FCC improves DTV Web site

The Federal Communications Commission has revamped its DTV transition Web site in the hopes it can help more consumers prepare for the transition to digital television.

Democratic FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein unveiled the new site Monday at the National Association of Broadcasters' conference in Las Vegas. The primary purpose of the redesigned site was to make it more "consumer friendly." For example, the site includes a tool to search for local retailers selling converter boxes. It also has a quick tutorial on installing converter boxes and provides shopping information about the different products. And it provides tips for improving reception or troubleshooting reception issues.

Adelstein, who is expected to leave the commission soon for a post at the Department of Agriculture, has long supported the idea of a more coordinated education effort around the DTV transition.

Congress mandated that TV broadcasters cut off their analog signals and transmit only in digital to conserve valuable airwaves. And in 2005 it set the date of February 17, 2009, as the deadline for the transition. Over the next four years, the FCC, broadcasters and TV manufacturers were expected to prepare for the transition and educate the public.

But as the deadline approached, TV stations and broadcasters were ready for the transition, but consumers were not. In early February, lawmakers were concerned that some 20 million people, most of whom were poor, elderly, and living in rural parts of the country, were not prepared for the transition. And to make matters worse, the government had also run out of its $40 coupons it was issuing to help defray the cost of the converter boxes necessary to allow older TVs to get digital signals. There had also been reports that many consumers, who had already gotten converter boxes, were not able to connect them properly to their TVs.

Ultimately, Congress voted to delay the deadline for the DTV transition from February 17 to June 12. The delay and the general unreadiness of the public for this transition have resulted in a lot of finger pointing among politicians and public interest groups. And the FCC has been sharply criticized for dropping the ball in terms of educating the public about the transition. The new Web site is an attempt to help provide more user-friendly information.

Hopefully, this latest effort will help get consumers ready for the transition. But recent reports suggest there are still many people not ready for the transition and time is running out. According to Nielsen, as of April 12, 3.6 million TV households are "completely unready" for the DTV transition on June 12. This is an improvement of 200,000 households over the past two weeks, when Nielsen reported that 3.8 million American households were unready. But as the deadline gets closer, time is running out and there are still millions of consumers unready.

But the NAB says that Nielsen's numbers are greatly exaggerated. And the association believes that the actual number of those not ready is much lower.

[stefanvolos]

So HOW exactly are the poor and elderly Americans who weren't prepared before February 12th expected to log into this new Web site?

[rmva]

Information, information, information. During the Republican whack at this problem, all the focus was on converter boxes. It turns out, antennas are almost as important. Folks who think they are covered because they have a converter box sitting in the closet need more information. Information. Information. Information.

[punterjoe]

I couldn't agree more that the antenna is the critical component. I can't understand why anyone would get a converterbox & not connect it immediately. Nearly all stations are broadcasting ATSC signals now - it's not like they're going to flip a switch at midnite and everything will magically change. Yes, frequencies and power levels may change, and I'm sure the new cry will be "rescan" to map the new post-transition channels, but still - if a station is going digital, they're already simulcasting digital, so while there's still an analog fallback, people should connect their converter boxes & work out the antenna issues NOW.
For the record, I live in such a terrible reception area it took me months of experimentation to get adequate ATSC reception... and I don't consider myself a total noob. This is going to get worse before it gets better :}

[punterjoe]

It doesn't matter what the FCC NAB or CEA do, the people who aren't prepared will NEVER be prepared. Maybe when their sets finally go dark they will be motivated to pull their head out of ...erm... the ostrich hole they stuck it in... and scramble to restore the service level they let slip away. It's time for some tough love here. Anyone who was inclined to plan ahead did so long ago - the rest will only do so after the fact, so let's pull the plug already and bring on the pain - it's the only way these stragglers will ever get their act together.
BTW - I doubt anything they do with their website will make a difference since the DTV holdouts probably don't know or care about the internet.

[paulsecic]

Watch the FEDS extend the digital transition twice more due to Joe 6 pack doesn't watch local news.

[Mergatroid Mania]

I work at a repair shop in Canada, and there has been so much U.S. coverage of this topic that I get calls at work asking me if this applies to Canadians.

I think if people in another country can be informed about what is going on in the U.S., I would have to say the people who are not ready for this transition are not exactly the brightest bulbs on the tree.

If they would just go ahead and get the transition over with, I'm sure the people who lost their TV signals would notice and most likely would call their local TV station and ask what happened, at which time they would be informed.

Connecting a converter box is no more difficult than connecting a VCR.

What the U.S. government could have done to make things a little easier would be to contract a company to make a kit, including a set top antenna. People who have a coupon would send it to this company (or wherever) and then receive a kit in the mail. The elderly and infirm would not have to even go out to purchase the converter.

[Vonmoldy]

You are a canadian who works at a repair shop? Calling a whole group of people stupid because of the few that have called your shop? And then you think you try to tell us on here your superior plan which has nothing to do with you?
Mind your own business you hoser.

[scottthesculptor]

I still don't get it.
I've been ATSC only since 2005.

We don't need no stinkin' converterboxes.
what a waste of tax payer money -
2000 million dollars!
what!?

the latest laugh is the new ad barrage telling to refresh channels often.
The only new stations in the last 4 years have been home shopping, religious or foreign language.

[biffhenerson]

Dedesign the web site 10 more times. Heck, the goverment has money to burn right? They have to keep the content fresh right? What a waste.
Another little hidden secret is that they first they told everyone that they will need a UHF antenna and a converter box to pick up the new digital channels that are found in the UHF band. Now they say that some stations will be switching back to lower power VHF after the cut-over so you might need a UHF/VHF antenna after all. Surprise! $$$

[Tod Smith]

The money would be better spent in getting broadcasters prepared to analysis and boast weaker DTV signals.

Please do reporting on that. I?ve done two houses so far and both have problems at times with a few channels.

[wiredchicken]

Why dont they just stream digital tv to their website and cancel the digtal switch over!!!

[donsms]

Seems to me the only logical answer to this persistant problem would have been to allocate all that money used for coupons and converter boxes to instead be used for a low cost,low end new TV with an included digital tuner.It may have cost a lot more but at least it would have covered all those people who are too old or just not interested in upgrading their sets.The govt. would then not feel guilty as the deadline draws near about all those people who didn`t act in time.

[solidsignal.com]

An issue for consumers with regard to the digital transition is the expense. While the U.S. government is offering two $40 coupons per household to subsidize the purchase of the devices, the average retail price of a digital converter box is over $50 and the least expensive new model sells for about $46 so the consumer still has some cost to bear.
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and similar institutions can obtain free digital TV converter boxes for residents by obtaining a government discount coupon and ordering through SolidSignal.com. The company will also provide free shipping and free support by telephone as part of their community relations program. SolidSignal.com is offering this program to non-profit organizations nationwide through June 12, 2009, the digital broadcast transition date, while inventory is available.
The online application for the government coupon can be filled out at http://www.dtv2009.gov/. Once the coupons are received, the facility director can call SolidSignal.com toll free at 1-866-374-4625 to place the order to receive the converter boxes that will receive digital TV signals after the transition.