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By the end of October, 2009, WCFT-TV will change from VHF Channel 5 to UHF Channel 33.  If you live in portions of Blount, Cullman, Marion, St. Clair, and Winston counties it is possible you may experience a signal loss.  You will need to rescan your convertor box and you will also need a UHF antenna.  You may call 1-888-CALL-FCC for more information.

For WCFT:
We are changing from VHF channel 5 to UHF channel 33. We are also moving the antenna to the top of our 2000’ tower. The change from digital 5 to digital 33 will make a tremendous difference in our signal for those that are relying on our Windom Springs transmitter. We anticipate this change to be made on or around October 22nd 2009. 

Q. What is DTV versus HDTV versus Analog?
A. Without getting technical, DTV (Digital Television) and Analog are simply two different kinds of television signals. Analog signals are what have been broadcast for the last 50+ years. DTV signals are television signals that are comprised of bits, which is the language that your computer uses. The digital picture is significantly clearer and sharper than an analog picture, especially when in high definition. HDTV (High Definition Television) is a type of DTV in which the picture resolution is very high, making the picture very crisp and clear. Not all DTV sets are HDTV, but all HDTV sets are digital.

Q. Will my old television work?

A. Probably. An analog television cannot operate with a digital signal, so the digital signal must be converted to analog. Which of these scenarios describes your situation?

Do you receive your signal via cable TV? It’s not a problem. You cable company already converts the signal for you.

Do you receive your signal via satellite, i.e., DirecTV or Dish Network? It’s not a problem. Your satellite company already converts the signal for you.

Do you receive your signal over-the-air via an antenna? It could be a problem. If you use an antenna to get your television reception,

AND…

…you have a newer television set that has a digital receiver built into it, it’s not a problem. The new set is already equipped to receive digital channels

…you have an older set with an analog receiver, this is a problem. You will need to either replace this set with a digital television or purchase a converter box to attach to your television. The converter box will convert the digital signal to an analog signal and then your TV will work fine.

Q. How do I know if my television is digital or analog?

A. Look on the back of your television. Somewhere there should be a placard that will have either the letters NTSC or ATSC printed on it. If it says ATSC, then your set is digital and there should be no problem. If it says NTSC, it is an analog set and you will need a converter box if you use an antenna. If there is no placard, you can go to the manufacturer's Web site and check the capabilities of the set by manufacturer model number.

Q. How much will this transition cost me?

A. As little or as much as you want. If you have cable or satellite, you will have no additional cost unless you simply choose to buy a new TV. If you have an older set and use an antenna for reception, order the coupon from the government and once you receive it, use it to purchase your converter box.

Q. Where can I get a converter box?

A. Most home electronics stores (Handy TV, Circuit City , Best Buy) carry them.

Q. How much does a converter box cost?

A. The starting price for a converter box is just under $40. With added features and options, they can go as high as a couple hundred dollars, but if you’re going to spend that much, you might want to consider just getting a digital television. You may get up to two coupons (per household) from the federal government good for $40 each toward the purchase of a converter box. With the coupon, the cost to you could actually be zero. The coupons cannot be combined to purchase a single converter box, nor can they be used toward the purchase of other products.

Q. Where do I get a coupon?

A. You may get your coupons by phone by calling 1-888-DTV-2009. Follow the instructions with your touch tone telephone and your coupons will be mailed to you. You may also apply on-line at dtv2009.gov. Please note that your coupon will expire 90 days after it is issued and there are a limited number of coupons.

Q. I use an antenna and I can receive ABC 33/40 now. Will I be able to receive ABC 33/40 digital with my new TV?

A. Probably. Our digital transmitting antenna is located in the same spot as our analog antenna and the coverage is the same. Digital signals do act a little differently than the old analog signals. For example, if you watch ABC 33/40 with an antenna and your picture is not a good picture, you may or may not be able to get a digital picture. With a digital signal, your television needs to receive all of the “bits” of information to be able to make a picture. If any are missing, your picture will “lock up” giving what is often referred to as “digital freeze.” If you already have a digital television and an antenna, the best thing to do is to try it. We have been broadcasting the digital signal for several years already.

Q. I installed my convertor box, but I still can't get your signal.

A. You will need a VHF antenna to receive our signal. If you are presently picking up our analog signal, that is a UHF frequency. The new digital signal are on VHF frequencies,  channels 5 or 9. Channel 5 (located in Tuscaloosa)  is mapped as 33.1, and channel 9 (located in St. Clair county) is mapped as 40.1.

Q. Why is DTV better?

A. Two reasons: Better quality picture and more choices. In addition to a sharper picture, you will be able to receive more channels. For example, right now you can watch all of the programming that you have been watching on ABC 33/40 (except in higher quality) by tuning to channel 33.1 or 40.1. If you tune into channel 33.2 or 40.2 you will see WeatherNow.

Q. Why is this happening?

A. Several reasons. First, after we get through the transition, I think you will agree that the better quality and greater choices will be a real advantage. Also, this transition is being mandated by the federal government.

Q. When will ABC 33/40 begin broadcasting in HD?

A. ABC 33/40 is currently broadcasting in HD.

Q. When will ABC 33/40 be available in HD on satellite?

A.  ABC 33/40 is currently available in HD on DirecTV and Dish.

Q. When will ABC 33/40 be available in HD on cable?

A.  ABC 33/40 is currently available in HD on cable.

Q. Will cable and satellite carry the additional channels such as 33.2 and 40.2 (WeatherNow)?

A. Most cable subscribers can already get these channels if they subscribe to the cable company’s digital service. Satellite services do not carry them at this time, nor do we anticipate them carrying them in the near future.

Q. Do I need a special antenna?

A. Most antennas that you may already have will work fine. You will need to make sure that your antenna is capable of receiving both VHF (channels 2-13) and UHF channels (channels 14-65). In addition to the antenna, you might want to consider a signal booster if you are getting digital freeze. If you are considering purchasing a new antenna, you might want to go to www.antennaweb.org for assistance in choosing one. ABC 33/40 is on VHF channel 5 (broadcasting from Tuscaloosa) and VHF channel 9 (broadcasting from St Clair county)

Q. Will my VCR, DVD Player, TIVO and video games work on a digital television?

A. Probably. Most television accessories are equipped to operate on a digital or analog set. If you have a VHS recorder, it must be connected to the output of the DTV converter box. The tuner in the DTV converter box will need to be set to the desired channel to be recorded prior to the start of each recording period programmed into the VHS recorder. If you are uncertain, please contact the manufacturer of your accessory.

Q. How do I know if I’m getting HDTV?

A. This is probably the most difficult question to answer. To watch HDTV, you must first have an HD television, which is tuned to an HD signal, which is broadcasting an HD program. Here are a few things to look for:

The screen is wide (nearly twice as wide as it is high) with no side bars or pillars on either side of the screen

The picture is not distorted with objects appearing to be “stretched.” A circle is round, not egg shaped.

The picture is crystal clear with no fuzziness and very sharp detail. For example, instead of just seeing a football field, you can actually see blades of grass on the field.

Q. Why are some shows in HD and others not?

A. The conversion to High Definition is a very expensive and a very complicated procedure. Your local television stations here in the Birmingham market will have spent tens of millions of dollars to make this transition before it is complete, not to mention the billions of dollars that will be spent by the programming industry and networks. In order for you to watch a program in high definition, (HD) it must have been HD throughout the entire stream. The origination studios must have HD cameras and HD infrastructure. The editing facility must be HD, the delivery system to get the show to the station must be HD, the station’s infrastructure must be HD, the transmitter must be HD, the cable or satellite system must be HD and finally, the television and related equipment in your home must be HD. If any link in this chain is not HD, your picture at home will not be in HD. As a local television station, we get our programming from three primary sources:

ABC Network – Most of the programming from ABC is produced and delivered to you in HD. Nearly all prime time (7-10pm) shows are HD in addition to Good Morning America and The View.

Syndicated Shows – Some shows that we purchase from programming syndicators are not yet produced in HD. The cost of converting the studios for these shows is too great at this point. You will likely begin to see this change in the next year.

Locally Produced Programming – Programs that we produce here at ABC 33/40 are not yet produced in HD. The cost to convert our studios to HD (and to do it right) will be several million dollars. We do not yet have an exact date for this conversion, but we would anticipate it happening in the next three years. We have already spent millions of dollars to build our HD transmission plant and we hope to replenish some of our cash before taking the next step.

Q. Where do I buy a digital TV and how much does it cost?

A. Any retailer that sells televisions should be selling digital televisions. In fact, many retailers have stopped selling analog televisions altogether. The cost for a digital television may be as little as a couple hundred dollars and may go up to several thousand dollars. You may have heard conversations about spending thousands for an HDTV set and therefore, thought that all digital televisions were expensive. It’s simply not so.

Q. What should I buy – plasma, LCD, DLP, projection?

A. One of the great things about digital televisions is the wide variety of choices. It’s really a matter of personal taste and your wallet. All of the above are excellent choices.

Q. What is HDTV versus HD ready?

A. HDTV is a high definition television with a high definition receiver and tuner built into it so that when you get it home you can plug it in, hook it up to an antenna and watch HDTV. A set that is HD ready does not have a tuner or receiver built into it. It is just a monitor that must be hooked up to a video source such as cable, satellite, a DVD player or a stand-alone digital receiver. Nearly all sets sold in stores today are HDTV’s. No HD-ready sets have been manufactured for consumer retailers since 2005.

Q. What are 1080i, 1080p and 720p?

A. These are technical descriptions of the resolution of a digital picture. The number refers to the number of horizontal lines on a picture. The letter refers to whether the scan is an interlaced scan (i) or a progressive scan (p). In the analog world, the higher the number of lines, the higher the resolution and picture quality. This is not necessarily so with DTVs. In an interlaced format, the screen shows every odd line at one scan of the screen, and then follows that up with the even lines in a second scan. Since there are 30 frames shown per second, the screen shows one half of the frame every sixtieth of a second. For smaller screens, this is less noticeable. As screens get larger, the problem with interlacing is flicker. Progressive scanning shows the whole picture, every line in one showing, every sixtieth of a second. This provides for a much smoother picture, but uses slightly more bandwidth. ABC and FOX have chosen to use 720p which is a slightly sharper image than the 1080i used by CBS and NBC. Of the three, 1080p is the best picture, but that technology does not exist in broadcasting, only in home systems such as Blue Ray Discs with a 1080p television.

Q. Are they still selling analog sets and why?

A. Some retailers may still have analog sets, but the demand for them has diminished to the point that it is hardly worth carrying them. Some manufacturers have flooded the market with very cheap sets in an effort to deplete their inventories that were sitting in warehouses. If you are on cable, satellite or have a converter box, they will still work for a few more years, but they offer none of the advantages of digital. Many cable and satellite companies have long-range plans that include no longer supporting analog sets.

Q. How long before things change again?

A. Things change constantly. Hopefully the future changes will be small adjustments that we can make instead of wholesale changes like this one, but changes are a certainty. Televisions are now computers. Think of how fast things change in the world of computers! The good thing is that, even though they may not have all of the advantages of new computers, the technology used in older computers is still basically the same and they still work fine. They just don’t have all of the bells and whistles.

Q. What are the audio differences in HDTV versus analog?

A. Audio in HDTV is substantially advanced versus analog television. Today’s digital television audio is of the same quality that you hear from a CD or DVD at home. Sound quality will depend greatly on your audio equipment at home.

Q. How can I get the best digital picture?

A. The best digital television picture that you can get is over-the-air with an antenna. This is an uncompressed digital HD picture in either 1080i or 720p resolution. Cable systems and satellite providers compress the digital signals and manipulate them for the trip to your home where they are then decompressed and changed to fit your TV. Many of them are then sent to your television in a 480p format.

Q. What can I do with my old television?

A. Donate it to a museum. Seriously, the disposal of old television sets has the potential to be an environmental issue. Contact your waste removal company and ask them if they require any special precautions with old TV’s, or if they even accept them. Also, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has a list of vendors who accept old televisions and other electronic equipment. For the complete list, go to www.deq.virginia.gov/ecycling/computer.html

Q. How much will this cost the television industry?

A. Billions of dollars.

Q. How much additional revenue will television stations get because of this?

A. None.

Q. What are you doing with your second and third digital channels?

A. Channel 33.2 and 40.2 are already broadcasting WeatherNow, a 24 hour weather information channel.

Q. Will programming change as a result of this?

A. No.

Q. How can I make this stop?

A. You can’t. It has already happened.

Q. Will telephones transition to digital also?

A. Yes, but the television transition to digital has nothing to do with telephones

Q. Do I have to pay extra every month for this service?

A. There is not, nor has there ever been a charge for free over-the-air television whether analog or digital.

Q. Will you send someone over here to hook up my TV’s?

A. No. If you need a converter box, it is very easy to hook up; however, if you desire to have it connected by a professional, it will be your responsibility to hire them, just as if you had purchased a television set.

Q. I have satellite and I get my local channels with an antenna. Will I still need a converter box or should I switch everything over to my Direct TV channels?

A. If you want to continue to receive your local signals from an over-the-air antenna AND your television does not have a digital receiver, you will need a converter box, regardless of where your other channels come from. The one exception might be if your satellite receiver box already converts local analog signals to digital. You would need to contact the manufacturer to determine that. As far as getting your local channels from the satellite company, the choice is yours. Presently, they do not provide local channels in HD.

Q. Do I have to have a box for each TV in my house?

A. Probably. Each analog television that receives its signal from an over-the-air antenna will need its own box. If some are connected to cable or satellite, then no box is needed for those sets. Multiple televisions CAN be connected to one converter box, but the same channels will be shown on all of those televisions that share one box.

Q. Will Radio stations have to switch to digital stations?

A. Radio stations are in the early stage of their transition to digital. At this point, there is no targeted date for the end of analog radio.

Q. When we switch over and there is a natural disaster and we have no airwaves, how will we be warned of danger?

A. Over-the-air television broadcasting, including severe weather warnings or other natural disasters will continue into the future just as it has for decades. It will simply be a digital signal.

Q. I would like to know if you buy one of the digital boxes, will you be guaranteed to get the stations that you get at the present time?

A. No. If you receive a good analog signal now and purchase a converter box, the likelihood is excellent that you will also receive a digital signal; however, there is no guarantee. The only guarantee is that without a converter box, you will NOT be able to get over-the-air reception for your analog television.

Q. I’m trying to figure out what you mean by free TV if I have to buy a box?

A. You had to purchase a television in order to receive free television. The programming is free, not the hardware. If you use the coupon system, however, it very likely will be free for you.

Q. Do the converter boxes have a remote?

A. Yes. As far as we know, all of them do. When you get your converter box, you should expect to find:

a tuner for broadcast channels 2 through 69, including the new sub-channels known as multicasts

a remote control

a cable for connecting the converter box to an analog TV

inputs for a VHF/UHF antenna

outputs for video and audio

a built-in, onscreen electronic program guide (EPG)

support for closed captioning.

(From www.dtvfacts.com/digital-tv-converter-box/)

Q. During a power outage I use a portable TV with batteries so I can get the emergency weather, etc., and it has an antenna. How will the converter box work with this?

A. That is a very good question and an important point. I am unaware of any battery powered converter boxes, which would mean that your analog portable television would not work in a power outage. The only solution would be to get a digital portable television or connect your converter box to a power inverter that is connected to a 12 volt battery. Of course, another solution would be a generator.

Q. What do you need to do if you have a very small 4-5 inch TV?

A. The size of the television does not matter, so long as it has an antenna connection.

Q. I have a question about the cost of digital cable when we get it. Does it mean that our cable will go up? I hope not because it is high enough as it is. Also, if we already have cable, will it automatically switch over? Do we have to do anything or does anyone have to come into our house to do anything?

A. If you have cable, you don’t have to do anything or buy anything or purchase any upgraded service.

Q. I called the number to get the coupon for the converter because I have an old TV and do not have cable or satellite. I was told I was ineligible because I live in a trailer park. Why would that matter?

A. Where there is confusion, someone will often try to take advantage of it. The number to call for your digital converter coupon is 1-888-DTV-2009. A satellite company has gotten the number 1-800-DTV-2009 and when you call for a coupon, they try to sell you a satellite service. Some of them will not install systems in mobile home rental parks. Be sure to cal the 888 number, NOT the 800 number. Both are toll free.

Q. Once you order your coupons, how long does it take before they are delivered?

A. Interestingly, it depends. The government agency that is responsible for distribution of the coupons is actually tracking wholesale delivery of converter boxes by market with the hopes that you will not get a coupon before there is an adequate supply of boxes. The wait may be short, but could be 2-3 months.

Q. If you have an antenna hooked through your satellite system do you have to have a converter box?

A. This depends on the satellite box that you have. Please consult the manufacturer to be sure. You might also go to your programming guide and add stations. If it offers channels 33.1, 40.1, 33.2 and 40.2, select them and add them to your choices. Once that is complete, click on them and see if they appear on the screen.