MyFox
 

TechnoBabble

by Charlie_Layno from Greensboro, NC

Last Post 14 days, 12 hours Ago


Did You Pass the DTV Test?
Sep 17, 2008 | 9:14 PM
Category: News
Report This Post

Did you see the 60 sec DTV Test we did at the end of the 6PM newscast on September 17? If you saw a red screen, then more needs to be done to be digital ready. If you saw a blue screen, then you are digital ready!

There was some confusion after the test because many cable and satellite companies have yet to finish their conversions for the TV stations and those customers saw the red screen. Let me say again, as Neil and Julie said on air, any TV that is connected to a cable box or the cable line directly or a satellite box, DirecTV or Dish Network, even if you saw the red screen, those providers WILL have the digital signal available to those TV sets by February 17, 2009 and you passed the test. If you have a TV set in a bedroom that doesn't have cable and you have rabbit ears on it, then even though other TV sets in your house may be ready, those TV's connected to either rabbit ears or an outside antenna will need to be connected to cable or you will need to purchase a new TV or a converter box.

If none of your TV's are connected to cable or satellite but are connected to rabbit ears or an outside antenna, you will need to add a converter box or purchase a new TV or add cable or satellite service to continue to watch TV.

If you need to get a converter box, the government will pay for 2 boxes up to $40 each. You can request your converter box coupons at http://www.dtv2009.gov or you can call 1-888-388-2009..

If you have any further questions, feel free to leave them here on this post and I will be happy to answer you.

Did you pass the test?
11 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 11
Page 1 of 1
flatch read my blog view my photos
Sep 18, 2008 | 11:13 AM

I saw a red screen, but it was probably due to the 13 Curacao Orange Manhattans I had with my bag of caramel creams that night.

Wait a tick...was my TV even on?
openmic read my blog
Sep 18, 2008 | 12:35 PM

Maybe it would be better for people to quit watching TV, get off the couch and do something productive.
ShaneKSmith read my blog view my photos
Sep 18, 2008 | 7:02 PM

Triad Road Runner is good. I never saw the screen twitch.
tarheels
Sep 18, 2008 | 9:07 PM

When will fox8 start broadcasting the news in hd?,Also is it possible to make the fox8 logo on the hd channel smaller and move its position closer to the edge of the screen.It is very annoying when you try to watch the news due to the size and location that it is in now.
Charlie_Layno read my blog view my photos
Sep 19, 2008 | 10:16 AM

tarheels,

We have been upgrading equipment since 2000 to do digital and eventually HD. We do not have a date on when we would start doing HD news, but as we continue to upgrade equipment, we are getting ever closer to that.

As far as the location of the FOX8 rotating bug, that is at a fixed position for the analog viewers since we are not doing widescreen news and we do not use separate analog digital paths at that point in the chain.
ShaneKSmith read my blog view my photos
Sep 20, 2008 | 2:15 AM

I get Fox 8 on Triad Road Runner HD channel 510 through the cable box. The image looks like I could jump in the TV. Are you saying that next up there will be HD channels broadcast over the air waves that will be able to be picked up with rabbit ears and another HD type converter box? Will there be coupons for those too?
Charlie_Layno read my blog view my photos
Sep 20, 2008 | 9:28 PM

ShaneKSmith,

The signal that Time-Warner has on channel 510 is picked up over the air with an antenna! Yes, you can pick up digital signals over the air just like analog TV using the same antennas you use for analog. I personally would suggest you NOT use rabbit ears though. They are not very forgiving to digital signals.

Yes, you can buy digital converters for analog TV's and you can buy HD digital tuners for HD sets that didn't come with tuners before the FCC required digital TV's to have built in tuners. The analog digital converter boxes are eligible for the $40 coupons. The HD digital tuners are not eligible.
ShaneKSmith read my blog view my photos
Sep 21, 2008 | 4:30 AM

Thanks, but bare with me as this sinks in. When I take the coupons to the store for the converter box, do I need to tell the clerk that I need a box that is digital AND HD ready and not just digital? Will that converter box have an RF output and a HDMI output just in case you have bought a new HDMI ready TV but are not paying a cable provider anymore. This brings up the question for those with old TV's with just an RF input or simple antennae input: Even with a converter box with an antennae, do they really get true HD without the fancy too expensive hdmi jack?
Charlie_Layno read my blog view my photos
Sep 21, 2008 | 1:44 PM

The boxes that are eligible for the coupons, are SD only. The HD boxes are not eligible for the coupons. Any box with HDMI is automatically not eligible.

The SD coupon boxes will have a channel 3 analog modulator, composite video, S-Video or SD component outputs. Those boxes will convert an HD to SD and will only output SD only. That is how they are coupon eligible.
ShaneKSmith read my blog view my photos
Sep 21, 2008 | 4:31 PM

Thanks!
talktalk read my blog view my photos
Sep 23, 2008 | 12:18 PM

WOW!! Think I'll be watching mostly my Andy Griffith DVDs, movies and things I've already taped off TV!

All this TECHNOLOGY makes me head HURT!
Page 1 of 1


Write your comment below:




Charlie_Layno

I am one of the behind the scene people here at FOX8. I work in the Engineering department and speak quite a bit of technobabble. I run the TV transmitters that allows everyone to see all of the programs and news on FOX8. I like to say, if you see a good picture and hear good sound, I am not working very hard, but if you see or hear static, I am working very hard!

Member Since: 7/27/2006


 

View All Photos


RSS: XMLWhat is RSS?