Don’t Throw Away That VCR!

Several people have asked me about how they might be able to use their VCRs and DVD players and recorders once we transition to the all digital TV system early in 2009.  Many people have built up large libraries of tapes and DVDs and want to make sure that they will still be able to enjoy them for years to come.  Well, like so many other questions relating to the digital conversion, there is no simple answer.  I will try to address some of the issues one at a time.

 

The good news is that you will be able to play back any tape or DVD that you have in your collection.  If you have the VCR or DVD player connected to your analog TV, you will continue using it as you do now.  If you purchase a new digital TV, standard definition or high definition, you will be able watch your tapes and DVDs.  In many cases the DVDs will look better than ever.  Unfortunately, some of your VHS tapes may look a bit worse, since the new digital TV may emphasize flaws in the tapes.  The tapes and DVDs will continue to play back as long as they remain in good shape.

 

You should remember that tapes of all sizes and formats do degrade over time.  As the tapes dry out, the iron oxide begins to separate from the plastic tape.  Once that happens your priceless video of little Johnny’s T-Ball championship will fade into oblivion.  While there is nothing you can do to prevent this from happening, keeping the tapes in a cool, dry environment will slow the degradation process.  No matter how careful you are storing them, they will however cease to play back someday. 

 

If you really want to keep some videos for a very long time, i.e. decades or more, copy the tape to a DVD or other digital medium.  We don’t know how long DVDs will hold up, but for sure it will be longer than magnetic video tape.   This holds true for any professionally copied VHS tapes such as movies or TV documentaries that you may have purchased.

 

Recording a TV program may be somewhat of a hassle for some as we convert to digital broadcasting.  If you have cable or satellite service, you will not need to do anything different from what you are doing now.  If, on the other hand, you are among the 20% of the US homes that gets TV over-the-air using an antenna, you will be in for some changes.

 

An analog VCR can record digital programs off the air if you connect it to a DTV converter box.  The good news is that the picture, while not being recorded in digital form, will look great and result in a clean clear tape.  The bad news is that if you connect the VCR to the DTV converter box, you will no longer be able to use many of the programming features on your VCR.  For example, many set their VCR to record different programs from different channels at different times.  You will no longer be able to program your VCR to change from one channel to another since you are no longer using the TV tuner in your VCR once you connect it to the DTV converter.  So if you want to record Nova from CET on Tuesdays at 8 PM, you will need to set your VCR to record at 8 PM on Tuesday.  That will work fine.  You will not be able to program the VCR to change channels.  For your Nova program, the VCR will need to be connected to the DTV converter and the converter set to CET.  If you also want to record a program off another channel later on, you will need to manually change the channel on the DTV converter to the proper channel.   If this sounds a bit confusing just remember that the tuner in your VCR, DVD recorder or analog TV set will no longer function after February 2009.  The DTV converter will serve as the “tuner” and since it is not part of the VCR the VCR can’t control it.

Battery Powered Digital TV Converter?

I have a 12 volt TV/DVD player with a large antennae my wife and I use at our property in Osgood, Indiana.  Since we don’t have electricity (its where we go to get away), but like to get the weather and news occasionally, the 12 volt TV works well for us.  Does the converter require 120 volts?   I suppose it does, but are 12 volt ones available?  We may be losing our TV out at Laughery Creek if we have to come up with the higher voltage.

 

            Will there be a 12 volt HD TV available?  I hate to go that route, but the world changes in many ways and I’m not in charge.  I hope I haven’t used up my question allotment.  Thanks for the info, I do enjoy your article.

 

 

Thanks for the good questions.  I have not seen any converter on the market that runs on 12v DC.  Since the converters do not consume a great deal of energy you could use a car battery and purchase an inexpensive DC to AC power inverter to power it.  The Zenith model we have here at CET uses only 7 watts of power @ 120 volts so a charged up 12 volt car battery would run it for many hours and most likely power it for a weekend or more. 

 

I have not seen any DC powered Digital sets that I would recommend yet.  The few that are out there are way over priced but I am sure lower priced models will be available soon.

 

Some people who have radios that have the TV band will also loose that feature in Feb.2009.  I use mine to listen to the audio form the TV while I am doing dishes or working in the garage.  That will no longer work since it picks up the analog signals only.

Using a VCR to record Digital Channels

I’m confused. Does (can) my VCR change the signal from Analog to digital now and if so, can I use the VCR instead of buying the converter?
I’ve noticed that when I go thru the VCR the channel that’s broadcasting in digital allows the TV to have additional information at the bottom of the screen (program name) does this indicate it is receiving the digital signal?
Apart from the clarity of the picture, is there any other way to know if I’m recieving a digital signal to my TV?

Thanks to anyone who can answer.
kimwinger6@yahoo.com

I know of no VCR now on the market that has a digital tuner built in.  There was one model that was manufactured by Panasonic in the mid 90’s that connected to a Panasonic ATSC tuner and actually recorded HD. We have one here at CET.

If you want to record the digital over the air channels using your analog VCR you will need to use a DTV Converter to tune in the digital channels and connect the DTV Converter to the VCR using either the “antenna out” or “AV cables (yellow, red white).”  If you have cable you need to do nothing different from what you do now. 

Remember that in no case will the recordings be in HD.

I hope that helps.

 

jack

More on DTV Converters and Coupons

In the last few weeks I have received several emails and phone calls regarding the DTV Converters and the Federal Government’s DTV Converter Coupon Program.  There seems to continue to be lots of misinformation and confusion.  I will try shed some light on some of the most often asked questions.

 

Many have written complaining that they have yet to receive the coupons even though they requested them right after the first of the year.  While the program officially began in January 2008, the government stated that they would not begin to send the coupons out until the converters were available in stores.  Since the coupons have a 90 day expiration period and you may not request new ones for expired coupons, they wanted to make sure that once you had the coupons you could use them.  The coupons are being mailed out in order of when the requests were received.   I have a few friends who applied in early January and they received their coupons last week.  If you have a computer, you can check on the status of your coupon by going to www.dtv2009.gov/CheckStatus.aspx

 

Some people have related that their applications for coupons have been rejected.  In most cases it is because they did not provide a street address.  You can not give a PO box number on your application since the coupons are being allocated based on two coupons per each street address.  If you live in an apartment and provide an apartment number you will be fine.   Some people who are in nursing homes or other assisted living situations are not eligible for coupons.  You can apply for coupons even if you do not need them and give them to someone who does need one but is not eligible under the street address rubric.

 

Finding the converters should not be too much of a problem as they are stocked by most big box retailers.  I did have to chuckle the other day when I found the stock of converters at Best Buy® relegated to the bottom shelf of a dimly lit far corner of the store.  I guess they could have covered them up with a tarp. “Sure sir, we have converters.  How about I show you a $2000 DTV set first?”

 

There are a few things that you might want to consider if you are waiting to get the converters.  It is VERY unlikely that the prices will fall and the features will most likely not improve since most of the converters are essentially the same and the price is already so low that the retailer is not making the mark up they regularly get on other electronics.  Since the local stations are already providing these digital channels, you can begin using the converters right away thus getting some of the new channels and programs.  Also, picture quality will improve for many who have interference-prone reception.  For the most part, the picture quality will be even across all stations and your old analog set will never look better.

 

As we get closer to the February 2009 analog cut off date I am sure there will continue to be questions and concerns.  I  will try to address them here so that your transition is a smooth one.  Come Wednesday morning, February 18, 2009 we want the only snow to be on the ground, not on your TV screen.

Which Set Top Box Is Right For Me?

Well, they are here.  The local Radio Shack store has a supply.  The big box electronics stores like Best Buy, h h gregg and Circuit City have them in stock.  Wal-Mart’s Blue Lights are a “spinnin’.”    The Digital TV Converters have hit the store shelves.  The good news is that they are, for the most part, moderately priced.  With the $40 coupon available from Uncle Sam, you will have to spend only $20 and tax to take one home.  The question is which one to take home.

 

For those who may need a refresher: The set top Digital Converter is a device that attaches to your analog TV and allows you to receive the new digital signals without buying a new digital TV.  It is ONLY needed by those who receive their TV programs over-the-air with an antenna.  If you are in that group, you will need to get one no later then midnight, February 17, 2009.  If you have cable (basic or digital) or use a satellite service, or you have a new digital TV set, you can stop reading now, YOU DON’T NEED ONE!

 

For most of us the basic converter model will do just fine.  It receives all the over-the-air digital signals and displays them on your TV.  It is connected to your old TV in one of two ways.  The simplest is through the TV antenna connection.  Just like many video games, you connect the DTV Converter to the TV antenna plug, connect the TV antenna to the DTV Converter and tune the TV to either Channel 3 or 4.  Voila, the connection is finished.  You have to keep the TV set on channel 3 or 4 and use the new remote that comes with the converter to change channels and set volume.  Even your oldest TV will now be controlled with this snazzy new remote and be able to display all the digital channels being broadcast by your local stations.

 

The second way to connect the converter to your TV is to use the direct Audio and Video (A/V) inputs.  Many newer analog TVs have these inputs either on the front or the rear of the TV.  They are usually color coded.  Yellow for video and Red and White for audio.  Most of the converters come with both an antenna cable and this special A/V cable.  The only difference when using these audio/video connections is that you will need to set your TV to the proper input.  It is usually called “Video or“Video1” or “Line or Line1” Each TV model is different, but a little trial and error with the TV’s remote should do it.

 

I mentioned above that there are other “flavors” of these converters.  If you are a viewer of the low-power TV stations in Cincinnati, (e.g. Channel 25 and 3 you will need to make another choice.  These TV stations will not convert to digital in February 2009, so if you want to continue to watch them you will either need to purchase a special DTV set top box or use the audio video option as described above and get a second antenna.

 

Let me explain.  Some special converter set top boxes pass through the old signals when they are tuned off.  So if you want to watch the old analog programs from the low power stations, you just switch the box off and use your TV tuner as you do now.  When you want to watch the new digital channels, you turn the box back on.  If you connected your new DTV converter using the audio/video cables, you can use the standard DTV converter.  You will need to have a second antenna connected to your TV set for the analog channels.  There is actually a third way using an A/B switch.  For a diagram of that method, send me an email.

 

All of this can be a bit confusing.  For most of us the simple converter is just fine.  There is a list below of the various DTV converters on my blog if you want to know which one you will need to receive the low power analog stations.

 

I have tried out several converters and they all deliver a good picture and are very easy to set up.  Most are “Plug & Play” meaning that once connected they search out the local channels, set up the on-screen program guide and give you options for captions.  You must have a converter for each analog TV set.  You don’t have to wait until February 2009.  The digital channels are being broadcast locally right now so it is not too early to convert.  Gee, I sound like a preacher!

 

These DTV Set Top Converters will pass through the analog signals of the local Low Power stations. ECHOSTAR TR-40 Magnavox TB-100MG9Philco TB100HH9Philco TB150HH9 

Since these converters are not readily available in local stores, you will also be able to receive the low power stations using the info on the attached sheet.  The A/B switch can be purchased at most Radio Shack® stores for about

Do I Need A DTV Converter?

I have written extensively about the February 2009 Analog Broadcast cut off  and the Set Top DTV Converters that are now available to allow you to continue to use your analog TV sets – yes, even the old black and white model in the basement - after the analog channels go away.  In light of the misinformation that is being distributed on radio and TV and in newspapers, I thought that I would take this opportunity to go over the basics again.

 

First a definition.  A Set Top DTV Converter is a device that connects to your analog TV and allows you to watch programs being BROADCAST locally over-the-air in the new Digital format.  These devices are NOT used with cable or satellite services.  Those services have specialized set top boxes.

I received a series of questions from John, a regular reader. I think they are representative of some of the most often asked.

 John writes, “I have analog cable; will I need some sort of converter box for my new digital HD LCD TV?” 

You have two choices if you want to get the digital channels.  You can upgrade your cable service to digital with a HD Cable box and get all the digital and HD channels including the cable-only channels, e.g. ESPN, HBO, etc., or you can attach an antenna to your new set and receive only the local digital channels broadcast over-the-air.  You do not need a Set Top DTV Converter for the new digital TV set. You will no longer get the analog channels from cable on this new set without upgrading to digital cable.

 “What about the old TV’s?  Will they still work with basic analog cable?”   

Yes, you will get all the channels that you get now without any converter.  If you want to watch all the new over-the-air digital channels, you will need a converter connected to an antenna for each TV. If you want to get the cable digital channels you need to upgrade your cable service and connect the old sets to cable using a digital cable boxes.  There are two types of Time Warner digital cable boxes.  One connects to your regular analog set and provides all the non-HD digital channels.  The other is an HD box and it provides all those channels plus the HD channels and can be used only with new HD sets.  Currently Time Warner charges the same for the standard digital box and the HD box.

 “I have several VCRs that are not digital; will I still be able to record and time shift?” 

As long as they are connected to either the cable or the converter, they will work as they do now.

   The bottom line, everything you now have by being connected to basic cable will continue to work after February 2009. If you want HD on your new set you must either subscribe to digital cable with an HD Cable box or install an antenna on the HD set to receive local the local Digital channels (both HD and Standard Definition.) “Do you have some suggestions for finding good unbiased reviews of DTV sets? 

Consumer Report® magazine is always a good place to look.

 

The converters are now available in stores and most are priced at $59.99.  The local Radio Shack® store now has then in stock.  With the $40.00 coupon applied to the purchase price you are looking at $20 bucks each for the devices.  If you have not already done so, you can request coupons from Uncle Sam on line at www.dtv2009.gov or by calling 1-888-388-2009.

 

Next week I’ll discuss the various types and models of converters that are available and how to connect them.

Questions are welcome

We are eager to answer your Digital TV questions on this blog.  You can also use the CET TechInfo Hot Line 513-345-6512.  We have a special email address as well.  If you would like to use that it is   techinfo@cetconnect.org.

With permission, I sometimes will post the questions from the phone line or email on this blog. 

If your questions are more generic technology questions, you might find my personal blog of some interest   www.jackatcet.blogspot.com

DTV Set Top Box Demo

CET now has on display in our Central Parkway lobby a DTV Converter Set Top Box.  If you have occasion to visit the station, take a look at how it operates.  This is a Zenith/LG model and is very representative of the other models that will be arriving in stores shortly.  So far I have found no local retailers who have any for sale.  That should change soon.  I will make a note here when and where they are available.

I plan to review the various models and features on this blog so you can make a wise investment. As always, you can ask questions by emailing me at techinfo@cetconnect.org or by using our tech hotline (513) 345-6512

You may wish to request your DTV rebate coupons. This can be done on line or by phone.

Call  (888-388-2009) or go to the DTV information website   http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/

Why is “Motor Week” not broadcast in HD on CET?

Steve wrote:
February 2, 2008 at 3:36 pm   

I thought when WCET started simulcating the analog signal on the main digital channel that existing HD shows would still be shown in HD. This morning I saw Motor week which is available in HD on other PBS stations shown with “barn door” black bars on all 4 sides of the picture. The signal was sent out 4:3 and then letterboxed.

———————————————-

Steve, You are right.  “Motor Week” is available in HD but the HD version is not available to CET until Saturday @ 4:30PM.  The standard definition version of the program is fed to CET on Friday Afternoons.  Since we air “Motor Week” each Saturday at 8:30 AM we would have to record the HD version and then play it back the following Saturday morning. This would result in a one week delay for each of the programs in the series.  The national listings etc. would be wrong. In February 2009, most of these anomalies should go away. Thanks for your comment. 

I Can’t Hear You!

I had a call on my voice mail yesterday from a women who was very upset with CET. Of course she did not leave a call back number.  Her complaint was that she experiences loss of audio on some the programs she is watching on CET.  Naturally she thinks that this is CET’s problem.  Actually the problem is in her set. 

Many new TV sets have multiple audio channels.  One of these channels is called the SAP (Special Audio Program) channel and can be used for Spanish language or Descriptive Video for the blind.  Most people don’t know that they have this feature.  And normally this should be turned off on your TV.  If it is left on, there may be times when there is no audio recorded on that channel and the result is that you will hear no audio at all.  This is what is happening to the lady who called me.