If you’re still not ready for digital TV, here’s West Seattle help

So far it’s not looking too likely that Congress will go ahead with suggestions to push back the “digital TV transition” date currently set for Feb. 17th. If you still need help sorting out whether you’re ready for that transition, West Seattle help is available – check out this list of locations and times. (Left side of that page has answers to frequently asked questions, too.)

20 Replies to "If you're still not ready for digital TV, here's West Seattle help"

  • GenHillOne January 29, 2009 (9:56 am)

    I’m re-posting this from the forum discussion awhile ago because I’m still befuddled. Aside from numerous reports about national shortages on the basic conversion box/coupons to make them more affordable…why isn’t anyone talking about this other box (media or Comcast)?
    http://tinyurl.com/6z57rg

    Comcast’s website STILL says that if you “are currently connected to Comcast, you don’t have to worry about a thing” when the digital conversion takes place in February, but the above KING-TV story states that anyone with basic expanded cable and an analog tv will need a box to be able to view channels above 30. They will provide boxes for up to three sets, after that, boxes are $1.99/mo. I haven’t seen anything in my Comcast bill about getting them (or even needing them!)…was KING just wrong? It seems to me that a lot of folks will wake up to a big surprise when they try to turn on CNN, MTV, or ESPN the next day.

    BTW, it also appears that those little battery-operated tvs or “radios” that pick up tv sound (we keep them in our disaster kits) will be rendered useless with this change too. Something we hadn’t thought of until we caught a mention on tv.

  • d January 29, 2009 (10:07 am)

    GHO –

    Yup. Befuddled here too.

    I called Comcast the day before yesterday. They told me I did not need to do or purchase anything. The phone rep I spoke to was insistent.

    Yet, I second your question to get more clarification.

  • B-squared January 29, 2009 (10:15 am)

    I need this help! i have a big, old antenna on my chimney. has been working just fine with my 1985 TV. i bought the digital converter box and hooked it up. i even went to the website:
    http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
    to be sure my antenna was pointed effectively (yes, up on the roof with compass, twisting antenna pole).

    Now i get more channels – none that i will likely watch, but now my 4 and 5 come in really crumby. it is like the signal is suddenly “weak” and they get all pixelated or whatever the word is for crappy digital images with chunks missing. am i suppose to be consoled that i also gained five religious channels? i think it’s the work of the devil.

  • Jason January 29, 2009 (10:23 am)

    B-squared, that is one of the funniest posts on WSBlog I have read in a while! Thank you. :P

  • WSB January 29, 2009 (10:28 am)

    This is going to sound flip but I would not believe everything I saw in a 1:30 TV report explaining a complicated issue, because I spent so many years seeing exactly how said reports happened. All us journalist types have our shortcomings but MUCH gets lost in the translation on tv, especially because you have to distill it into such a short amount of airtime, and of all the media sources I monitor now, when I see stories I’ve personally covered turn up in other media, that’s where it gets screwed up. (Even small things like at least 2 tv operations saying “Alki” is where the suicide victim’s body was found earlier this week.) In our household, Patrick is the expert on this (at one point we were going to dump cable altogether so he got the cheap converter box, but I need Seattle Channel on a big screen so for now we’re stuck) and he promises to jump into this thread shortly. I’m also going to flag a local Comcast person who might be able to clarify. Their page (not terribly helpful though) is
    http://www.comcast.com/dtv/getready.html

  • Sue January 29, 2009 (10:57 am)

    I’ve heard so many conflicting reports on whether you need a converter box thru Comcast or not to get higher channels. I figure I’ll just wait until I wake up on 2/17 and see what my TV does. :) We only have Comcast’s Limited Basic ($12.50/mo), and if I’m reading the Comcast DTV FAQ correctly, it looks as if that might be enough. We’ll see. Other stuff I’m reading is that “coincidentally” a lot of cable companies are also changing around their tiers so that the “good” channels are on higher priced services soon after the conversion. It’ll be interesting to watch what happens.

  • clark5080 January 29, 2009 (11:03 am)

    Comcast is supposed to be at my house today and I is bringing one of the above mentioned boxes. I will pin him down and clarify if possible.

    Jim

  • trenda January 29, 2009 (11:32 am)

    For the best help with Seattle OTA reception go to the below web link.
    Things to keep in mind: big trees, hills, and tall buildings will cause signal break ups. (Many households are never going to be able to get a strong digital signal due to hills, trees, etc.) Higher is usually better but sometimes lower can improve the signal. (my antenna is on the ground under a shrub) If your antenna is rusty/worn you may need to replace it. Use 2GHZ splitters/joiners, use RG6 cable, use terminator end caps for any unused connections – all these things will improve your signal.
    Remember: channels 9-11-13 will move back to the VHF band after Feb. 17 the other channels will remain on the UHF band -rescan after Feb. 17. Also, you may need to tweak your antenna position again on that day.

    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=254620&page=239

  • Shauna Causey January 29, 2009 (12:00 pm)

    Hi all, I agree. This can be confusing since it involves some level of “technical speak.” I’ll try to clear this up as simply as possible:

    1. BROADCAST DIGITAL TRANSITION:
    Mandated by the federal government (this is not a Comcast decision).
    Involves broadcast channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS.
    There has been talk about moving the date but right now it’s still set for Feb. 17. This only affects TV’s that are getting over-the-air signals through rabbit ears or antenna. If you are connected to cable or any other TV provider, you will not have to worry about this whatsoever. If you don’t have a service provider, here are your options:
    -purchase a DTV converter box
    -purchase a new TV with a digital tuner
    -subscribe to cable or another service provider (Limited Cable is the lowest level or cable service and will allow you to see the broadcast channels after Feb. 17)

    2. COMCAST UPGRADES: Separately, Comcast is working on longer term project called The World of More, Digital Migration here in WA state.
    Who is affected by this project: Comcast customers with a level of service that was called “Expanded Basic.” You have this level of service if: you do NOT have a set-top box but you DO have channels 30-70.
    Why: Comcast is upgrading our services; launching more HD channels, faster Internet speeds, improved picture quality, and more.
    What will happen: Comcast customers who have TV’s with no box AND channels 30-70 will get a very small Digital Transport Adapter (about the width of three business cards and a few inches thick). Anyone with “Expanded Basic” will get two of these DTAs for free. This is a longer term project and if you are affected by this project, you will get multiple notices in the mail and plenty of notice about what’s happening.
    You don’t have to do anything if: TV’s in the house have “Limited Cable” (channels 2-29 and 76-116) or TVs have digital cable service and a set-top box.

    If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Shauna_Causey@cable.comcast.com

  • Jim January 29, 2009 (12:04 pm)

    As a point of interest… The DTV signals from all our local broadcasters have been funneled into the cable stream, since they began broadcasting them a year or two ago. I believe that is a FCC requirement that all broadcast signals be run through the cable (hence all these low power religous and shopping channels elbowing into basic cable). But what I have with my HD digital comcast box is the signal from KING for example is downsized from the broadcast signal. basically a smaller picture than my TV is capable of. so all my HD channels off the box are black framed. Yet if I bypass the box and bring the broadcast signal that is on the cable and tune it in with my HD tuner on the TV, I get the full screen picture with amazing clarity. If you have basic cable now, hook that cable direct to a new digital TV and you will have all sorts of channels you never knew were there. but after the switch that should be all that is there. In other words, if the signal is dropped over the air, I can’t imagine comcast continuing to carry it. Or if they do, it won’t be for long. those analog stations eat up a lot of bandwith. It seems to me you will need a box of some kind, if you plan to watch cable on an old analog TV. But I agree, it is confusing. One thing is for sure, our questions will all be answered in a couple weeks.

  • Patrick January 29, 2009 (1:22 pm)

    It’s little wonder that’s there’s confusion. A good many people have said that the transition was not well publicized enough prior to the impending conversion. Essentially what happened is that the FCC auctioned off channels 2-13 to the cellphone companies and Google for future high speed wireless access. The existing tv stations such as KOMO & KING are moving their signals to the UHF band.

  • WSB January 29, 2009 (1:30 pm)

    Well, I remember people jumping up and down and screaming about this before I left TV more than a year ago. But the terminology of the endless PSAs never quite seemed to hit gut level YOUR TV IS NOT GOING TO WORK ANY MORE SOON UNLESS YOU SIT UP AND DO THIS NOW!!!!!! It was all very pretty and bureaucratic “The FCC has mandated a change in TV broadcasting” blah blah blah zzzzzzzzzz

  • Michael January 29, 2009 (1:36 pm)

    EXTREMELY partisan posturing from the House Republicans is to blame for the non-passage of the extension (the Senate, on the same bill, voted nearly unanimously!).

    But there is still hope – apparently a simple majority vote can be implemented, which House Republicans can’t block.

    As for whether you need a converter, If your TV comes from cable – ANY cable – you don’t have to worry.

    Only those using “rabbit ears” or old-fashioned metal antennas are affected.

  • Jim January 29, 2009 (4:31 pm)

    If we are going to change systems, then lets do it. don’t bother with extensions. just get it done and over with. We are already going on 20 years now for implementation of the metric system…. And that is based on US standards that were established in the latter half of the 1800’s.

  • Forest January 29, 2009 (6:07 pm)

    I’ve heard and read countless public service announcements and national media articles about preparing analog TVs for the switch to digital, yet none of them have provided any useful advice beyond “get a converter box or cable subscription.” I’d appreciate learning from anybody in West Seattle who can recommend a specific brand and model of digital converter box that is providing them with a top quality conversion of analog to digital signals in West Seattle.

    Please, any firsthand recommendations of specific converter box brands and models that work from your West Seattle location? I am clueless about this and don’t watch enough TV these days to justify the added expense of a new outdoor antenna along with the digital converter box.

  • bolo January 29, 2009 (10:06 pm)

    I found this website most helpful
    http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29

    TV signals can be blocked by hills, highrises, trees, etc.

    The difference to remember between the new digital signal and the old analog signal is that a weakened analog signal can still provide a degraded snowy ghosted picture and sound but a weak digital signal, once below a threshold, will provide nothing for the set.

    This site is also helpful, mostly about antennas.
    http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/better_digital_tv_reception.html

  • Alvis January 30, 2009 (2:39 am)

    bolo –

    That all or nothing digital reception problem you mention is commonly known as the “cliff effect,” yet we haven’t heard word one about it — or any other potential reception glitches — from the countless PSA (public service announcement) spots that advise preparing an analog TV set for new crystal clear digital broadcasts will be as simple and troublefree as hooking a small converter to a rabbit ear antenna.

  • trenda January 30, 2009 (11:39 am)

    Converter Box:

    I have been very happy with my Zenith DTT900 box. It has a strong tuner and is easy to set up.
    I live at 430 feet near Westcrest Park. It’s a “sweet” location for digital signals.

    Where you live is probably going to matter more than which equipment you purchase.

    I’ve been watching digital tv since January 2004 with a Samsung SIR-T351 standalone digital tuner and a digital capable tv -this Zenith does a better job of grabbing channels. I use the Zenith with my 10 year old tv.

  • Forest January 30, 2009 (1:07 pm)

    Thanks for the product suggestion, Trenda. I had heard a few good things about one of the Zenith models last autumn, but its ‘authorized’ offline retailer turned out to not even stock any Zenith boxes or take back orders on them. (Instead, the retailer tried to sell me a non-branded box for double the price.)

    I’ll make another try at finding the model that’s working well for you. Thanks again.

  • d January 30, 2009 (5:24 pm)

    Thanks for all the info peeps!

Sorry, comment time is over.