Digital Dialog

Digital Doings

Now that I have some idea of our coverage from the calls and emails from our viewers of our full-power transmitters and after many hours of consulting with the antenna manufacturer and RF consultants, the only factor which will increase the likelihood of getting our signal is to increase the power...both on Oahu and Maui.

Due to FCC licensing issues, we will begin with Maui.  An additional amplifier assembly will be added to the existing transmitter to just about double the power output.  This doesn't mean the signal will go twice as far, but it will increase the level of signal at any given antenna to give the digital TV or converter box a better chance of decoding the signal and displaying a picture.

Oahu will follow a couple of months later, so thanks for your patience.  I'll be announcing here when we make the changes.

Finally, Hilo...an engineer from the transmitter company is scheduled to be out here during the second week of April.  If all goes well (especially with the weather), we'll be broadcasting in digital by mid-April.

As the Dust Settles...

It has been a very busy 49 days for me.  Beginning the week after Thanksgiving, I have been busy with the preparation of Oahu's final digital transmission system which is due to be activated on February 18.  In addition to Oahu, the Maui digital system was being prepared for its debut on January 15, the Kauai analog translator system needed to be modified to work with a digital signal and the Big Island translator system required major changes to keep operating in analog.

So how do I feel the transition went?  It was pretty much what I expected, except for the Big Island...more on that later.  We knew that the move of our Oahu transmitter from the KGMB tower to Palehua (above Makakilo) was going to cause a lot of people who could once get us to lose our signal and a lot of people who could not receive us to start getting a signal.  In addition, the temporary UHF channel we are licensed to use by the FCC would not be something most people are used to receiving.  But come this February 18, we will be returning to our beloved Channel 11 frequency and should make it more familiar to rereceive.

The Maui transition went off without a hitch.  At noon on January 15, we shutdown the analog transmitter, which was broadcasting on Channel 10, and switched on the digital transmitter, also broadcasting on Channel 10.  This momentous occasion was over 20 years in the making.  After many Public Hearings, meetings with special interest groups, propagation studies, site surveys, and governmental processes, the site at Ulupalakua Ranch was finally agreed upon by all.  All the broadcasters were aware of the loss of coverage on Maui, Molokai, Oahu and the Big Island, but due to the loss of a lease at the summit of Haleakala and the subsequent move to Ulupalakua Ranch, the loss of coverage would have happened even if we continued with analog broadcasts.  So in the end, our coverage ended up being pretty much what was predicted.

Kauai's translator system, though still analog, had to receive the KHET digital signal and convert it to analog to keep the system going.  This was done without notice in early January.  We will begin transitioning Kauai over to digital once we have completed the Oahu digital change mentioned above, and/or when the existing translators require replacement.

For the Big Island, please read my next entry.

Overall, the dust is settling on the transition of our full-power transmitters, but I am just starting to build the digital translator system...on both Kauai and the Big Island...anyone seen the Sawzall?

The $40 Coupon

I was recently on a panel to discuss the Hawaii Digital transition and the majority of the questions were about the government's $40 coupon program to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box.  Here are the major points you need to know:

If you have a cable or satellite service you need to do NOTHING!  TV will be the same for you;

Most of Hawaii is going digital-only TV broadcasting on January 15, 2009 at Noon;

You can go online at: www.DTV2009.gov to request up to two (2) $40 coupons;

The coupons cannot be combined...one coupon, one box...two coupons, two boxes...

The coupons have an expiration date tied to Eastern Standard Time...do not wait to use it;

The coupons are good for three (3) months from the time of mailing;

Buy a converter box with analog pass through;

You will need an antenna to attach to the converter box;

Buying a converter box will not guaranteee your reception of all or any DTV signals;

Depending upon where you live, you may need an outdoor antenna and additional equipment to receive DTV signals;

IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ME OR YOU CAN CALL THE FCC'S LOCAL OFFICE AT 541-3288 OR GO ONLINE AT : hawaiidtvtransition@fcc.gov

Digital Converter Boxes

Here is the weak point in the digital transition.  I feel that not enough information is being relayed to the consumer by the government, the broadcasters and the retailers...but buy the Digital Converter Box with Analog Pass-Through...

I recently spoke with a viewer who purchased a converter box, hooked it up and then called me to say " I'm not getting digital television".  I proceeded to ask many questions and in the end the misunderstanding was that they thought by connecting a digital conversion box to their television, it would get all the digital stations...much like a cable digital box.

Unfortunately the digital conversion box is only a channel tuner that takes in the new over-the-air digital television signals and changes it so that your old television can display the picture.  It has nothing to do with cable or satellite signals...it is only used for OVER-THE-AIR digital siganls.

Now the second part to the equation is what I just wrote about earlier...the ANTENNA!  You are going to need one.  No ifs, ands or buts.  Whether it is an indoor antenna or an outdoor antenna, you are going to need one.  There is another web site that can give you an idea of what type of antenna you'll need, it's:  www.tvfool.com

Now here is my disclaimer...you may need a signal amplifier or an antenna rotor or a "smart" antenna...but none of this will guarantee reception of all your favorite TV channels.  Reception of over-the-air signals can be affected by mountains, buildings, trees, weather, bodies of water, traffic, location and a bunch of other factors I can only imagine.

Digital Converter Boxes are not the "magic" bullet that some believe it to be...but if you try hard enough, it can extend the life of that analog set long enough to make up for all the money spent on antennas, amplifiers, splitters, cables, etc....

Update on our Digital Transition

This is an update for a prior post titled "Where we are...where we'll be...and how".

On Oahu most of the Hawaii TV Broadcasters have been given the go-ahead by the FCC to shut-off analog broadcasts on January 15, 2009 rather than the February 17, 2009 federally mandated transition date.

PBS Hawaii will begin work on our higher powered digital transmission system beginning the last week of November.  We will reduce our analog power by half so that we can re-purpose the analog transmitter for our final digital transmission system.  Our antenna is due to be installed the beginning of February and until then we will continue broadcasting on Channel 18.  Once completed (mid February) we will have better coverage for Honolulu, Central Oahu and the Waianae Coast, but you will need to perform a rescan on your TV or converter box.

Maui will be broadcasting in digital only from January 15, 2009 at noon.  We believe that most of Maui will not lose our signal, but there is a chance that North and East Maui may experience some signal degradation or not get enough signal to watch our programs.

Kauai will go through a phased transition as all of our transmitting devices are classified by the FCC in the low-power category and are thus not mandated by law to begin digital transmitting.  Because there are twice as many low-power transmitters as full-power transmitters in the U.S., the FCC is waiting for the dust to settle with the full-power transmitters and find out what channels are left to make the low-power transition.  On a side note, it may be possible for the residents in southern and eastern Kauai to receive our digital broadcasts from Oahu...if so enjoy the new digital revolution...

The Island of Hawaii will also go through a phased transition to digital.  The first area to become digital will be Waimea followed closely by Hilo.  Because all the other broadcasters in Hilo will be in digital, it only makes sense for us to join in with them so we do not create any additional confusion to the viewers.  To do this we must re-purpose some equipment from Oahu and convert it to digital.  I anticipate that PBS Hawaii will be broadcasting digitally in Hilo by the end of February or early March.  The rest of the island will follow as funds allow.

There is a lot happening, all in a short period.  I anticipate some short outages and apologize for it in advance, but due to logistics, I am not able to be in all locations at the same time.  I will try to keep these outages to a minimum and appreciate your understanding and patience.  More later...

More on Antennas

Location of antennas is very important.  A good rule of thumb is, if you can see the general location of a transmitting antenna, you should be able to receive its signal.

PBS Hawaii's digital transmitter is located in the southern Waianae mountain range above Makakilo, so aim your antennas in that general direction...

Oh, you say you live somewhere between Waipahu and Nuuanu?  Well now you have a dilemma...you are probably going to have to rotate your indoor or outdoor antenna in different directions to receive the best signal from the different stations.

FYI, of the major stations, KITV and KHON will remain broadcasting from the Ala Moana area.  KHNL, KFVE, KGMB and KHET will be broadcasting from the aforementioned Waianae mountains.  And to add more confusion to the pot, all the TV stations will be broadcasting on different frequency bands (so remember what I said in the last post...get a directional antenna that will receive channels 2 - 52).

Now if you have an outdoor antenna, moving it will be a very difficult and tedious chore.  You can put a device on it that will rotate it from a remote control in your home or maybe put up two antennas with an A/B switch, both expensive solutions, but necessary nonetheless since the location of the transmitters are in various locations.  You may get lucky and be able to point your antenna inbetween all the transmitting antennas and receive a weaker but watchable signal from all the stations.

A good web site to visit would be: www.antennaweb.org

Antennas, Antennas, Antennas...

Like real estate, you'll need an antenna to receive over-the-air digital television signals, and it's all about location, location, location.

First is to know where the location of the station's transmitter you want to watch is located.  It is often not the same place where the station's offices are located.  Call the station and they'll be happy to tell you where it is.

Second is the location of your receiving antenna.  Sometimes the best place for your television is not the best place for your antenna.  Walls, cabinets, hanging pictures, etc. can all contribute to a lower received signal, and with digital, you want the best possible signal to get to your TV.

Now here is the one thing about antennas that no one tells you, those rabbit ear-type antennas are meant for channels 2 - 13 and the loop antennas are for channels 14 - 52.  You are going to need a directional antenna that can receive all the channels, 2 - 52 because many of the TV stations in Hawaii will be changing to a different channel after January 15, 2009, and if you get a directional antenna that receives all the channels, you won't have to worry.

More about antennas in my next post...

Reach Out And Transition Somebody

With the Hawaii DTV Transition happening on January 15, 2009, the television broadcasters of Hawaii are trying to reach out to viewers who might be unable to or are unaware of the coming transition.  We can only do so much and we need your kokua.  Here are things you can do to help:

1)  Should you know someone that uses over-the-air signals to view TV, tell them about needing a converter box if they want to continue using their analog TV;

2)  Send me an email (skomori@pbshawaii.org) of names of community associations or groups or even neighborhoods where over-the-air reception is prevalent;

3)  Refer them to my Blog here or they can go to www.dtv.gov for information;

This transition is going to be a bit bumpy and every little bit helps, so if you can...reach out and transition somebody..

Time is Running Out

For those who plan to continue using your analog TV and are looking to purchase a converter box:

Hawaii's Digital Transition date closer than ever (JANUARY 15, 2009), and if you want/need the $40 coupon offered by the Federal government to subsidize the purchase of a Digital-to-Analog Conversion Box, you better do it now.  Just go to:

www.dtv2009.gov

You can either fill out an application form on-line or print out an application form (which you will need to fill out and mail).  It will take up to 6-weeks, depending upon when the application is received, to receive either one or two coupons (you chose on the application) towards the purchase of a converter box (and if you can afford the additional small cost increase, with analog pass-through).

So if you don't do it by the end of November...you'll lose your over-the-air analog signal for good on January 15, 2009 and your analog TV will become a dust collector...

Far Out...

Satellite coverage...Dish network and DirecTV...they keep telling us that everything will be okay for the digital transition, but now I'm unsure...

Over the past week, ever since our analog transmitter on Oahu malfunctioned, the majority of viewers calling in complaints have been Big Island and Kauai satellite subscribers.  They (the satellite companies) tell me that they are using my digital over-the-air signal, but yet when my analog goes off, you don't get our programming!??

What gives?  And there is nobody but voicemail to talk to you when you call them or if you do get ahold of somebody, they have no idea what you are talking about and blame the TV station that you are calling about for their problems.

Let's just hope that when the transition happens in Hawaii (January 15, 2009) that you won't lose all Hawaii local channels...