THE DTV TRANSITION: AUGUST 2008
Here’s Your DTV Checklist
There’s only six months left until “D” Day! Are you ready for digital TV?
Despite numerous missteps by the FCC, television networks, the Consumer Electronics Association, the NTIA, television manufacturers, and major retailers over the past decade, analog television broadcasts as we know them will finally cease across the United States at the close of the day on February 17, 2009.
Nearly 1,700 full-power television stations will throw the power switch for the last time and either (a) stay on their new, current broadcast frequency, or (b) make a quick move to their final elected channel. The RF spectrum above channel 51 will go quiet completely, awaiting new tenants such as public safety agencies and wireless communication service providers.
Right now, TV stations and networks are virtually beehives of activity, installing new and backup transmitters, rigging antennas, instructing technicians in the nuances of monitoring digital TV signals, and wrestling with such exotic problems and dialog normalization, audio levels, and handling HDTV commercials with multi-channel sound.
Figure 1a – 1b. NBC’s round-the-clock HDTV coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics included swimming (above) and basketball (below). (NBC.com)
As I write this, NBC is more than halfway through its 100%-HD coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, feeding content to NBC and Universal HD channels, along with Web video streams and SD feeds to MSNBC and CNBC. There’s no question HDTV has arrived — it’s here, it works, and is being adopted by more and more networks and syndicated shows with each passing month.
But digital TV isn’t just about HDTV. It’s also about multicasting and second audio programs, about bilingual and trilingual audio simulcasts, about 24/7 Doppler radar and local weather channels, about traffic cams, sports tickers, and HD local news. Indeed, the transition to digital TV has the potential to revitalize terrestrial broadcasting and position it competitively against cable and satellite services.
IT’S NEW TO YOU?
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the “right time” to jump aboard the DTV train, wait no more. You’ve already missed most of the Olympics and the 2008 NFL and NCAA football seasons are ready to begin extensive coverage in HD.
The fall 2008 prime time season is at hand. Network news and morning talk shows are in HD, as are syndicated game shows Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Oprah and Ellen will switch to HD shortly; other “talkers” will follow close behind.
Figure 2. CBS recently converted its evening news program to HDTV. (RP Visual Solutions)
Do you live in or near a major metropolitan area? Chances are, you can get indoor, attic, or rooftop reception of local DTV broadcasts with little effort and additional expense. Most new HDTVs and DTV converter boxes are shipping with Gen 5.5 or Gen 6 DTV receivers, capable of handling tough signal multipath and echoes with ease. (I know, I’ve tested them that way!)
Given our current economic woes, the high cost of energy, and ever-increasing monthly charges for cable TV service, the idea of getting free DTV programming and HDTV is starting to look pretty good to lots of people I’ve talked to. More than a few readers have indicated they’re ready to dump cable (and satellite, too) in favor of OTA DTV, saving themselves tens of dollars a month.
Others have scaled back their cable packages to bare-bones “basic” offerings, supplementing that with OTA HDTV programming. In many cases, the quality of broadcast HDTV is noticeably better than that of cable or DBS services, particularly when watching networks that place a premium on HD picture quality (CBS).
NBC’s high ratings for Olympics coverage, hitting a high of 39.9 at one point, have proven that broadcast TV networks “aren’t quite dead yet” (apologies to Monty Python) and that people will tune in to watch compelling content. Not only that, advertisers will support that content enthusiastically with decent audience ratings. (Sorry, YouTube.)
So, what’s your next step? I’ve prepared a checklist of options for you to consider as you get your household TVs wired up and ready for next February. Read on!
YOUR DTV CHECKLIST
X Order converter boxes for my analog TVs. No time to lose here, as the last of the first-batch $40 NTIA coupons are being sent out this fall, and word on the street has it that many retailers will scale back their inventory of converters going into 2009.
Why? Because they’re low profit items. How many points can you make on a $50 purchase of active electronics? Not too many, and they take up a bit of shelf space that could be used for other items. The NTIA Web site, as of today, shows about 50 models that have been approved for sale and are available at retail.
Figure 3. Zenith’s DTT901 DTV converter has analog pass-through capability.
One note: If you live in an area with low-power analog TV stations (or translators), you should pick up a converter box that has analog pass-through. 21 models on the current NTIA list support this feature. Low power, translator, and Class A TV stations do not have to go digital just yet.
You can check out the NTIA list at https://www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm.
X Check to see what DTV signals I can receive at my location. There are two Web sites that make this easy to do. The first (and my favorite) is www.tvfool.com, which will provide you with a detailed list of digital and analog channels that you may be able to receive, along with the predicted signal strength and reception path.
TV Fool’s data is generated using Longley-Rice signal propagation analysis, and I’ve found it to be pretty close to perfect for every location I’ve ever checked. The resulting table and signal azimuth map can be saved as a GIF file and printed out for quick reference. Note that the site has both pre-2/17/09 and post-2/17/09 channel listings.
Figure 4. Here’s a typical Longley-Rice plot from TVFool.com, showing post-transition DTV channels along with low-power analog stations and translators.
The other site, which isn’t quite as accurate but still helpful, is www.antennaweb.org. This will get you in the ballpark and provide lists of receivable stations, along with antenna suggestions and antenna headings.
Both sites will prompt you for street addresses (TV Fool also accepts GPS coordinates), as well as antenna height. Remember that indoor antennas won’t work as well in more distant locations, so be conservative with your data entry for the best results.
X Check to find the final channel elections for my local DTV stations. I’ve published articles about this before (see A Game of Musical Chairs), but it’s worth repeating: Some of your local DTV stations may move to new frequencies on or before 2/17/09, and if so, you’ll need to rescan for channels at the minimum or install a new antenna if the switch is to low-band VHF or UHF frequencies.
Don’t be left out! You can see the FCC final channel election data at http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/ by scrolling down to the date 3/6/08. This table is available in two document formats, but the most practical to use is the Excel file FCC-08-72A2.
Don’t have or use Excel? Then download the data as an Adobe Acrobat file. It’s easier to read, although you can’t edit any of the table entries or sort them by channel, city, etc. You’ll find that the majority of TV stations are going to stay put in the UHF TV spectrum, while 300+ stations are moving to high-band VHF channels (7-13) and about 40 stations will set up shop on low-band VHF channels (2-6).
X Order the right outdoor antenna(s) for my location. There are plenty of antenna designs available for DTV reception, but a UHF-only design won’t help you pull in low-band or high-band VHF channels. Conversely, there’s no sense putting up a large all-band log periodic antenna when all of your DTV signals are on UHF channels. Check those channel election tables first!
Since I first started watching digital TV in 1999, I’ve tested quite a pile of aluminum. I recommend Channel Master and Winegard antennas enthusiastically; both have served me well as long as a given model of antenna is used across its specified range of frequencies. Some compact models have disappointed, such as the Square Shooter (good for UHF, not so good for VHF) and CM 3000A (very omnidirectional, best used atop mobile homes!).
Depending on your location, you may want to add some sort of preamplifier to boost signal levels. I highly recommend these for fringe DTV reception (see DTV Reception Out On The Fringe) and also for some suburban areas where there are lots of hills and other signal obstructions.
Figure 5. Channel Master’s new, compact CM2016
is a combination high-band VHF/UHF yagi antenna.
Figure 6. Winegard’s AP-series mast-mounted preamplifiers are consistent performers.
Buy a decent preamp. There’s a lot of junk out there! I happen to like Channel Master’s Titan 2 series, but Winegard also has some decent models. Go for a mast-mounted design, even if you install your antenna in the attic. Mounting the preamplifier head close to the antenna keeps the system noise figure low, which is important at UHF frequencies.
Another good site to check is Antennas Direct (www.antennasdirect.com). They have an ultra-low-noise mast-mounted UHF/VHF preamplifier kit for $60, along with 2-port and 4-port distribution amplifiers. Stay away from chain-store amplifiers and preamps, as they tend to be noisy and unstable.
X Order the right indoor antenna(s) for my location. Numerous antennas are also available for indoor reception. I’ve tested a few, such as Radio Shack’s 15-1878 and 15-1868, Terk’s HDTVa, and RCA’s ANT-1500. The Antiference Silver Sensor works very well for indoor UHF reception, and is sold in the United States by other companies.
In general, directional indoor antennas work much better than omnidirectional designs. That’s because most TV station antennas tend to be located in the same geographical area within a given TV market, such as atop Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles and the Empire State Building in New York City.
But not always! TV viewers in Atlanta and Washington DC will do better with omnidirectional antennas, particularly if they live close to the transmitters and are encircled by them. The closeness will ensure high signal levels, and that’s good because omnidirectional antennas have very little or no gain.
Figure 7. Audiovox’ Terk HDTVa is a well-designed indoor VHF/UHF antenna.
X Get my outside antenna work done before winter! For many readers, that means by late October or early November. No one wants to be up on a roof when it’s cold and rainy, or worse, snowing or sleeting (trust me, I’ve done it many times).
Even though your local station(s) may not have gone digital yet, you can still optimize your antenna installation by aligning it for maximum signal strength and cleanest picture on all of your desired channels. These channels don’t have to be perfect, just strong. The ATSC digital TV system can compensate for ghosting or color shifts on a TV channel quite nicely, as long as the signal level is high enough.
A little bit of noise on those analog TV signals is OK, too. ATSC signals only need to be about 20 dB above noise to lock up nicely in common multipath environments, like cities. Analog signals would be mostly unwatchable at that level! And analog noise isn’t an issue with digital TV reception, unless it is so intense that it causes signal dropout.
Don’t scrimp on cable — use high-quality RG-6 coaxial cable for all your work. And you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg for good coax! One good source that I have used for years is The RF Connection, based in Gaithersburg, MD. They carry a wide range of bulk coaxial cables at reasonable prices, plus F connectors, splitters, and crimping tools.
Figure 8. Samsung’s DTB-H260F terrestrial DTV receiver is still selling well
nearly two years after its introduction.
X Get connected to HDTV! If you have a TV or monitor that is new enough to be “HD Ready,” you might as well connect an HDTV set-top box to it if you don’t mind paying somewhat more that you would for an NTIA converter box, which (contrary to what some folks believe) won’t let you watch HDTV.
There aren’t too many models available, but Samsung still sells the DTB-H260F and you can find it at major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, and Circuit City for $169 to $179. The DTB-H260F has a 5th-generation receiver and can handle moderate multipath without losing signals. It supports component and HDMI outputs, plus analog and digital audio. One catch: You will only see the operating menus and program guide information using the component or HDMI outputs, not the composite or S-video jacks.
OK, let’s get to work! Time’s a wastin’…
