FCC's Kevin Martin proposes alternatives for delaying DTV transition
By Darren Murph 
posted January 12th 2009 4:07AM
posted January 12th 2009 4:07AM
Shortly after Barack Obama's transition team urged Congress to postpone the looming digital TV transition, FCC chairman Kevin Martin has hit back with suggestions to keep things on track. His primary concern is that delaying the cutover, which has been scheduled for years and advertised as such, will confuse consumers -- and honestly, we think he has a point. If the February 17th changeover date suddenly becomes meaningless, we could definitely see consumer confusion about this whole ordeal hitting an all-time high. Martin was quoted at an interview at CES as saying that "there are options they can do without having to delay to get coupons flowing immediately," suggesting that extra funding should be hastily given or that those 90-day expiration dates be marked null and void. Additionally, many broadcasters have already scheduled work to take down their analog equipment, and cancellations could be costly and disruptive. Oh, brother -- just call us when this mess is over.
This may be partially un-related, but I live in a suburb of Rochester, NY, minutes from the television stations - and broadcast towers - and I have a terrible time receiving digital signals. I can get one for CBS, but if I want to watch Fox, I have to completely re-position my equipment.
Repeat for every network. The only one that comes in consistently is the local PBS network - and they broadcast six different channels at once. Maybe "viewers like you" should contribute some money to the local CBS, Fox, NBC, and ABC affiliates to get some stronger equipment.
@eric
have you checked out antennaweb.org and the avsforum.com [regional dtv], usually lots of helpful info there.
The issue you're running into is the broadcast towers are so close to you that one antenna position for a standard type of antenna cannot provide a wide angle of reception. This is already an issue with analog, but digital doesn't fail as gracefully and so an incorrectly aimed antenna is near useless unlike the old tech that just lost clarity.
A new antenna that can receive signal from nearly any angle will work better in a situation like yours, and because of your proximity it wouldn't even have to be a very large or sensitive one. This is one of the unfortunate hidden costs of the transition, some people will need to at the very least re-aim antennas, if not buy a whole new one.
A hidden problem, created by the TV stations, has now surfaced in San Antonio with the DTV (Digital TV) transition about to happen next month.
Everyone is concentrating on getting a converter box, BUT the problem is that once you get one you realize that ALL (but one) TV stations in the area have set up their digital transmitters 20 miles or more from the city, which (as indicated in all DTV antennas instructions) makes it impossible to receive a signal strong enough for the converter box to work!
That means people like me, who did get the converter box practically free thanks to the US government, BUT who shelled out $50 at Walmart to get their best DTV antenna, will end up next month practically in the dark.
How could the FCC have allowed this boo-boo?
People seem to think that for the last 2 years this has been planned, Your wrong, for the last 10 years the government has been planning this and informed the public about it. And has set 2 dates before that it deemed broadcasters and consumers could not meet and delayed it. It informed all stores that they had to inform customers about the switch and made sure broadcasters were well aware of what was going to happen. In fact the government even helped out by producing stories 2-3 years ago on CNN, ABC and other networks about the transition and the reasons for it to try and sway the American public to get this done as fast as possible. And in reality it's a 10 minute job (If you need to do it) to switch over your signal. Overall we can't keep delaying this because people don't understand or aren't ready. You've had plenty of time to find the help you need, and waited to the last minute. Your fault, not the governments. They have plans for that system, and the longer we delay them, the worse off everyone will be.
[FCC: Shows up with bulldozers]
We are here to tear down your TVs to make way for the new "digital hyperspace TV highway". We don't understand your issues as the plans for the "digital hyperspace TV highway" have been in the planning office for your viewing the last 2 years.
I understand wanting the delay, but honestly, people dont deserve the extra time. Those that havent gotten the coupons will go out and buy boxes the day they discover they have lost TV service.
It will be a pain in the ass for everyone though. Im not sure if my parents ever bought their boxes (I know they got the coupons, but only god knows if they ever used them, much less hooked them up) and I know one of my grandparents didnt ever get the coupons.
Unfortunately, I think they will just have to suck it up and fix the problem themselves. Its been advertised for months now, and Ive been reminding everyone I know. If they failed to prepare, its their own damn faults.
joe sixpack,
OK you are a moron, did you find any of these 'converter boxes that were available for years' at Sears or Best Buy? I sure in hell did not see them. Only receivers for wide screen 50 in. 'monitors' that cause over $300. not dumbed down ATSC TO NTSC converter boxs that the coupons are for.
When I refer to 'standard' tv that in the NTSC receivers, the HDTV is ATSC receivers. What the hell are you talking about? They are Not interchangeable. You can not get SDTV on a NTSC receivers, the analog tv only a ATSC receiver. All ATSC receivers are HDTV, it is what screen resolution you are using is what your pantys are all tied up with.
The only affordable ATSC tunes that the public had access to for the last several years was ATSC doggles and cards for you computer, not TVs. So shuty you mouthy, joe blow.
beholderseye
thanks for your stream of barely intelligible gibberish
you sir, are an idiot.
you clearly dont know what SD, HD, DTV, OTA etc actually mean. chucking in some incoherent mumblings about NTSC ATSC is funny.
because you did not see the set top boxes, does not mean they did not exist.[kind of like live naked women, for you]
not only did I find an STB, I bought one at that obscure store called circuit city, four years ago for $99. [sears!? you buy tech stuff from sears!?] all the boxes can convert to RF [go look it up, genius] output.
you clearly dont actually use DTV or you might know what you are talking about. do some googling [oops. www.google.com, perhaps you don't know about that either?] and educate yourself.
on second thoughts, let's not take that chance eh.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television
however, contrary to popular opinion, you are actually useful. you exemplify the general public's complete lack of knowledge on this subject.
The problems with the program are
There were no converters out when the first cards were mailed I checked Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Kmart, Target, Rite-aid, Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City and none had any.
Why wasn't the new standard built into TV's 5 years ago if the transition was created and planned 10 years ago; that way most people wouldn't need converters now since most tv's are 5 years or under.
Comcast, Time Warner, Dish, etc with there misleading ass commercials
Equal signal strength with current and future OTA broadcast many places will lose channels or people will have to buy antennas because everybody wont get the same channels that they have now those people will have to come out of pocket for amounts the government is not offering any type of credit for.
What the fuck are you selling a public system. If you can sell a public system how about reimbursing the public for it.
joe blow,
You are a moron, why do you keep bringing up thing that were not said. Go back to school. ATSC is the hdtv signal. ATSC receivers is in all new tvs and converter boxes, moron. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC_Standards
I give up. you lack even the most basic comprehension skills.
I bet you didnt even bother to read the link, did you?
one last time
DTV can be HD or SD. 11 of the 18 formats for ATSC are not HD [thats even in the link you posted]
also from your link
The high definition television standards defined by the ATSC produce wide screen 16:9 images up to 1920×1080 pixels in size — more than six times the display resolution of the earlier standard. However, many different image sizes are also supported, so that up to six standard-definition "virtual channels" can be broadcast on a single 6 MHz TV channel.
you are just too stupid for words.
I hope they don't let you play with anything sharp
I put up ota equipment and i have have customers, that live in a valley, less than 5 miles from a station and get no digital signal. I do not think that we should postpone rhe change over though. That is why we have satellite and cable.
the last thing that we should do is listen to kevin martin. this guy went 100% against popular opinion and allowed for increased media consolidation. this guy is scum and i honestly cannot wait until he's out of the government.
world class jerk, kevin martin.
You know why Obama is doing this?
Because all those people that voted for him that never voted before....well.....what do you think?
They did not listen.
This is the start of policies where a lot of people are going to get second chances they don't deserve.
I propose a simultaneous switchover period where the ads are shown on the analog system and the shows on digital :D