FCC fields 28,000 calls on DTV switch

More than 28,000 consumers called a federal help line Tuesday, after hundreds of television stations dropped their analog signals.

Even though the national deadline for television stations to switch from analog to digital broadcasting has been pushed back to June, 421 stations made the transition Tuesday, the date of the original deadline. The changeover prompted 28,315 people to call the Federal Communications Commission's DTV transition help line.

The number of calls Tuesday was 37 percent higher than on Monday, when 20,673 people called for help. However, most of the 421 stations that transitioned to digital broadcasting Tuesday did not do so until midnight, so the calls did not represent the full impact of the switchover. From midnight through 11 a.m. Wednesday, the FCC received 6,750 calls for help.

Between the 421 stations that made the switch Tuesday and the approximately 220 stations that transitioned earlier, about one-third of the country's television stations have now dropped their analog signals.

The FCC said the help line has been running smoothly, with calls being answered almost immediately. Most calls, the agency said, were from people who were unaware they needed to run the "scan" function on their digital televisions or converter boxes to search for changed channels.

Meanwhile, the European Union on Monday released a statement saying "Europe is leading the world in switching from analogue to digital television."

Five EU states have transitioned to digital signals (Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, Sweden and the Netherlands), and the entire EU is aiming to complete the transition by 2012.

[sanenazok]

28K calls out what like 100000K households? The transition should be considered a success, especially since at least some of the people calling already had a DTV tuner and just needed to be told to rescan the channels. Oh wait, it wasn't a success since Obama delayed the transition.

[timber2005]

100000 * 1000 (a K) is a very large number...
100K is what I think you ment.

[sanenazok]

There are far more than 100,000 (100k) households in the US. No I meant 100 million. There are 300 million people in the US. You figure 100 million households. Probably 600 million TV's! 100 million = 100 000K. 28,000 calls for a country of 300,000,000 people is NOTHING.

[becton22]

What propaganda, how is europe leading the way by being completely digital by 2012 when the US will be totally converted in mid June?

[artistjoh]

You don't appear to have read thew article fully. It actually said that several European nations have already successfully gone totally digital and so far as I know they have had fewer problems making the transition than the US appears to be having - no coupon systems that run out of money at the crucial time, no confusing dithering over implementation dates etc.

I suspect that those nations have not yet made the transition yet are watching the US experience closely in order to learn how not to manage the transition.

[Endbringer]

Don't forget that Americans have more TVs than Europeans as we have a better standard of living. Our "poor" are considered middle class there and our "poor" have a lot of HDTVs compared to the rest of world.

[rmva]

Gotta love those Europeans! They really do have a sense of humor.

[cpopken]

Don't you mean "humour"?

[scottthesculptor]

wow, a lot fewer than the imaginary millions of the DTVless.
Remember? - they're the one that needed 1300 million dollars to jellify their brains with low rez converter boxes.

oh right, only 6 million left and they need 600 million additional dollars.
guess they're just not calling the FCC when their TeeVee loses a couple of channels.

I say we spend another couple billion and wait another 3 years

[sparrowhyperion]

Man. They have been telling people about the switch for years. Anyone who still doesn't get the picture (so to speak) needs to get with it. I have no pity or understanding for people who chose to ignore all the warnings and remain ignorant, apparently hoping it was all just some big joke... The whole country has had the change hammered into our heads for at least 2 years now... Man there are a lot of 12:00 flashers in this country.

[ittesi259]

Amen

[gotrsx6]

2 years? you do realize it was during the Bill Clinton administration that the transition was planned and the date was set right? almost a decade now...

[manualfunky]

you americans.. always leading the world in stupidity!

[make_or_break]

Hey sparrow,

Do YOU actually read the owner's manual? The article does say that most calls the FCC rec'd were because consumers didn't know that they had to set their HD equipment to 'scan' mode (hell, I didn't know that either but then I have an excuse since I don't use over-air broadcast signals). I betcha most people just assumed that all this high-tech tomfoolery was as easy as plug-n-play. The equipment makers also had plenty of time to set up their gear so that it could be as idiot-proof as possible, but it sounds like at least some of them don't have a clue, either, and the default settings weren't set for EXACTLY the prime purpose that it was supposed to: receiving digital signals. THAT'S where the joke is really at.

[dennisl59]

So how much money was spent by the federal government for this switch? And they got how many calls? And the moral to the story is?

[sanenazok]

Is the moral that you shouldn't ask many rhetorical questions?

[lixpaulian]

They forgot about Austria, which transitioned fully to digital in 2008. Maybe they forgot other countries too. 2012 is likely the deadline for the latest countries to join the EU as e.g. Bulgaria and Romania.

[Billy2523]

We were receiving 3 tv channels before they went to dtv. Now we are getting 1 channel. The converter box is not helping to receive channels. This is the biggest mess I have ever seen. I have been on the telephone since I got home at 2:00 pm and nobody knows anything. I live in a rural area in central georgia near Macon, Georgia. I have other things to take care of besides this mess.

[sanenazok]

Sounds like you need a better amplifier for your antenna. What was the quality of the three channels that you were receiving? The converter box isn't going to "help" you in receiving channels in that it doesn't improve channel reception. It only is able to understand the DTV channels that your older TV wasn't translating.

Call the TV stations that you lost the signal to and have them help you. I think they're the ones that would care that you and your neighbors can't receive the DTV signal. I bet you that you're not receiving the DTV signals since they aren't full power yet due to the delay of the final switchover.

[manualfunky]

didnt you bother to test it before the change over date???

[Gorifyny]

So, sanenazok, it's deemed OK that the viewer now has to have an amplifier to obtain his previously free OTA stations? That's just another example of how this transition has been botched by not informing the public of the increased difficulty of receiving these new mainly-UHF signals. Many people who easily received analog stations with indoor antennas must now put out the additional expense for outdoor antennas and amplifiers. This fact has been conveniently hidden by the bureaucrats with $$ in their eyes to sell spectrum. Of course all this income to the Feds will have been frittered away in mere minutes with the economic crash.

[sanenazok]

@Gorifyny: YES, it's perfectly OK that an amplifier is now required. DTV is a new service that operates differently from analog. It works better for most, and some need to make tweaks, like getting an amp. Billy2523 (goat farm?) should have started looking at this in December and not the day of the switchover. Why are government bureaucrats duty bound to inform him or you of anything? TV ain't a right. Multicasting has been going on now for 2+ years and so it's his problem for not having found this out until now.

He and 3% of the population live in the fringes of any urban area. 97% of us have to wait so that he can go to the local junkyard and buy a new antenna. Thanks much.

[Gorifyny]

Ah, yes, it is a NEW service - however, the gov't in its "wisdom" has deemed it acceptable to eliminate the previous service completely. As a regulated utility, television is a right if so deemed by the public. Unfortunately the public has been given no choice in this matter, so the gov't must be held accountable for all consequences. I fear we will just have to agree to disagree on this philosophy. Excuse me while I make the last use of my three portable TV's before I add them to the stockpile of electronic waste our gov't has brought about.

[timber2005]

Oooh don't worry EU. You might be in the lead now but come end of June/July (I forget when the full switch is now), WE will have the lead :D

[ceebee23]

I don't think anyone should be bragging about the digital changeover...while there are positives for consumers... the real reason governments are doing this is to sell off spectrum... meanwhile reception issues with digital transmission remain ...

[manualfunky]

perhaps your government should have added a "ps. dont forget to read the instructions on how to use your new set top box" to all of the ads they put up over the last few years..

God damn there are some Morons in that counrty!

[M5er]

Ya they might call up and ask the Government to use their giant remote control to change the channels for them, too.

Lazy people...

[Endbringer]

Don't forget we are educated by the government, yet everyone complains how stupid our government is.

[sosowhat]

There are problems with digital if you live in a fringe area as I do. I could recieve analog just fine but digital signal to my tv just says (signal weak) and yes my small tv has a digital tuner which must not be sensitive enough to recieve digital signals. I have a large 60 element antenna with a UHF trap and only 43 miles to broadcast antenna site. Looks like I will have to get a larger antenna.

[sanenazok]

So you have to get a larger antenna to receive a better, digital signal. Since when is TV reception a right?

[forestryee]

I share sosowhat's problem. I am 40+ miles from the transmitters, use an outdoor antenna, and can only get one digital channel well enough to watch.

@sanenazok: Supposedly the American people own the airwaves. It is a right. The government receives revenue from this source; the American people are supposed to be running the government. Therefore we do have a right. You or I could erect a tower and pay to use the airways in the same way. That is our right.

[langlecnet]

You need to check with the tv stations you can't receive. They are likely transmitting UHF for their digital channel whereas the analog broadcasts may have been VHF. That UHF trap you mention would kill your reception.

[sanenazok]

@forestryee: the government owns the airwaves, not "the people." The government owns federal buildings...try to go in there and do something stupid since it's "your rightful property." You have a right to petition the government to do things with the airwaves, but not a right to control them or serve your purposes.

[M5er]

28,000 people is basically nobody - apologies if you are one of the 28,000, but let's be honest; To implement a COUNTRY-WIDE change like this and only have 28,000 complaints, that's pretty much a miracle.

28,000 people is like average attendance at a Kansas City Royals game.

[cincytee]

Indeed, 28,000 is not so many -- if that were from the whole country. Did you look, though, at the list of stations which made the switch on schedule? It included virtually *none* from the nation's largest metropolitan areas. The real tidal wave of complaints will not hit until all stations switch, and pushing that day back a few months won't help. There have now been 10 years of news articles, two years of multicasting, a year of federal converter coupon campaign, and nearly a year of non-stop public service announcements on the channels themselves. For people who have been too stupid to think that those applied to them, the only way to get their attention is to pull the analog plug.

[jmcj12]

It isn't like we had short notice that this transition was going to take place. We have had over a decade to prepare for this and many people just didn't pay any attention. Now, everyone is wanting the Federal Government to fix all of their problems. Let the government do what it can to help us Americans get decent jobs and help out with getting the economy back in line. As for people needing help with understanding they should have bought an HDTV instead of an analog TV within the last decade, maybe they deserve to watch a little snow on the tube. The government should not be in the business of helping people watch better television. Especially if they had 10 years of fore-warning that this was going to happen. Instead of watching their favorite sports teams games or the soaps, maybe they should have been reading and watching the news. Sorry if my post sounds a little mean, but I am right.

[Gorifyny]

And when in all these 10 years did the government ever advertise how much more difficult it would be to get a decent signal fro these new digital transmitters? They were too busy painting a pie-in-the -sky vision of the "so much better" that they neglected to mention the expense of new outdoor antennas and possibly signal amplifiers. Also, my understanding is that many stations will change their carrier frequencies yet again after the transition is complete, thereby possibly requiring recalibration of all those new rooftop antennas.

[sanenazok]

@Gorifyny: so what's your solution? Should the FCC come to your house and tell you..."yep to receive the new free signal you need to tweak your antenna." Do you really need some bureaucrat to coddle you and tell you to do the things you should have done 2 years ago if you want to continue receiving the free service? Oh no...I have to "recalibrate." You know that means like 20 minutes of work. C'mon...get off your butt and do something for yourself.

[kielhofner]

Gorifyny:

I've helped many of my friends and family set up digital set top boxes and TVs with over the air antennas all over Missouri, and have rarely encountered a problem with no longer receiving a station in digital. I can't speak for the rest of the country, but surely it can't be too different.

If this is the case then you'll just have to upgrade your antenna, or find a better one (I would highly recommend reading online reviews before buying as well because people have found out how a $10 RCA non amplified antenna can work better than a $70 Terk for example). I've even seen people make a home made antenna that worked as good or better than any store bought for little or no cost out of their pocket. Consumers can't just buy something and expect it to function without any work on their end either, it's an antenna which requires aiming obviously, and there is no set way to go about doing it. You just have to go with whatever works (for ex: I found once that an old pair of rabbit ears inside worked better than a huge rooftop antenna in a rural area; no it doesn't make sense, but it picks up more stations so I went with it).

On the subject of stations changing carrier frequencys: most antennas have both VHF and UHF elements (the two different types of tv signals) so a simple channel scan is all that should be required if they do change. I believe most stations that are changing their frequency will have that detail in their scrolling banner as well.

So yes you may have to do some extra work on your end, but the cons far outweigh the pros in this situation (digital picture/sound, more room on the airwaves, etc). And if you can't pick up a channel that you used to have you might just have to bite the bullet and watch a different one, or put some more effort into picking it up.

For those interested in low cost/good performing antennas here are a few:

video on how to make a coat hanger antenna for very little $: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

RCA antenna at best buy that outperforms high priced amplified ones: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8280834&type=product&id=1171058630499

[superswiss]

So, let me get this straight. People are upset that they no longer get something that they didn't pay for in the first place. Remember, in the US, OTA broadcast is free. If you are lucky to receive it where you live, be thankful, if not too bad. Get cable or invest in a better antenna. In most European countries, every household has to pay a broadcast tax for the right to receive OTA broadcast even if they have cable and don't use an antenna, so consider yourself lucky for the privilege you have in the US.

[sanenazok]

To be fair, the use fees in Europe are for the public TV channels...since the government can't attract worthwhile advertisers to support their services. In the US we have pledge drives instead.

[make_or_break]

'Free' is a relative term. All TV--broadcast or otherwise--is essentially subsidized by commercials. Every time we buy those products we pay out something for those commercials. So while Europe may require specific taxes on certain TV services, no one gets off scot-free. You guys just have to pay more...the joys of Big Brother socialism, eh?

BTW, given how we are today the U.S. may not be too far behind you.

[make_or_break]

Only 28,000? Pfft...hardly a drop in the proverbial bucket.

[M5er]

Again, just in the spirit of honesty, if you can afford a TV, but can't afford cable, I'm pretty sure that watching TV should *not* be your highest priority. What should be? Finding employment.

Seriously, if the $30/$40 per month for cable is taxing to you, then it's probably a good idea to turn off the tube (or display).

I don't feel bad for people who missed out/ didn't act/ have problems with the conversion - The government (and cable providers) did a *ton* to make us aware.

It's impossible to make everybody happy.

[sosowhat]

I see by some of the comments here that some must think many of us are ignorant about the digital conversion. Digital signals do not carry as far as analog. In my previous post I stated that my small tv does not pick up digital broadcasts compared to my more expensive tv which has a better digital tuner in it and I do recieve all the digital stations on it. I believe all the digital signals are transmitted in the UHF band so my UHF trap should not affect the signal. My point was to bring up the fact that some people will lose reception depending on your location from the tv tower. Since I have a large OTA antenna and now my cheaper tv with the wimpy tuner does not pick up the signal. BTW I also have a Dish and no job because I am retired.

[sanenazok]

Your handle says it all "so what." So what if some people loose reception. So what if they need to buy a TV with a sufficiently sensitive tuner. So what if they need to get a better antenna. TV reception isn't a right. The government has no obligation to ensure you can continue watching big pharma commercials.

[jskrenes]

Maybe the hundreds of thousands or millions of people that will allegedly be affected by the blackout don't really watch that much TV. In which case they would be relatively unaffected by the switch since the TV they're not watching won't work.

[dennisl59]

Exactly!