking this might actually be worth dumping the cable for after all. I flipped through the channels with amazement when suddenly I noticed the pixelation. I figured it must have been from bad reception, much like how the "snow" showed up in the old days. There is one key difference between the two types of bad reception though. With the "snow," you could still at least watch what was being broadcast with only the slightest frustration of not getting a very good picture. However, with the pixelation, the entire screen froze up and stayed that way until the signal came in clearer. Imagine this happening while you are watching a Monday night football game and you missed the game winning touchdown because the frame was frozen in place. That is a whole new level of frustration to deal with.

I understand this passage seems to be a little negative to the whole DTV conversion, but understand I am just reporting on what I witnessed on my first test of the system. After speaking with an engineer at a local television station, I realized there may have been some things I was doing wrong during this initial test, so I've decided not to give up on the quest to make DTV work for me. In the next few weeks I'm going to be upgrading some of my equipment and testing the system again. When I get my results, I will report back.

In addition, if you have tested the new DTV system for yourself, I would love some feedback on the the experience worked for you. Feel free to comment below!

The DTV Transition and the Television Station

Three million dollars.  That is how much one local television station spent to upgrade their equipment to make it compliant for the DTV transition.  I spoke with one of the engineers at the station earlier today and he said that is roughly what they have spent so far to upgrade their equipment for the transition.  This equipment includes tower upgrades and transmitter upgrades--basically taking the existing equipment and updating it to make it DTV compliant.  Imagine the size of the bill if this station had bought all new equipment rather than updating existing equipment.  Yikes!         

Now, I don't know about you, but $3,000,000 still seems like a lot of money for a smaller market television station to dish out for a federally mandated project.  Since it is something that the government is requiring of all full power television stations, wouldn't you think they would help to pay the bill?  The answer, unfortunately for those stations, is NO!  Unlike the consumer who can request a coupon to help defer the cost of their converter box, the small town television stations don't get the option to request help for upgrading their stations.  

The good news (at least for people who live in Eastern North Dakota) is that all of the local television stations have already completed the upgrade to broadcast digitally.  That means the average television consumer who will be buying a converter box before February can buy one now if they want and get a digital quality picture without having to wait until 2009.  If you don't live in Eastern North Dakota and would like to find out if the stations in you area have converted yet, visit the National Association of Broadcasters website.

The DTV Transition and the Viewer

After talking to friends and family for the past few months about the DTV Transition, one question seems to be coming up more than any other: How will the DTV Transition affect me? The answer to the question will depend greatly on the the user and the type of equipment they are already using.  Lets examine some possible scenarios to answer the question.

The first scenario I would like to tackle is one that my brother Lee is dealing with.  He has an older television set and uses rabbit ears to pick up the few random stations he can get in his area.  Since he doesn't watch much TV, he doesn't want to waste his money on cable or a satellite dish.  He has seen the commercials about the DTV Transition and asked me what he needed to do so he can continue to pick up the shows he does watch.  

The best advice I could give my brother is to go get a DTV converter box, which range in price from $40 to $70.  Also because many people who need the boxes come from low income households, the government is offering to pay up to $40 per box to help defer the cost.  The $40 would come in the form of a coupon and each household can get up to two coupons.  If you would like a coupon, go to https://www.dtv2009.gov/options.aspx and view your options on how to request one.  There is a lot of other useful information at this site as well including the different models of boxes available and where to find the boxes in your area.  My brother may still have to pay a few dollars, depending on the converter box he chooses, to continue to watch his regular programing, but at least it is a one time fee and not a monthly cable bill.  I also think once he gets his box and starts watching  the digital cable without the fuzz of regular rabbit ears, he will be happy he did.  

Scenario number two involves my dad who already has a digital cable box hooked up to his television.  He asked me how the DTV Transition will change how he is currently watching television.  I told him it wouldn't affect him at all.  For people who have digital cable boxes or just plain cable hooked up to their televisions, the transition won't even be noticed.  Since their television is already coming in the digital form, cable and satellite viewers are not required to get a digital converter box or any other new piece of equipment to make the transition.  The exception here is for those people who still have a television in the house not hooked up to cable or for those people whose satellite provider does not offer local channels and they are using an antenna to receive those channels in an analog form.  In those instances, a digital converter box will be needed as well.  

The last scenario is my story.  I have a new television I bought less than a year ago that has a digital tuner built into it.  I currently have cable, but have wanted to switch back to rabbit ears since cable is expensive and I don't have much time to watch TV while going to school.  Since my television has a built in digital tuner, I am not required to get a converter box to pick up digital channels.  I am able to just hook the antenna up to my television and I will be able to pick up all digital channels being broadcast in my area.  I have attempted to do this already with mixed results.  Look for a recap of this experiment in my blog later this week.  

On a side note, I have added some blogs I am following that involve other people who are following the DTV Transition as well to my site.  They may help you understand the transition a little better.  Check them out--I'm sure they would appreciate the visit!

  

Is it February Already?

I happened upon a startling discovery earlier this week: the DTV transition has already begun!  I'm not talking about the few random stations here or there that have started to broadcast in digital as well as keeping their analog signal.  No, this transition is a full fledged cut off all analog signal transition, and it is affecting a large population of people in North Carolina.

I made this discovery right after I had just finished posting my last blog about the DTV transition.  I turned on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams as I like to catch up on the days events from time to time.  One of the news stories, this particular night, really caught my attention though.  It was about the DTV transition and how Wilmington, NC, has become the first market in the country to make the transition.  I have embedded the video below in case you missed the story (pay special attention to the obnoxiously large light switch that was hooked up to absolutely nothing when they flipped it on).

   

I think it is great the transition is going rather smoothly and that they are testing markets to ensure a smooth transition for the rest of us.  However, I do have a slight problem with this early transition.  First off, I have been scanning www.dtv.gov for several weeks now and don't recall seeing anything on their site about how the Wilmington, NC, television market would be making the transition so soon.  I am sure the stations that made the transition had been running the ads and crawls like they have been here prior to the switch.  However, if anyone in that area had gone to find more information about it on the main website, they would have come up short.  

I also found a story about the Wilmington transition on CNN.com.  It states that the local Walmart had a sign posted that said they ran out of the digital boxes needed to decode the signal.  So that makes me wonder, was the shortage due to lack of planning on behalf of Walmart or did the community not have enough advanced warning to get the boxes?  Or could it possibly have been that the box manufacturers haven't been able to keep up with the demand?  All very good questions I hope the government has answered before February.    

What is Digital Television and Why is it Needed??

For months now television stations have been running scrolls during popular television shows and playing commercials about the transition to digital television. I've seen them, as I'm sure many of you have, and thought, "What is digital television and why do we need it?" Since the focus of this blog spot is about the DTV transition, I figured I needed to answer those questions sooner than later.

So what is digital television? I believe my instructor for Communication 442 said it best when she described digital television as a bunch of 1s and 0s being sent through a cable, which are then processed by the television set to bring high quality picture and sound to its viewers. This differs from current broadcast television, which is an analog signal being sent through the airwaves to your television and can be received using an antenna. Analog signals lose quality when transmitted causing static, distortion of color and can be affected by the weather. Digital television is also a more condensed signal, which allows television stations to multicast, or broadcast several different signals, giving the consumer a greater variety of programming.

Although the quality alone seems like a good reason for the transition, it isn't a good enough reason for congress to mandate a change nationwide. So why do we need to switch to digital television? According to information found at http://www.dtv.gov/, the transition will free up broadcast airwaves for emergency services and allow more wireless broadband towers into certain areas. I am not completely sure these reasons mandate an act of congress, but I guess in the long run it will pay off in some form or another.

On a personal note, I am curious to see how the signal and picture quality will change. I currently have an HDTV hooked up to basic cable and am already seeing the how multicasting works. I bought this television less than a year ago and know it has the built in digital tuner. I may end up trying a few experiments in the near future and will report back with any findings I have.

DTV Day is Coming!

Television as we know it is about to change. On February 17, 2009, nearly all television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting their analog signal and start broadcasting digitally. Since technology is constantly changing and improving, the television industry decided to follow suit and improve their signal to broadcast a better picture.

This is a very significant event that will impact the television industry. For this reason, I felt it was important enough to cover in this blog. Look for future blogs to cover topics such as what the transition entails, what television stations need to do to adapt to the transition, and what the user needs to do to adapt to the transition.

Can't wait for future blogs to find out about the DTV transition? Click on the image below to learn more.

After I initially posted this blog, I began to think of all the other ways television has transitioned in the past few years. Some of these changes include the introduction of HDTV and also the types of equipment television stations are needing to change to keep up with technology. Although the changes aren't directly correlated with the DTV transition, I think getting some background information on other television technology changes might help you understand the need for the DTV transition.