I just noticed that there’s language in the DTV delay bill that allowing the government to reissue one replacement coupon to any household whose initial coupons expired unused.
As I read the legislation, that change wouldn’t take effect until further financial authorization is approved to spend the money necessary to do it. But it’s good news for the many viewers holding worthless, expired coupons.
It’s done. The House of Representatives just passed a bill to delay the DTV transition from February 17 to June 12th. The Senate has already done so. All that remains is the President’s signature, all but guaranteed.
I believe one of the small differences between this bill and the one the House defeated last week is that Broadcasters will have the option to go ahead with the conversion before the deadline. I don’t know what effect that will have here in Maryland, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
It may be do-or-die today in the House of Representatives. They’re expected to take up debate on the DTV delay this afternoon. A House committee already defeated a proposal to add more money to the coupon program without moving the date, so it seems the leadership is expecting to succeed this time in moving the date. But then they expected success last time, too.
There will be one hour of debate on the DTV bill, right after the House finishes consideration of the SCHIP children’s health care re-authorization. C-SPAN 1.
While we’re talking about C-SPAN, I have to say their show “The Communicators” Saturdays at 6:30pm is becoming really interesting. They interview lawmakers about current telecommunication issues, which recently has been exclusively DTV-related.
The Senate passed their version of the bill to move the DTV transition date, and it seemed like a done deal. But the House of Representatives, with a decisive margin, voted against the bill. So as it stands today, the DTV transition will happen as scheduled at midnight on the evening of February 17.
Here’s more from WBALTV.com and Broadcasting and Cable.
Lots of questions following yesterday’s DTV test. Here’s a sampling.
Claire writes:
I am a cable subscriber (Broadstripe). When you ran your test Monday evening, two of my televisions showed only the color bars and the scrolling script.
Update: The General Manager of Broadstripe Cable posted to this blog that he expects his operation to have DTV reception up and running by the weekend of January 17.
Hi Claire. We’re aware of a problem with Broadstripe cable. They continue to receive our broadcast over analog. We’re trying to help resolve the situation, but ultimately it’s an issue with the cable provider. Further complicating matters is that Broadstripe recently filed for bankruptcy protection and have been somewhat less than responsive to some consumers I’ve heard from.
The only advice i can give is to contact Broadstripe to see when they will make the conversion to receive Baltimore stations over digital reception.
Carol writes:
I keep seeing a scroll on the bottom of the screen on your channel 11 saying you will be changing over before the Feb 17th date. How can you do this when everyone has until 2/17 to make the transfer?
That message you’re seeing is indicating that we’ll be reducing power on our analog broadcast, not shutting it off entirely. It’s necessary so we can be ready to make the transition on February 17. There may be some loss of picture quality on the analog broadcast, particularly in outlying areas, but we’ll still be broadcasting analog until February 17.
David writes:
I ordered two and recieved two coupons in the late spring. My mother-in-law ,who is a widow, had a severe stroke. Our family had to tend to this issue first and the coupons were the least of our worries. They have since expired and the gov web site thats it,no more.
Hi David,
Unfortunately, right now there is no way to reactivate or reissue expired coupons. The best advice directly from the FCC is to have a friend or relative who has not ordered coupons already do so for you. They can be easily passed from one person to another. They’re not tied to the name or address that ordere them. I’m afraid for now that’s the only option.
Further complicating matters is that the DTV coupon program has run out of money. You can get on the waiting list at the website dtv2009.gov, but new coupons only be mailed as old ones expire. It will likely be weeks before coupons are received.
Not the best answer, I’m afraid, but that’s the situation as it stands now.
Jacqueline writes:
Will you be providing another opportunity to your viewers to test their sets prior 02/17/09?
My understanding is that there are currently no plans for another DTV test.
If you use an antenna to pick up local stations, you can conduct your own test by trying to tune your TV to channel 11-2.
That’s our 24-hour weather channel. If you can see that channel, you’re definitely seeing digital TV and are ready for the transition.
If you have cable, satellite or fios TV, you’re “exempt” from the test anyway. Those viewers are definitely ready.
Laurel writes:
On a windy or rainy day digital reception is not good; we often switch to analog. The picture breaks up or freezes.
The technology the FCC selected for digital TV is somewhat more sensitive to the reflected radio signals caused by things like trees blowing in the wind. A directional rooftop antenna aimed directly at Baltimore may help your digital TV tuner compensate better.
Robin writes:
During your 5:45 broadcast I decided to check out my new DTV Converter Box/ Zenith901. My television is only 9 y/o and I still received the colored lines. Will I also need an antenna?
Hi Robin,
I think your TV was probably tuned to channel 11. To use the new converter box, you need to be sure it’s on and that your TV is tuned to channel 3. (Unless you use the A/V cables to connect the box to the TV, in which case you would tune the TV to the video input selection)
You’d then select channel 11-1 using the remote that came with the DTV box.
Pat writes:
I have installed my converter box and let the system automatically find the stations. Unfortunately, WBAL has a “No Signal” message. I know that the station is digital. What do I do?
Hi Pat,
In Baltimore, you’re close enough that reorienting your antenna may bring us in. I’d try giving that antenna a tweak and rescanning.
That said, right now our digital broadcast is licensed only for a signal strength that’s somewhat less that some of the other stations. We’ll be at full power after the final transition, so if you’re getting other stations now, you’ll likely receive us just fine after the switch.
Don in Chestertown writes:
Just watched the dtv test you did say the coloered bars does this mean I need to get a convert box or can I call my local cable company?
You could do either. For TV’s that are not digital-ready, there are 3 options.
1. Purchase a converter box and connect it to the TV
2. Subscribe to cable, satellite or fios
3. Purchase a new tv with a digital tuner.
Stephen writes:
We have a converter box hooked up- lights on etc but still got the bars!
Hi Stephen,
Sometimes these converters have a “standby” light that comes on when the device is off. Confusing, I know.
Also, if you saw bars, that means your TV set must have been tuned to channel 11. It should be set to channel 3 (or the “video input” if the converter is connected with A/V cables). You’d tune to channel 11 by selecting 11-1 with the remote that came with the converter box.
Jen in Baltimore writes:
We just bought a new HD TV and a new antennea that receives HD. We do not have any type of cable service. However, when you just did your test our new HD TV showed the same colored bar signal as our other tv’s. Should we have scanned the channels or is something wrong with our new TV?
Hi Jen,
Digital TV’s are also capable of tuning to analog TV channels. If you were watching us on the analog channel 11 last night, you would’ve seen the bars even though your TV is prepared for digital.
Be sure to use the remote to tune to channel 11-1. If it doesn’t come in, you may need to go to the menu to do an “autoscan” so the TV can find where all the digital channels are located.
Marlan in Cockeysville writes:
Why is digital tv being mandated by law?
The final requirements for the DTV transition and the converter box coupon program were included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
One could debate whether the change is needed, but once it’s decided that we need to switch to digital, it has to be mandated by law since the format TV stations use must be uniform so all TV’s on the market are equipped to receive the signals.
Some reasons for the switch include improved picture quality, and the ability to compress more signals into less broadcasting space, allowing the transmission of multiple video streams on what was a single TV channel. This also allows some TV channels to be decommissioned altogether, with their highly desirable spectrum space auctioned off for use by wireless internet services.
Hope that answers some of your question at least!
Thanks for watching.
John
Miss BeeBee writes:
I view your news daily and it was stated that the DTV 2009, coupons were never sent to over 2 million customers such as I who has waited from Oct, 12, 2008. How can we who wait with reference numbers get things moving?
If you’ve been waiting since October, you may have a problem. The website dtv2009.gov will let you track the status of your coupons if you have those confirmation numbers. If that doesn’t help, the only solution may be to find a friend or relative who has not yet ordered coupons who can do so for you. They’re not tied to the name or address that orders them, so they could just give them to you to use. If you try to order again with your address, you may be rejected since there’s a limit of two per address.
Tim writes:
I just hooked up my converter box to my tv and dvd recorder but I can’t find out how to record anywhere. I know I can’t tape to the vcr but I want to make sure I record correctly.
Hi Tim,
So just to confirm that you do not have cable or satellite and use only an antenna to receive tv signals?
If your DVD recorder is DTV-ready, you could just plug the antenna straight in and record. But it’s probably not DTV compatible.
Otherwise, you’ll need to plug the converter box into your DVD recorder and then plug the DVD recorder into your TV. You’ll view the converter box by watching through the DVD recorder. It will be able to record whatever channel the converter box is tuned to.
Alternatively, you could hook up both the DVD and TV to the converter box by using the A/V cables for one and the coaxial cable for the other.
Sorry it’s a little confusing, but hope that helps.
Doris in Chestertown writes:
When will WBAL switch over to DTV? I remember hearing something about something in January.
Hi Doris,
The transition to all-digital broadcasting happens at midnight the eveing of February 17th.
Other related events include a mid-January power reduction on our analog signal so we can prepare for the switch. Some viewers still watching on analog will see a degraded picture after that point.
Also, our news programming will move to our new high definition studio and control room in January.
Stephone in Glen Burnie writes:
I have two portable BW TV’s, will I be able to use the digital converter for my small 5 inch TV sets?
Unfortunately, the answer to your question is “probably not.”
If these TV’s have an input where you could plug in an external antenna, there may be hope. But even then, you’d have to lug around a digital converter with the TV. Portable, battery operated converter boxes are said to be coming to market but to my knowledge they’re not available yet.
I’ve seen portable digital TV’s available for around $200. You may be able to do better by shopping around.
Ron writes:
I got a DTV converter box, but it just says NO SIGNAL, although I currently get analog signals fine with the help of a signal booster. I’ve even tried a different converter box but still “no signal found”.
Hi Ron,
Sorry you’re having some trouble. Two things come to mind as possible reasons for your problem
The easiest to fix is this. These digital boxes often have to be “autoscanned” before they can find the local TV stations. If you haven’t done this, just go into the on-screen menu and look for a function called “autoscan” or “autoprogram.” After you press that, the box will take a minute or so to scan through all the TV channels to see which ones it can receive. When it’s finished, the channels will be available.
If that doesn’t work, look in the menu system for a “signal strength meter. If you tune to a major local station and that shows no signal strength at all, there may be a problem with how the cables are connected to the box. If there is a reading, but it’s “low,” you may need to reorient or upgrade your antenna to receive a strong enough signal to establish the digital picture.
JT Writes:
My new TV, with both digital (D) and analog (A) tuners will not automatically switch from A to D without me telling it to do so. You should of told viewers that they might need to change from their analog tuners to their digital tuners or turn on their converter boxes. In my case, I had to switch from A 11 to D 11.1.
Hi JT,
We got a few calls where I think viewers were in a similar situation: digital TV’s tuned to our analog channel. We’ll be sure to include information about that scenario in our next test in January.
Our digital signal is currently on UHF 59. In February it will move to our VHF 11 channel. The effective power of the signal will also increase. We’re currently at a slightly lower power level than some of the other Baltimore stations, so that may explain the results of your test.
Hope that’s helpful, and thanks for watching!
John
Maria in Westminster writes:
I have satellite but receive my local Balt stations through on an antenna(11-1,11-2 etc. My HD TV worked perfectly through the test. My old tv did not. I saw the rolling message. Can I add the converter box to my satellite box to receive the stations?
Hi Maria,
The converter box ideally needs to be plugged directly into your antenna and your TV. Trying to run it through your satellite box is just going to cause headaches.
I’m not familiar will all the variations of satellite boxes out there, but for what it’s worth, here’s my suggestion: I’d try hooking up the digital converter box completely independently of the satellite box using different inputs to the TV. You’d then just use your TV remote to switch between the satellite input and the digital converter box input.
Again, though, I’m not an expert on satellite TV setups. A satellite installer would be ale to give you more thorough advice.
Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!
John
Elizabeth in Glen Arm writes:
Will a newly purchased TV work without being hooked up to cable?
Hi Elizabeth,
So long as that new TV is digital or “ATSC” ready, and your antenna is able to receive a strong enough signal, there is no need for cable.
William in Dundalk writes:
I have a HDef Digital TV and I still just git the Color Bars. Do I still need a Converter box?
The other TV is an old type of TV and I have a converter box hooked up to it. Last night it still only received the Color Bars.
Hi William,
First of all, as I understand your setup, you are ready for digital TV. You don’t need to buy anything else. You just have some settings to work out.
Here’s what I think happened: even the new digital TV’s are capable of receiving analog broadcasts. Tuning to channel “11″ may cause the TV to look for an analog channel. Some require that you specify channel “11.1″ or “11.2″ for them to switch to the digital system. Try tuning to channel 11.2 any time. If you see our 24-hour Insta-Weather+ channel, you’ll know you’re looking at digital TV.
Same goes for your older TV hooked up to a converter box. You need to be sure that TV is showing the output of the converter box. This is usually on channel 3, or the “Video Input,” depending on how you hooked up the box.
Also, many TV’s and converter boxes must be “auto-scanned” before they can see digital TV channels. This function is available in your menu screens and may be labeled “channel search” or “auto-program” or a similar name.
Hope that’s helpful, and thanks for watching!
John
We got lots of calls and questions following our DTV test on Wednesday. I’ll post some of the Q&A right here.
B in Churchville writes:
WBAL has been promoing a test to occur Dec 17th at 5:45. The details of the test are not disclosed. Will this test result in HDTV content being transmitted on the VHF CH11?
Hello,
The test was simply a brief simulated shutoff of the analog broadcast on VHF Channel 11. If you our newscast interrupted by color bars and an message that you need to prepare for DTV, the TV you were watching is not ready for digital. If you continued to see us in the studio talking about the test, your TV is ready.
If you missed the test, we’ll be doing it again in mid-January. Stay tuned!
Thanks for the question,
John
Katchy in Baltimore writes:
John, will you be doing a “test” any other time then 5:45 today? On a week-end or later at night? I can’t get home by 5:45 but would sure like to be part of the test.
I’m sorry the test wasn’t at a time when you could be near your TV.
We’ll be doing it again in mid-January, exact time and date to be announced.
You can put your TV to the test yourself, if you’d like. If you’re on a cable or satellite connection, it’s very simple. You pass. All TV’s on cable and satellite are already prepared, no matter how old they are.
If you use an antenna to receive local channels, try tuning your TV to channel 11-2. If you see our 24-hour Insta-Weather+ channel, you’re digital-ready. You pass the test!
Thanks for the question, and stay tuned for more information about the test coming up in January.
John
Bear in Airville, PA writes:
I receive your digital picture on my Sony Bravia TV but I do not get the audio. I have adjusted the outdoor antenna but no luck. I receive all the other Baltimore stations (2, 13, 45, 54, 67) fine. can you help? I really enjoy watching 11’s news and weather. I receive all the stations in the Harrisburg area except 27.
Hi,
Let me be sure I understand the problem. You’re receiving a digital signal from our station and several others. The others look and sound fine, but WBAL-TV has no audio.
If those assumptions are correct, the problem must be a setting or connection in your TV. I say this because it’s simply not possible for you to receive our video but not our audio. It’s all encoded into a single digital stream. If you’re seeing a picture, the audio is there too. We just have to figure out how to get your TV to play it.
If you’re getting audio from other digital channels, your TV seems to be hooked up correctly. Which leaves some strange audio settings in the TV (or converter box, if you have one) menu system that may be off. Every set is different, but look around for a section in the menu that deals with audio. There will probably be settings that say “mono,” “stereo” and maybe a few that say “Dolby.” I would change those around a few times to see if the audio appears for our station.
I’m sorry I can’t be more specific, but it’s difficult to diagnose from a distance. Hope that helps, though!
John
David in Chestertown writes:
Your test was great, but soon you should start telling people with DTV’s getting their signals from antennas that they will have to go through the “add channels” routine after 19 Feb so as to get the digital signal on channel 11(your switch of dtv from UHF 11.1 to VHF). If they don’t do this, they will have no picture(unless you keep transmitting on UHF)
Hi David,
You’re absolutely right!
We’ll start that in January probably. It’s just that this transition is such a big change for many people we figure adding one more message at this time will just make it more difficult.
But you can expect us to start including that message in our efforts very soon.
Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!
Robert in Middle River writes:
mr sanders,i recently purchased a7″ digital tv with a built in atsc tunerand one rabbit ear antenna.i had the tv on wbal when they performed the digital test signal at 5:45 and only received the color bars.does it need a stronger antenna attached?it will be used in the bathroom with no access to a cable connection the whole reason i purchased it.please respond when you can.thank you
Hi Robert,
Here’s my guess as to what happened:
Most TV’s with ATSC tuners are also equipped with the older analog tuners for backward compatibility.
If your new digital TV was tuned to our analog channel 11, you would have seen the color bars even though it’s equipped with a new digital tuner.
To test the TV, try to tune it to channel 11-2. That’s our digital Insta-Weather+ channel, which is only available on digital broadcasting. If you can see that channel, you’re definitely ready.
You may need to “autoscan” the device so it discovers all the channels out there in the airwaves. That function is in the menu system.
Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!
John
Brenda in Baltimore writes:
you had a trial to see if you tv works, are you going to do another trial to see if tv works missed it last night thank you
Hi Brenda,
We’ll be doing it again in mid-January. We’ll announce the exact time and date in teh weeks leading up.
Thanks for watching!
John
Carol in Glen Burnie writes:
I do not understand why I am failing the digital conversion tests. I currently receive my signal through cable (Broadstripe of Anne Arundel County).
Hi Carol,
I think you kind of figured out what the problem was.
The problem is not with your TV. It’s with your cable company. We have become aware that Broadstripe continues to receive our broadcast over our analog broadcast. They must change this by February, and I can only assume that they’re working on it.
So to be clear: your TV’s are fine. You just may want to give a friendly phone call to Broadstripe to nudge them toward switching to digital reception for WBAL-TV.
Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!
John
Stuart in Taneytown writes:
Watched your digital TV test last evening, and had a blank screen on one TV with a converter box for both ch 2 &11 but got 13 plus 22 other digital stations. One new digital rated Tv had color bars for 2&11.We have a new channel Master Antenna good for over 70 miles range and we are 45 miles est. from the BAL tower. What in your opinion is the problem?
Hi Stuart,
A totally blank screen probably means you’re not getting enough signal strength to receive a digital picture or there’s a problem with the way the TV is connected. That may require reorienting the antenna. Also, WBAL-TV’s effective signal strength will increase in February, so that issue may resolve itself then.
Regarding the color bars you received during the test. If you’re confident that the TV you were using was digital ready, it could mean that the TV was tuned to the wrong channel.
Even the new digital TV’s are equipped with analog receivers for backward compatibility. You may have inadvertently been watching our analog channel. You can test that TV by using the menu to “auto-scan” through all the channels and then trying to tune in channel 11-2. That’s our digital Insta-Weather+ channel and is available only on digital broadcast. So if you see that channel, you’ll know you’re ready for the DTV transition.
Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!
On Wednesday, December 17, WBAL-TV and other Baltimore stations will conduct a Digital TV test. This is your chance to test your TV sets to determine if they’re ready for the DTV transition next February.
Here’s how to do it. Tune into 11 News at 5:00 at 5:45pm next Wednesday. Turn on any TV you want to check. At exactly that moment, we’ll switch off the usual signal from our our analog transmitter for 60 seconds. If your TV is not ready for the transition, you’ll see a message telling you so. If your TV is ready, you’ll continue to see our newscast as we tell you your TV is ready. It’s as simple as that.
If you intend to test several TV’s, be ready to move quickly around the house, as the test will last only one minute.
For those who care about the technical details, here’s what will happen. At 5:45, we’ll redirect our analog transmitter so that instead of sending out our regular programming, it instead sends out a warning message that your TV is not ready for digital. Our digital transmitter and our direct fiber optic conenctions to major cable and satellite operators will continue broadcasting our live pictures from the studio. Sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how much tinkering is required. It’s not often that we deliberately disconnect a transmitter.
Should you see the warning message while watching TV on cable, it means your cable operator is still receiving our signal via our analog broadcast. This is unlikely but not impossible. You may want to give a friendly call to that cable company to ask when they’ll be switching their reception to digital.
Extra credit for anyone who deciphers the headline of this post, and can tell me if I got it right or not.
