Posts Tagged ‘DTV’

Poll: should Chief Franklin resign over his media ‘tin ear’?

The results of our three-week poll of over-the-air digital television viewers were shocking to me.

The basics of communication theory indicate that a message can only be sent from sender to receiver if the medium/carrier can make the trip. In our non-scientific poll, 38% of DTV viewers said they couldn’t receive the station that transmits the number one broadcast network, CBS. In fact 1 of 4 respondents said they were having trouble watching any commercial broadcast television out of Erie.

That’s a huge problem (and great opportunity for satellite vendors) that station engineers don’t have a whole lot of answers for. In fact, my request for comment and advice for viewers from one station has gone unanswered for a week. DTV viewers…you really have to look at getting a big exterior antenna, and if you’ve already done that, maybe the days of free television are over for you.

Erie Bureau of Police Chief Steve Franklin is once again in the news over his nondisclosure of a series of late-night attacks on women in a lower west-side neighborhood. It wasn’t until Erie Times-News reporters hammered him with questions did he admit to the investigation, while letting his disdain for the local media slip through the process.

Generally the police have a love/hate relationship with the media; playing them when they run out of leads, while being tight-lipped when they deem necessary. But Franklin’s claim that public disclosure would create panic, tons of false leads while tipping off the perps is not enough for those now calling him to step down.

Do you think Franklin’s actions are the last straw?

Should Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin lose his job over his use/nonuse of the media?

  • Yes: he is putting people in danger by not fully disclosing crimes in the city (57%, 24 Votes)
  • No: he may have a "tin ear" for the media, but he's still a good chief (36%, 15 Votes)
  • I don't know/I'm ambivalent (7%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 42

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DTV: what have we lost?

There is a lot to like about the digital television transition: free high definition pictures right to your home, multiple content streams which look better than “old TV” even in standard def, companies making major investments in our community and local economy, ease of use…I could go on.

But in reading Jim Martin’s front page story in yesterday’s Erie Times-News, I felt a twinge of sadness that somehow in this bigger and better conversion, we’ve lost something. Perhaps it was said before when music went digital 25 years ago, but there is a down side to that perfect picture or sound.

The nature of digital broadcasting is that it’s either on, or off. So if during a big storm you are watching on your rooftop antenna-connected 52″ HDTV flat screen the supercell coming your way, and Joey, Rob or Tom says to go to your basement, there’s no little 7″ B&W Radio Shack TV to continue watching while the storm passes. And if you are fortunate to have one of these cool DTV portables, there’s a strong probability that the rabbit ears attached won’t pull in your favorite (or any) meteorologist:

But take the crisis out of it. Don’t you know of folks, senior citizens particularly, who enjoy watching the Saturday afternoon baseball game on Fox or some NASCAR on their deck or in their garage during the summer on some old portable?

Again, I’m wondering that with WICU’s analog signoff Tuesday morning, if we just haven’t disenfranchised a good portion of people, or at minimum just made life more difficult for folks that don’t deserve it.

TV Turn-off Day: WICU is final analog signoff

UPDATE: 12 News reported at 6:00 this evening that the analog shut-off of WICU will be happening by early Tuesday morning, June 9th. Plan on rescanning your digital TV or converter box in a couple days to receive WICU in full-power digital in the next few days.

Channel 12 isn’t going to make it to the 12th.

Erie’s oldest and only VHF television station will sign off it’s analog signal today, Monday, June 8, 2009 to enable station engineers to make the upgrades necessary to the transmission system for full-power digital by Friday, June 12th, the national DTV deadline. Of course anyone viewing over cable or satellite will not be affected, and over-the-air viewers can watch WICU programming this week on digital 35.3.

After their signoff, full-power analog television will be obsolete in the Erie market. Of course, we make the distinction between full-power and low-power stations, as some low-power stations will continue their analog broadcasts.

WICU signed on Channel 12 as Erie’s first television station on March 15, 1949. See images of its signon published in Life Magazine. For most of its existence, having a VHF signal was a significant advantage over the other three UHF commercial stations, 24, 35 & 66. With the advent of cable over 25 years ago, the advantage somewhat faded in the primary viewing areas, but was still important in those rural areas, where often they were only station coming in.

Now at digital channel 12, which is really 52, it will be WICU’s programming and promotion that will count, not a dial number.

Please write in any issues you are having seeing any of the Erie stations in digital.

Poll: are you watching video on your phone?

Last week’s poll results regarding the readiness of Erie viewers for DTV were kind of shocking. A full 25% of respondents said that they knew someone or a workplace that will be without any TV service after next Friday, June 12th. I guess education doesn’t always cure procrastination.

This week we are asking if you are using some of the new capabilities of mobile devices. This comes on the news that Ford is planning to have internet access in their new cars in the next 9 to 12 months. If you have a iPhone or smartphone with data package, or an iPod touch, have you listened to live streaming audio, or watched video on demand on your small screen? Let us know if you are with me, still only using my phone as, uhmmm, a phone.

Have you listened to live audio or watched any video on your mobile device in the past month?

  • No - I'm still limited to voice and text on my phone (60%, 12 Votes)
  • Yes - I'm one of those early adopter types (30%, 6 Votes)
  • No - even though I have a data package on my smartphone (10%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 20

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Poll: is Erie finally ready for DTV?

About two-thirds of our respondents to last week’s poll felt that unions are getting totally rolled over by media owners during this current downturn. Only 15% voted that the unions were fully-engaged, even while their members ended up on the beach.The Digital Television Transition

This Friday marks two weeks before analog television for US full-power stations goes bye-bye. Since I’m hearing no rumblings in Congress, it looks like the date will stand. Here in Erie, only one TV station, WICU, remains in analog. Since we have not seen any major hue and cry, especially since the first commercial station, WSEE, switched to digital, my assumption is that our market is ready for full-digital. However, you know what they say about assumptions…

Are Erie viewers ready for the final conversion to digital television?

  • Yes: everyone I know have made provisions for the transition by now. (75%, 27 Votes)
  • No: I still know of friends, relatives, or work places that will not recieve any television after June 12th. (25%, 9 Votes)

Total Voters: 36

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JET-TV’s analog signal shuts down tonight

As we reported at the beginning of the month, WJET-TV will be the third Erie full-power television station to turn off their analog transmitter as part of the digital TV transition. The latest from YourErie.com:

WJET will cease analog transmission at 11:35 pm on Friday April 17th. During the four day transition to full power digital there are cable systems that will not be able to carry WJET due to their inability to pick up the signal. Those systems include Atlantic Broadband, Clarendon Cable, and Cable Communication Services, all in Warren County. Viewers who rely on an over the air signal will not be able see the station until early next week when the transition is finished, and you have successfully installed your digital converter box. During the WJET transition period the FOX66 signal will be interrupted at certain times for the safety of construction crews working on the tower.

The original timeline had WJET’s full-power digital signal up by Wednesday, and that WFXP would shut down their analog stream on Wednesday night right after the 10:00 news.

As always, whether you have a converter box or a digital television, the three most important things to do are, “rescan, rescan, and rescan.”

WJET/WFXP announce DTV switch dates

YourErie.com has noted the dates and times for the analog switchoff for the Nexstar stations WJET and LMA’d WFXP.

WJET which is now on low digital power, will shut off its analog transmitter at 11:35 PM, Friday, April 17th. Over that weekend and into the following week, workers will be on the tower readying the transmission system for full digital broadcasting right around April 22nd.

Meanwhile, Fox 66 is full digital now operating on JET’s tower. They will turn off their analog antenna on WQLN’s auxilary tower on Wednesday, April 22nd at 10:35 PM.