On Day 2 of Hawaii's Big Switch from analog to digital-only TV transmission, the phone calls are streaming into the islands' television stations including PBS Hawaii and the phone bank at the Federal Communications Commission in Honolulu.
Far more people are calling today than yesterday, perhaps because they have more time. Many government and private offices are closed today due to concerns over dangerous weather.
So, over-the-air viewers are spending time with their new pass-through converter boxes and antennas--adjusting, re-adjusting, seeking digital reception.
The strong winds are no friend of Hawaii's digital transition. It's presumed at this point that the winds are responsible for several TV transmitters high on Palehua Ridge in Makakilo getting knocked off the air late last night and this morning. Hawaiian Electric Company can't say when power will be restored.
Some TV stations are sending out signals over-the-air, others aren't, and it's tough for viewers to tell what's happening and how they should set up their equipment. For many, a frustrating chore just became mystifying.
Today PBS Hawaii has 10 staffers available to handle viewer inquiries, at 973-1000. The really technical questions, we refer to the cellphone of our chief engineer Steve Komori who at this moment is on Mount Haleakala, being buffeted by winds, seeing if he can safely move some of our equipment.
Thanks Leslie,
I kinda figured it was the wind. PBS is coming in fine at this moment and we have an extra channel. Digital may allow greater information to be broadcast, but it is still broadcast and like "Dish" subject to the vagaries of weather. We live in an area where is isn't financially viable to bring cable in and satellite
is crummy in bad weather conditions.
Anyway, thanks,
John
Posted by: Outthere | January 16, 2009 at 06:27 PM