Television Broadcasting Changing to Digital

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This article was printed in the Tracy Press

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For all the latest blog articles related to this subject click here.

Before you read...here is an NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) YouTube snippet explaining very nicely what this switch to digital means.

If you have an antenna on the roof, or use rabbit ears, and have an old television, February 17, 2009 may be the last day you can watch TV.

This is happening because TV broadcasting is changing from the original “analog” signal to a much more efficient “digital” signal. The change to digital has significant benefits including freeing up frequencies for use by fire and police, providing a clearer picture, allowing the broadcasters to send additional information over the same channel, and greatly improved sound. The disadvantage is that millions of people may lose service as their older TV’s will now become obsolete.

Note: If you currently subscribe to cable or satellite, or own a newer TV with a built in “digital tuner” (even if you are connected to a rooftop antenna or use rabbit ears), you do not need to worry, your service should continue.

If you are among the millions who use an antenna and have an old TV, do not despair, there are several options to keep your TV reception.

You can purchase a new TV with an included digital tuner and connect that to your antenna or rabbit ears. I saw some very nice TV’s at Best Buy with digital tuners. The cost was size dependent ranging from $99.00 to $299.00. The picture quality was very good on each of these sets.

You can keep your TV signal by subscribing to cable (Comcast in Tracy) or satellite (DirecTV or DISH) or other service. This, however, will require a monthly payment that varies depending on the type of service you subscribe to.

You can purchase a “converter box” (see picture at the top of this blog) that will be available soon at stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City, and Radio Shack. This box is installed between your TV and antenna and allows you to use your old TV after the transition to digital. The box will cost between $70.00 and $100.00 but, you can sign up for a coupon worth $40.00 off that price. Your cost will then be between $30.00 and $60.00.

Andrew Lehwalder, Home Theater Rep at Best Buy in Tracy, tells us that Best Buy should have the converter box available in June or July 2008 and that it is expected to cost $49.99 (preliminary information subject to change) with the coupon. Barry Kinmore, Manager of Radio Shack on Tracy Blvd, says his store expects the converter box in February or March of 2008 but does not yet have cost information. Radio Shack will also honor the coupon.

Here is what you can do to get the $40 coupon for the converter box (there is a max limit of 2 coupons per household).

1. You can call 1-888-388-2009.
2. You can go on-line at http://www.dtv2009.gov and click on the “Apply for a Coupon” link.Once you fill out the form you will get a reference number and the coupon to be sent you in the mail in late February or early March.You then have 90 days to use it.
3. Best Buy has a copy of the coupon form to fill out.You can send that in by mail to: P.O. Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000 or Fax it to: 1-877-388-4632.Radio Shack, on Tracy Blvd., will help you go on-line, in the store, to fill out the on-line coupon request.

Installation of the Converter Box

Best Buy will have help available via the Geek Squad or trained sales people. Radio Shack is not yet sure what assistance they would be offering but the sales people in the store will be trained and should be able to assist you. YeOldeTechy can also help and I am sure other technicians in Tracy will know how to complete the installation.

I hope to write a follow-up to this article after I get the converter box and install it. How the installation is completed, and what parts you may need, depends on your TV and antenna configuration. For example, my 35 year old TV with rabbit ears needs a “matching transformer” that will connect the TV’s two wire antenna connection to the coax cable connector on the converter box, and I will also need a short coax cable to complete the connection.

If you have more questions, I will post additional information on the YeOldeTechy Blog and Web Site. See the Tracy Press Blog section for a link. Or you can call me at 836-0472.

Caveat: This is preliminary information and may change as the year progresses.

FAQs

Is Digital TV the same as HDTV?

Not necessarily. High Definition TV is digital, but, digital TV may or may not be High Definition.

How can I find out if my TV has a digital tuner?

Not easily. If you have the owners manual, look in there. There may be a label on your TV telling you that is has a “digital tuner”. If you purchased the TV after 2004, chances are good it has a digital tuner. Before 2004, chances are it does not have a digital tuner, but, it might. My 35 year old TV definitely needs a converter box, as does my newer Sony Wega 35” TV. You may be able to find information on the web for your specific model. One sure way to find out, if you use rabbit ears or an antenna, is to see if you still have TV reception on Feb 18, 2009, but, that is not the wisest choice. J

Do I need to buy a new antenna?

No. But, be aware that TV reception in Tracy may be on the fringe. If that is the case, the digital signal will not work. If you have a nice clear picture now, it will probably work fine. If your picture is fuzzy now, you may need to upgrade your antenna if you decide to stay with an antenna.

Blu-Ray beats HD-DVD

In case you doubted that Blu-Ray has won the DVD war, yesterday and today two more blows were dealt to HD-DVD which could hasten it's demise and bolster Blu-Ray.

1. Netflix announced exclusive support for Blu-Ray

2. Best Buy, starting in early March, will recommend Blu-Ray to their customers.

3. The most telling sign yet from Toshiba.

4. And more, this time from Wal-Mart.


And now...the FINAL announcement marking the end of the battle. Blu-ray is now the official winner, but, watch out......downloading high def programming from the Internet will threaten Blu-Ray sooner than you think.


I am still waiting for version 2.0 of Blu-Ray, but, please do not buy HD-DVD as you may be wasting your money!

Future of Videoconferencing

The future of videoconferencing will rest with the masses.

Grandma and Grandpa will be able to see their grandkids grow up, families will be able to virtually be with each other whenever they want, people will be telecommuting (videocommuting) from anywhere, and meetings will be held via video just like they are now by telephone.

Videoconferencing will be commonplace and easily achieved.

Cell phones will (and do) have videoconferencing capability, laptop computers will be able to connect to meshed high speed networks provided by your city, for free. Web cams will be on every laptop sold. Apple will put videoconferencing capability in the iPhone or iPod, or both. Your TV will have both a network connection (wireless or wired) and will support videoconferencing. Your car will have a heads-up videoconferencing display.

Scheduling meetings will go away.

Do you schedule a cell phone call? No. The same will be true of videoconferencing. The ability to fire up an "ad-hoc" meeting will grow in importance, eventually supplanting the need for scheduling. If there is scheduling it will be accomplished via informal means such as an email or an IM request.

Telepresence and High Definition may be important but are not the be-all and end-all.

Super high quality video is nice to have, but, the need to schedule a meeting, then go to a room inhibits true video collaboration. The cost is also prohibitive. Telepresence and high definition will eventually filter down to the masses, but, for the foreseeable future, only "C" level executives will be using these products. The masses within an organization require anytime, anywhere videoconferencing. Think cell phone. Super high quality is not as important as the ad-hoc ability to collaborate. "Easy-to-use" is paramount.

The Internet will rule.

Standards based videoconferencing products based on H.323 will go away. Free Internet based videoconferencing will rule the world. The value of firing up my ooVoo application and be able to IM, send files, see and talk to my "buddies" in an ad-hoc manner is extremely powerful. That ability on my iPod or cell phone or television will only extend the power and hasten the demise of the more difficult to set-up and use H.323 standards based applications.

Ease of data collaboration will grow in importance

The idea of working together as if you were in the same location involves much more than just video. The ability to share data is an important part of that experience. "Here, take a look at this." "This is how you do this." "This is what I mean." "See this?"

Summary

Ad-Hoc, ubiquitous, Internet based, videoconferencing will be the future. Anyone, anyplace, anytime will be the rule.

See these previous blog entries:

ooVoo

SightSpeed

WebEx

HDTV Buying Tips

A friend of mine has been bouncing between stores in the Tracy area looking for a high definition TV to purchase. After talking with him this morning, here are a few hints you might be able to use when talking to the sales people.

1. You do not need a super duper, noise reducing, costly, power strip. When I first plugged in my HDTV three years ago, I did it on my oldest power strip. It worked great. Last year I took a trip to Orchard (OSH) and bought a new power strip for about $20.00. It also works great.

2. If you can afford it, get full 1080p resolution capability (1920 x 1080).

3. Do not buy an HD-DVD high def player. If you have the money and need high definition DVD playback capability buy a Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray appears to have won the battle, but, if you are still unsure then stick with your old DVD player and wait until the dust settles completely. It is better not to buy anything. Do not let a sales person talk you into an HD-DVD. Chances are you will be wasting your money, and they will be more than happy to dump their inventory of a dead product.

4. Most HDTV sets I have seen (I will go look again to make sure) have slots for your digital camera memory stick. Question the sales person who says the TV you like does not have one.

5. Do not buy the most expensive HDMI cable. I bought a cheapy and it works great. Some devices come with an HDMI cable. Use that one.

6. I like LCD, but, don't be swayed. If you like plasma, or lots of mirrors (DLP), go for it. The video quality is great on all.

7. Check to see if the HDTV set you are interested in has a slot for a cable card. Mine does and I receive HDTV programming perfectly from Comcast....at no monthly cost. I lose pay-per-view and interactivity, but, I do not care right now (and have not cared for over three years) and I save a few bucks a month. On Substitute Teacher's pay...a few bucks means a lot! :-)

More to follow.....in short do not be talked into buying more than you need (or want). Contact me if you have any questions (web site, or email).

Vidyo

A few days ago, Vidyo, a new company in the videoconferencing / collaboration "space" officially emerged from their shell.

The crux of what they have done is to allow, using a new standard video compression algorithm, high definition videoconferencing and standard definition videoconferencing (see my Polycom PVX blog entry for example) to work together over the public Internet, while keeping the quality of the video and audio at very high levels.

I have been trying to get hold of a VidyoDesktop application, but, hey, YeOldeTechy is small potatoes compared to the heavyweights they are currently running with, so my chances are slim. ;-) But, on the off chance I do get to evaluate VidyoDesktop you will be the first to see what I think.

YeOldeTechy says: The Vidyo technology is a very significant achievement with the potential to change the landscape of videoconferencing.

Check out Vidyo's video demo of several sites connecting via the Internet.