DTV tips from the ultimate TV Mom

Just in time for Mother's Day: Florence Henderson, who lives on in reruns as The Brady Bunch's perpetually perky Mom, has teamed up with the Consumer Electronics Association to promote DTV awareness with a campaign called, “Convert Your Mom.” (Click on the image to download the PDF "Flo's Digital Tips.")

Light-hearted as the approach may be, it makes a serious point: “Florence wants you to help your elderly parents, relatives, and neighbors get ready for the transition to digital television.” Even technically savvy folks can find it challenging to perfect their DTV setup, and those less familiar with inputs and outputs may be hard-pressed to do it on their own.

The online guide offers basic facts and easy-to-follow advice in a colorful, friendly fashion, with videos, set-up diagrams, and links to numerous sites. It's part of a larger, more comprehensive site, Digital Tips, also sponsored by the CEA.

In a related area, the CEA has launched an interactive Connections Guide designed to simplify the sometimes daunting process of connecting all things digital, including not only home-theater devices but computers, cameras, and portable audio/video gear. It’s worth checking out.

(The CEA is an industry trade group representing firms in the consumer electronics business.)

Comments

[everett whitney]

TO: DTV Converted - "C.R. review of Indoor Antennas..?"

As explained many times by Sr. Web Editor, Electronics - Mr. Paul Eng - NO - they do Not rate / review any sort of antennas.... far, far too many variables - I.E. - what might function perfectly for (1) area / ZIP code could be entirely-horrible just a few streets over, behind a taller building or huge parking garage, etc.!

Although some of the DTV signaling will be on Hi VHF Band come the 13 June . . . the Vast majority IS over UHF Band { channels 14 and higher}.

Not a bit different now or during the past ~ ~ 40 years - - - that Band does NOT carry nearly as easily as did the older VHF analog tv signals! [ channels #02 - #13]

Indoor or "set top antennas" ONLY work in the very best or ideal conditions - i.e. - extremely close to your TV Towers, completely without ANY physical obstructions at all, no dense hard wood trees or even a single tree in front of your home, not on the wrong or downhill side of any elevation differences, in a region that experiences huge, dramatic differences in either temperatures and / or wind or weather !!!

In short, indoor units are so "problematic" or function so unreliably that these are NOT reviewed / rated / listed at the free national web site for antenna data . . . www.antennaweb.org

FOR 100%, in-all-weather,dependable DTV reception, one should plan on either a "D.I.Y." or commercially-installed Outside, appropriate, very top of the roof, all-new antenna system, connected to a single HDTV / Converter Box with only Quad RG-6 Coax.

"IF" not a possibility - get the new limited channel cable service - ALL do have it - Most will not admit to having it, however!

Our COX has 22 channels @ $11/monthly, which ALSO provides our ( 8 ) national networks in free "HD" without ANY set top cable box .... not too bad !

everett

[Paul Eng]

To Teresa:

Sorry to hear of your difficulties with your local over-the-air digital TV channels.

As many other blog readers have commented, it will be more difficult to receive DTV signals--mainly due to the nature of digital transmissions (it's all or nothing, unfortunately!) as well as the issue that (for now) most DTV broadcasts are happening over the UHF frequency. So traditional set-top "rabbit ears" won't work with DTV unless there is an UHF antenna element.

Also, you mentioned that you're getting one channel intermittently. There could be a number of reasons why that happens--and consequently, a number of ways to fix the problem.

First, I would suggest that you check out the consumer electronics' industry's antenna web site:

www.antennaweb.org

After putting in your local address (even just a ZIP code will do), the site will tell you how far your local TV stations are, what channels they are digitally broadcasting on, which type of antenna is best suited for you AND where to "aim" your antenna to improve reception.

If you still need help, as we've suggested in other posts on this blog, it couldn't hurt to call your local TV station(s). In some cases, stations may know they have issues and are taking steps to improve broadcasts. As we note in another post, many stations will be increasing the power of their digital transmissions after the June 12 transition deadline. See:

Some DTV broadcasts may be stronger after June 12
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2009/05/some-dtv-broadcasts-may-be-stronger-after-june-12.html

Hope this helps.

-Paul Eng, Web Sr. Editor (Electronics)

[Teresa]

I bought a converter back in February. A waste of my $money and the govt's match... I bought a new wide-screen digital TV in March.
I have satelite TV - no cable where I am. I have always had good to great reception with just rabbit ears when it came to my local chnnels, including 2 PBS stations - in GA and AL.
The converter doesn't work. I don't get ANY channels with it on any of our 3 TVs (I am glad I didn't buy three converters now!). Well, on really perfect days with no clouds and no rain and no wind -- I get the local Fox channel on the TV in the bedroom - for about 3 seconds till it "blocks" out and then the screen reads "signal too weak" for the next 20 seconds and then I get 3 seconds of a picture and we start all over again - NO SOUND at all, mind you.
I don't miss the local ABC/NBC/CBA/FOX?WB stations too much - but now I can't even get any of the PBS stations.
And I am in the demographic advertisers need - income well over $75K and still working - retirement date is not even a light at the end ofhte tunnel for me.

[Funny about Money]

Yup. My son came over and connected my TV to the annoying digital box, a dust-catcher that I had absolutely zero desire to pay for.

It sorta works. Some channels don't come in at some times of day and under some meteorological conditions (let the wind blow, and ABC disappears).

BUT... As soon as the local PBS station--which is the channel I watch most--made its full conversion, all four of its "channels" went off the air. We were told, before the great switch, that we were to "re-scan" our converter boxes. But there seems to be no way to "scan" anything, not that I can find. So now I have no PBS, and, since I can't afford to buy a new TV set at prices bottoming around around $400, am not likely to get it.

Presumably all the rest of the broadcast channels will disappear on the fateful day, too.

Well, ew-scray at-thay, as we used to say back in the Creteceous. Once the total conversion is made, the TV set gets connected to a Minimac with AirPort. I'll be watching Hulu after this, to the extent that I'll watch anything. And you can be sure the extent will be mighty small.

Doesn't matter, though. The advertising babblers regard people in my demographic range as expendable, so they no doubt will not miss me or any of my contemporaries. As for the effect on me: one less thing to have to buy! :-)

[DTV Converted]

Has Consumer Reports done a survey of indoor TV antennas ?
Which indoor antenna would you recommend with a DTV converter box ?

[Brown]

This campaign won't make my "mom" understand what digital TV is all about. However, it IS a cute campaign!!

God love Sherwood Schwartz!!