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DTV preparedness now more than 95-percent
Here we are, a little more than a month away from the February 17 June 12 analog shutoff date, and sure enough, more people have grabbed hold of a digital tuner in one device or another. According to Nielsen, the number of unprepared homes is now at 3.1-percent (3.5-million homes). To put that in perspective, recall that at the start of February, we were sitting at 5.1-percent. We're pretty impressed that the number has moved below the 5-percent mark, and certainly a lot of credit goes to stations that went ahead with the switch ahead of the June 12 deadline. Zeno and his paradox aside, we've got high hopes that the June 12th date is going to stick, folks!
Number of DTV unready homes drops to 3.8 million
The number of DTV unready homes continues its slide downward, with Nielsen reporting an additional 610,000 prepared as of April 1, leaving 3.8 million to go. Representing 3.4% of U.S. households still unready, that's only a slight uptick over the pace of previous months, but with coupons rolling out it certainly seems that everything is moving smoothly towards the new June 12 deadline.
PlayTV's NZ debut purportedly delayed to add Freeview HD support
Bret? Present. Jemaine? Present. Murray? Present. PlayTV? ... Sony's PlayTV DVR add-on for the PlayStation 3 suffered through more than one delay before going on sale in Europe, and it appears thing will be no different in New Zealand, but at least with good reason - they're getting HD working this time. As it stands, the original version's dual HD DVB-T tuners are pretty useless since there aren't any Freeview stations broadcasting in that format in the UK and FreeSat HD support is still up in the air. David Hine from Sony revealed on the ButtonMasher podcast that a push back 'til the end of the year is related to the spread of high definition on the island, so that they can "work in" HD support before it launches, unleashing Remote Play and XMB powered HDTV watching upon the populace so they can catch season two of Flight of the Conchords as it was meant to be seen.
Number of folks unready for DTV transition falls to 4 million
Just days ago, we heard that the DTV voucher waitlist was completely gone, and now that those have started to flow again, the amount of Americans still unready for the switchover sits at 4.1 million. Compared to right around two months ago, that's definitely a marked improvement from 6.5 million still in the dark, and we fully anticipate that number to continually shrink as we inch closer to June 12th. Of course, there's going to come a time when the figure simply won't fall any lower, as a sliver of those still not ready will, frankly, remain that way. More power to 'em we say -- just keep the booze and bullets locked up and everything will be okay.
Another 158 analog TV stations flip to digital only
Another one (hundred and fifty-eight) bites the dust, as they say. With the newly established June 12th cutover date looming, another 158 TV stations across America have decided that enough is enough. In a new list that was sent over the FCC this week, we're told that another swath of stations intend to shut off their analog signals prior to the mandatory June 12th cutover date. For what it's worth, the majority of the 158 are in smaller markets and don't broadcast any of the four major commercial networks, but we wouldn't be shocked to hear of more of this as more and more stations grow tired of waiting around.
Cablevision to stop selling analog TV by year's end
While RCN has been crushing analog all over America, it's Cablevision making the decision to totally nix the sale of analog service by 2010. Granted, only five percent of its 3.1 million video customers currently receive its analog expanded basic package, but it's still a move in the right direction. Of note, those folks currently receiving analog will still get their fix when we ring in the next new year, but the carrier will no longer be marketing those analog services after 2009. Remember kids, less analog means more space. And more space means more channels. And more channels often means more HD.
Number of DTV unready households dips below 4 percent as of March 1
More good news for the digital TV switch, as Nielsen's latest update pegs just 3.9 percent, an improvement of 570,000 homes over last month. The older you are, the more likely you're prepared as the over 55 age group is down to just 2.2 percent unready. Now that the coupon program is funded and running again we wouldn't be surprised to see even more drastic drops before June 12, we're just waiting to grab a set that lights up.
DTV coupons begin flowing once more, waitlist should vanish in 3 weeks
For all of you still waiting for a little governmental assistance in buying that DTV converter box that you should've purchased months ago (we kid... a little), we've excellent news. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is overseeing the program, has announced that it has finally begun to ship $40 vouchers towards the purchase of these very boxes once more. The waitlist has grown some 4.1 million deep since the subsidy program ran dry back in January, but the agency is hoping to have that cleared within three weeks. Of course, you better not procrastinate on your second chance -- who knows how quickly the $650 million it has left will last.[Image courtesy of BreakItDownBlog]
Intel develops embeddable DTV antenna for OTA on the go
Not wanting you to miss a second of LOST while you're making the Wednesday night commute, Intel has created an embeddable Digital TV antenna for picking up that fancy over-the-air HD signal from your laptop without having to use one of those cumbersome external receivers. There isn't much to say here other than its existence and this handy diagram (the preferred DTV receptor method is on the right, by the way). With details pretty scant and the patent still pending -- not to mention the official transition date in perpetual flux -- don't get your hopes up for seeing this hit the market anytime soon.
Panasonic delivers first LCD packing built-on Japanese HD DTV antennas
Inside what appears to be a run of the mill Panasonic 17-inch 1366 x 768 edge LED backlit IPS LCD (ok, maybe not so run of the mill) is a world's first, picking up that title because it can go where your external antenna wiring doesn't. Capable of picking up all 12 segments of Japan's digital TV broadcasts courtesy of that funky rear mounted antenna -- lighting up (pictured) is thankfully optional -- the TH-L17F1 HDTV is completely ready for Japan's still upcoming DTV transition. Of course, diversity antennas alone are nothing new, with plenty of DVB / ISDB (the digital TV format of choice in Europe and Japan) tuners capable of picking up multiple sub channels or, in this case, able to kick down to 1seg in particularly bad signal conditions, to improve picture quality. We don't know how well that could work with ATSC broadcasts in the U.S. but never fear, we're sure Panasonic will figure out a way to bring over annoyingly distracting (and hopefully better at picking up digital TV signals) antenna technology soon enough.[Via AV Watch]
DTV switch rough going for some
Predictably, some folks aren't getting the same reception they used to now that analog broadcasts have (partially) shut off. An AP report featured in USA Today cited stats showing half of the 25,000 calls to the FCC on February 18 were because of reception or antenna issues. As we've known, the effect of the digital cliff and obstructions can make continuing to receive OTA channels a dicey affair depending on where you live. Some have given in and subscribed to cable or satellite, while others are still experimenting with antenna placement, waiting for higher power broadcasts or tower moves, and some have just learned to live without it. Any DTV tales of woe and/or triumph now that we're a couple of weeks past the first stage of the switch?
DTV call center successfully handles influx of confused callers
Given that the expectation was for hordes of confused TV viewers to phone in over the past two days in order to ask why their local OTA station was suddenly unavailable, it's no shock to see a big deal made of successfully managing through it. For those unaware, 421 stations decided to go ahead with their originally planned DTV transition date of February 17th, and we're told that over 28,000 perplexed Americans dialed 1-888-CALL-FCC on Tuesday for assistance in getting their sets working. The call center was setup to handle around 100,000 calls on the day that US broadcasters were previously scheduled to go from analog to digital, but obviously, far fewer people either a) cared or b) needed help. See, that wasn't so bad, was it?
How well is the DTV switch going? Depends who you ask
A day into what could have been the all digital broadcasting future, it's hard to tell how the switch is going over. So far the National Association of Broadcasters came out with a statement indicating "encouraging" results, with only a few hundred calls logged in several markets that made the switch to all digital and easy over the phone fixes for most issues. At the same time the AP found confusion caused by print ads scheduled prior to the delay containing out of date information and visited a Rhode Island information center with phones ringing off the hook from callers trying to figure out where their analog TV went. Until things blow over we're not leaving the fortified and cable / satellite / FiOS connected Engadget bunker (you didn't think we were letting that CES trailer go just yet, did you?) until things blow over, let us know how the partially analog TV free world looks where you are.Read - NAB Statement on Feb. 17 Markets Switching to Digital TVRead - 25% of analog TV signals cut off
The FCC releases the Go-NoGo analog shutoff list
When the FCC denied about 25 percent of the broadcasters who wanted to go early from going on the original date, the first thing that we wanted to know was which ones? The good news is that FCC has finally posted a comprehensive list of every high powered station in the country and who went all digital today. Out of the 106 the FCC originally had objections to shutting down analog, 53 worked it out, 10 are still trying, and 43 actually agreed to delay. In total, about 36 percent of the 1796 full power stations made the switch (outlined in red in the linked xls spreadsheet) today, with 115 days and counting until the rest do.[Via HomeTheaterMag]Read -- 43 stations who agreed not to shut off analog. (xls)Read -- 641 stations that completed the transition today (xls)
Converter coupon waitlist still 4 million deep
Sure, Tuesday the 17th doesn't hold the same luster as before, but a key reason for this day coming and passing is the converter coupon program running out of cash. The waiting list recently measured around 4 million strong, with 100,000 or so coupons going out each day as older ones expired and freed up funds. It'll only take two weeks to clear the list completely once the additional funding from the stimulus package comes through, unfortunately too late to avoid a pushback of the DTV switch. Waiting for a coupon and live in a place where all / most of the stations are shutting off analog today? You're still on the same first-come, first-served list as everyone else, but we're sure you followed our advice and picked up the necessary equipment with plenty of time to spare.
The original DTV transition: what could've been
Exactly one year ago today, we sat as prepared as ever to embrace the forthcoming world of digital TV. After February 17th, no longer would Americans have to suffer through yet another poor analog broadcast, and no longer would we have to wait for all that spectrum to be freed up for much more spectacular things. With just a year to go, we laid out a simple six-step program that would help confused TV watchers ensure that they would be ready on the seventeenth day of February, the year two-thousand and nine. Fast forward to this very moment, and confusion about the cutover is still rampant. In fact, the cutover hasn't even happened. Well, it sort of has. Ahh... see what we mean? Come along after the break, it gets crazier.
Best Buy wants to annoy you into a converter box, takes the DTV PSAs in-store
For the five percent of you who managed to miss the whole analog TV shutoff debacle, select Best Buy locations will be blaring out hourly PSA-style announcements in-store, just to bring you up to speed. Even if you can't hear the hourly chime of impending analog Armageddon over the din of everyday Best Buy activity, personnel milling about in "DTV Blackout Prevention" tees should clue you in to the fact that something is going on. That's your cue to ask what the big deal is, whereupon your salesperson will encourage you to act without delay to keep the OTA flowing into your eyeballs. If you've put things off this long, though, you'll be able to procrastinate another four months, right? Seriously -- just pick up a new converter box if there's one on the shelf, because we really don't want to postpone the switch again, mkay?
FCC approves 368 of 491 stations switching off analog Tuesday
In the daily DTV transition update, the FCC saw fit to hold up 123 of 491 stations planning to shut off analog TV on February 17, based on factors like whether or not there would be any stations still available in a given market. Those 123 can still make a case for going all digital by tomorrow evening, so even this list is not the final one. As it is, 368 stations are definitely making the switch, but with 5 days to go we still don't have a complete list of who is doing what, when, so stay tuned (if you can.)
President Obama signs DTV delay bill into law
No way Obama was going to veto this after driving it all the way through Congress, but technically, the digital TV delay wasn't actually official until now. Late today, America's President signed his name onto the bill which will delay the digital TV transition from February 17th to June 12th, though a provision allows stations to switch over beforehand should they choose. In fact, hundreds of stations still plan to kill analog later this month, as they've been planning towards that date for years now. Honestly, we can't figure out what the purpose of this is. Unless there's more cash for the currently dry voucher program tucked away somewhere in that mind-bogglingly large "stimulus package," delaying the pain won't solve a thing. Though it will confuse the hell out of people, so there's that.
491 stations still shutting off analog TV next week
Though the prez still hasn't signed off on the delay, the FCC has already compiled a list of 190 TV stations going / gone all digital prior to February 17, plus 491 more that will go ahead with the shutoff as previously scheduled. The four major networks promised their stations will stay on analog until the new June 12 deadline, however that guarantee only extends to the 100 or so they own. If that's not confusing enough, the FCC could still influence broadcasters to keep analog signals going whether they want to or not based on "the public interest," for example if it's necessary to keep at least some stations on in any given market. As it stands, the linked PDFs below will reveal which, if any, of your local broadcasters are switching on Tuesday; hopefully you've followed our advice so far and continue to avoid any predatory schemes.Read - Appendix A (List of all stations ending analog service before or on February 17)Read - Appendix B (List of all full power TV stations, with the 681 stations ending service on or before February 17 indicated in bold)
