Chronicle reader lesfoster verizon.net offers his success story and this advice if you plan to tackle the project: "I have a 2002 vintage TV that is "HDTV ready," that is, no digital tuner. I purchased an HDTV OTA receiver - not an analog converter. It only has digital output. I mention this as background for the following antenna success story.

I used a 1960 vintage antenna that had been lying unused in the attic for 30 years. The antenna is in the attic of a single-story ranch aimed to south Grand Rapids. I receive WOOD Channel 8, WXSP Channel 8-2, WXMI Channel 17, WGVU Channel 35 and WTLJ Channel 54. I also have intermittent reception on WOTV Channel 41. Maybe after the switch.

The reception is as good or better than cable, either standard digital or 720 1080 HDTV, whatever the particular channel broadcast. Not real cheap, but if I could receive Channel 3, which may be possible after the switch, it would be feasible to eliminate cable completely. According to the antennaweb.org site, the Grand Rapids channels are just over 50 miles away.

Note that WZZM Channel 13 broadcasts from the Grant area, only about 20 miles from Muskegon. The digital antennas advertised assume that most digital broadcast are on the higher UHF channels shorter wavelength, not the lower VHF channels longer wavelength. In this area, all three major network channels will use the lower VHF channels as their final DTV channels. Channel 8 DTV is Channel 7, and Channel 13's final DTV channel will be 13.

See www.michguide.com. The wavelengths for channels 7 and 8 are 31 and 32 inches. Keep this in mind if your try to build your own antenna." Here are some Web sites with further information: For information about the switch to digital TV, visit www.pbs.org digitaltv. For information on the DTV converter box coupon program and to apply for coupons, visit www.dtv2009.gov.

Source: http://blog.mlive.com/beentheredonethat/2009/02/building_you~.html

Keywords:
channel, channel switch, channel wavelengths, channel final, channel dtv, channel broadcasts, channel broadcast, channel wxsp, channel intermittent, channel wgvu

You probably don't care. Digital TV Transition delayed until June. Do you hold viewing parties for season premieres, award shows or season finales? On June 12, 2009, at 11:59 p.m., Is this the end to your viewing parties? Or to free TV? Will you need to replace your current TV with a newer, digital model?

Q: Is digital television more expensive than analog television? A: No. Traditional, non-cable television programs will continue to be free! Q: If I currently have cable service, is there anything else I need to do to prepare for the switch? A: If you have cable service, there is nothing else you would need to do. However, if other TV sets in the house are not connected to cable and they receive their signals with an antenna, each of these sets will need a digital TV converter box.

Q: What is a digital TV converter box? A: A digital TV converter box hooks up to a conventional analog TV set, allowing it to receive digital broadcasts. Q: Will my current television still work with off-air signals after June 12, 2009? A: Yes, as long as you have a digital TV converter box and an appropriate antenna.

Q: What specific techniques can I use to determine if my current television antenna is acceptable for digital reception or whether a new antenna is required? Q: Is there such a thing as a "digital" antenna or an "HDTV" antenna? The complete IEEE FAQ can be found online at www.IEEE.org.

Additionally, the FCC has issued a number of very helpful consumer advisories on the DTV transition at: www.dtv.gov publications.html. Courtesy of ARAcontent Blast is The Online Magazine Posted at 11:55 a.m. You probably don't care."

February 18, 2009 at 2:26 pm what about the stations that turn off their analog signals and refuse to transmit a digital signal?if you stay in savannah georgia then you won't be able to watch PBS over the air because they turned off their analog signal and now they are not broadcasting any digital signals.they used to transmit a very weak digital signal when they were transmitting an analog signal but after turning off their analog signal they also turned off their weak digital signal.

Source: http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/2009/02/dig~

Keywords:
digital, digital tv, digital signal, box digital, weak digital, digital stay, digital transmit, digital model, digital antenna, digital broadcasts

Remember, you'll need to get a converter box for each analog TV in your home that receives over-the-air signals. Your new converter box should come with a coaxial wire, a remote control, AND an instruction manual. We urge you to follow the instructions that come with your particular converter box. You can also call us or visit our website for detailed information. But hooking up your converter box up should be fairly simple.

First, unplug your TV from the wall. Then, remove the antenna wire that is currently plugged into your TV, and plug it into the "Antenna In" port on the box. Then, plug one end of the new wire into the "Out to TV" port on the box, and the other end into the "Antenna In" port of the TV.

If your antenna wire looks like this, not to worry, just remember to purchase the necessary adaptors that will make it possible for you to use the coaxial ports on the converter box. Plug in and turn on your TV and converter box. Tune your TV to channel 3 or 4, and using the remote that comes with the converter box, make sure to follow the on screen set-up guide which will scan for available DTV channels in your area and set your TV up to receive them.

You should re-scan for available channels periodically during the transition, in order to capture those stations that change to digital or change their location after your initial set-up. Even with this new set up, remember that you are still getting your signal from an antenna. Generally, an outdoor antenna gets better reception than an indoor antenna.

Some antennas that get poor reception with analog - or can?t get stations above channel 14 - may need to be upgraded. But you do NOT need to purchase a special DTV or HDTV antenna to receive DTV signals. You should always try your antenna first, before upgrading. You may, however, need to adjust where your antenna is pointing to get the best signal.

You can call us at 1-888-CALL-FCC for more information on antennas. Or go online at www.DTV.gov. So to re-cap? Step 1: Unplug your TV from the wall Step 2: Remove your Antenna wire from the TV and plug it into the "Antenna In" port on the box. Step 3: Plug Coaxial wire into the "Out to TV" port on your converter box Step 4: Plug the remaining end of the coaxial cable into ?Antenna in? TV. Step 5: Plug in your TV and turn on the converter box.

Step 6: Tune your TV to channel 3 or 4 and follow the on screen set-up guide Your VCR will work with your analog TV after the transition. If you want to use a VCR to watch videotapes you won't need a converter box. If you want to use a VCR to record a DTV program, you can hook your VCR to a converter box and it will record your program. Again, you can call us or visit the FCC website for more information.

With a converter box, you can watch closed-captioned programs like you did before. Also, with some converter boxes, you can change the size, font and color of your digital captions. You can start getting ready right now for the DTV transition. The sooner you act, the sooner you will be able to start enjoying all the benefits of digital television!

Source: http://wpri.com/dpp/about_us/operations/local_wpri_watching_~

Keywords:
box, converter box, box step, port box, box plug, box fairly, box visit, box tune, box coaxial, box analog