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Of interest: House defeats (and then approves) bill to postpone the digital television transition. Consumer feedback much?

Update, 1:39PM PAC: The House voted to delay the DTV transition today, and the President is likely to sign the legislation.


As noted here, the As Kim Hart, Staff Writer for the Washington Post noted in her article today, Technical Difficulties: Switch to Digital TV May Not Be as Smooth as Advertised, many consumers are impacted by the transition to digital television (as I noted noted previously).  Customers find that simply using a converter box isn’t always enough to get reliable TV signals.


I noted today (as the Washington Post’s Kim Hart reported) that the House defeated bill to postpone transition to digital television broadcasting (as noted here), not getting the to-thirds majority needed to approve the measure.


What are they thinking?


As Reuters reported today



Consumers groups have been pushing the effort to delay the transition date to June 12 from February 17, worried that 20 million mostly poor, elderly and rural households are not ready for the congressionally mandated switch.


“It’s really unfortunate,” said Joel Kelsey, an analyst at Consumers Union. “Consumers are staring at a big, fat, unfunded mandate in the midst of an economic crisis.”


More than one million people are on a waiting list for $40 government coupons to subsidize the cost of converter boxes needed by those with older televisions. The agency that runs the program ran out of coupons earlier this month.


Reuters notes that the item may come up again next week with a rule requiring simple majority passage.


Want to know how your representative voted?  Check out the role call for this vote.  I’m sending mail to my representative today.


IMHO, our elected representatives could allow the transition to go ahead as planned on Feb. 17 but amend the legislation allowing for a delay – a grace period – to the complete transition.  Such a “roll over period” (perhaps an additional 90 to 150 days) would allow for the processing and distribution of digital STB coupons and migration of those who have yet to make the change.


During this period, both digital and older analog signals would available, and those consumers who have not made the transition to digital should see not only the channel displayed but a rolling warning notice that their ability to view the television station they’re watching will end unless they immediately migrate to digital equipment.


Tags: Windows, Media Center, television, DVR, Obama, policy.


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The Washington Post’s Kim Hart ‘Technical Difficulties’ on the painful Digital TV transition: Obama and the FCC can do something about it

As Kim Hart, Staff Writer for the Washington Post noted in her article today, Technical Difficulties: Switch to Digital TV May Not Be as Smooth as Advertised, many consumers are impacted by the transition to digital television (as I noted noted previously).  Customers find that simply using a converter box isn’t always enough to get reliable TV signals.



“In less than a month, on Feb. 17, all full-power stations plan to shut off analog signals and air digital-only broadcasts. Viewers with older analog TV sets will need to hook up a converter box to receive over-the-air programs. Digital TV sets will automatically receive the new signals. Cable and satellite subscribers should not be affected by the switch.


“But many consumers are discovering that upgrading to a digital set or adding a converter box may not be enough to get a reliable digital signal. Some will also have to buy more powerful antennas to install in living rooms or on roofs, adding expense and frustration for the nearly 14 million households who rely on over-the-air signals.


“People are very surprised when they realize they can’t get [the channels],” said Barry Goodstadt, an independent analyst who has been studying digital reception issues. He predicts that 70 percent of households with indoor “rabbit ear” antennas will have to upgrade to more powerful equipment.”


As noted in my post on the digital TV delay, the transition to digital television has been poorly managed, and in some cases, poorly understood even by those in the industry. 


Here’s an example: I wrote an email to Comcast customer service, registering my complaint of having to add another set top box to my “already-ready-for-digital-TV” TVs: I have televisions that include a digital tuner, and capable of receiving the free to air digital channels, which Comcast rebroadcasts on their channel map. As Comcast’s advertising here in Washington state exclaimed that “current customers don’t have to do anything” come the digital change currently slated for 2-17-09, I expected that the same channels I get today without the need to decode (or decrypt) channels from 2 to 99.


I found that Comcast’s claims were not quite accurate. (A nod to the famous line from the movie “Network” would be accurate.) 


As I noted in an exchange on Twitter with comcastcares (one of Comcast’s reps on Twitter), the challenge is that given the change Comcast will be making will require a significant percentage of Comcast customers in this area –and I imagine most of the country where Comcast provides television services– to put a cable set top box on every television in the home where they want programming above Channel 30.  With that change, even digital ready TVs, DVRs and PCs (with Windows Media Center) will now need a new converter set-top box if customers wish want to receive stations above channel 30 on Comcast’s local channel map as these devices won’t be able to decrypt the encoded digital channels from Comcast above channel 30.


I asked Comcast in an email to reconsider the move to encrypt channels above Channel 30as they move to more digital channels, and keep the basic package of channels that I have today in the clear. It’s a poor customer experience to take channels and programming currently offered in the clear today on analogue and move them to digital channels that will require a set top box tomorrow.


The email response I received from Comcast indicates that even they may not understand the impact that the change will cause to their customers…



“In order to keep up with the demand for more HD channels, more programming options, and faster internet speeds, we must move out the analog signals. For every one analog channel, you can fit up to 10 standard digital definition channels or up to 3 HD channels. I apologize that you don’t think our efforts to assist customers through the digital migration is not enough.”


That’s fine, I’m glad that Comcast is reclaiming analogue bandwidth. I’m not asking to keep the analogue channels.  I understand that they must cut back on the analogue, as I personally support Comcast making the move to all digital in favour of digital tuners.


What I object to is the need to have to use a set top box in order to view channels above channel 30 even though I have digital tuners that are capable of receiving clear QAM channels. (More information here on QAM Tuners.)  As noted on the Wiki page on QAM Tuners (the tuner inside a digital ready television or set top box)…



An integrated QAM tuner allows the free reception of unscrambled digital programming sent “in the clear” by cable providers, usually local broadcast stations or cable radio channels. Which channels are scrambled varies greatly from location to location and can change over time; the majority of digital channels are scrambled because the providers consider them to be extra-cost options and not part of the “basic cable” package.


Today, I am able to watch CNN – part of my basic cable package – on my analogue as well as my digital ready televisions.  After Comcast makes the switch and encrypts the digital channel map (impacting all content above Channel 30, including CNN), I will be forced to use a set top box to decode these channels.  Quite simply, I object having to introduce another box into our home television systems — such as the DCT700 boxes from Comcast — and clumsily change channels via IR blasting.


Here’s a personal plea to the incoming Obama administration as well as the FCC.


As far as the digital television transition is concerned, the new administration would be wise to allow the transition to go ahead as planned on Feb. 17 but allow for a delay – a grace period – to the complete transition.  Such a “roll over period” (perhaps an additional 90 to 150 days) would allow for the processing and distribution of digital STB coupons and migration of those who have yet to make the change. During this period, both digital and older analog signals would available, and those consumers who have not made the transition to digital should see not only the channel displayed but a rolling warning notice that their ability to view the television station they’re watching will end unless they immediately migrate to digital equipment.


Further, the digital television transition is exacerbated by the decision of some cable companies to take the opportunity in February to make a digital switch of their own (as noted in the most above). Such a move will require subscribers to add a cable box for about every television in the household due to the encryption of the TV channels coming down the cable to the set. Cable companies should be required (perhaps by the FCC and pressure from consumer groups) to broadcast all channels currently freely available on analog (without the need for a converter box) to digital when and if the transition is made, providing consumers the same experience they enjoy with their digital-compatible televisions today.


I’ve spent much of my career working on audio and video products, and worked closely with cable, satellite and traditional broadcasters.  In my more than 20 years working in the industry, I can recall few items that have caused more consumer angst than the transition to digital television. And just like was the risk with the changes to daylight saving time around the world in 2007, I expect that people will be caught off guard and need to make the switch in a less than elegant way.


Added 012109, 3:00PM PAC: I saw this afternoon that Chairman Henry A. Waxman postponed today’s scheduled markup session on “H.R.__, The Digital Television Transition Extension Act of 2009” as noted here:



“The transition to digital television is not going well. There is not enough money for the converter box coupon program and millions of Americans could experience serious problems.


“Delay of the deadline is our only hope of lessening the impact on millions of consumers. Without a short, one-time extension, millions of households will lose all television reception. Late last week Senate Republicans blocked a bill to delay the transition date.


“I have postponed Committee consideration of the DTV markup to give the Committee more time to assess the implications of the Senate action.”


Tags: Windows, Media Center, television, DVR, Obama, policy.


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Obama’s team requests to postpone transition: I mean the digital TV transition on Feb 17, 2009.

Clip art from Microsoft Office Online An interesting metaphor given the wet, rainy weather we have this week in the Redmond area: 40 days and nights from now, the television world should be changing to digital broadcast in the States.

But not if Obama’s team request for a delay in digital TV transition is heard. As Joelle Tessler, technology writer for AP reported today (January 8, 2009)…

"President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won’t be ready.

"In a letter to key lawmakers Thursday, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta said the digital transition needs to be delayed largely because the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers. People who don’t have cable or satellite service or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their older analog sets working.

"Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not doing enough to help Americans – particularly those in rural, poor or minority communities – prepare for and navigate the transition."

The story was reported broadly, but isn’t met with broad support: this from PBS President Paula Kerger who called digital delays "inexcusable." As Mark Dawidziak (Plain Dealer Television Critic) reports…

"Paula Kerger, the president of PBS, used her semi-annual meeting with the nation’s TV critics to wag an admonishing finger at the federal overseers of the Feb. 17 switch to digital television. She is particularly distressed that viewers seeking coupons for converter boxes are being on a waiting list. "I’m very disheartened to hear that, a month before the DTV deadline, the federal government has run out of money to help citizens purchase digital converter boxes," Kerger said.

"Consumers need those coupons, and they need them now, and to put them on a waiting list, which is what is happening, is inexcusable."

This is nothing new: as reported last year, government officials chided the Digital TV transition effort.  Kim Hart wrote in the Washington Post (July 11, 2008) that the "billion-dollar program to help consumers prepare for the upcoming switch to digital television has been mismanaged and is running out of money, key lawmakers said, prompting concerns that millions of TV viewers could be left in the dark."

Further, Hart wrote that the Digital TV transition wouldn’t be as easy as it had been advertised.

Generally, if you have a television that receives TV channels locally via the analogue antenna on your roof or atop the TV itself, you’ll likely need a new digital converter box and antenna to receive your local channels. 

If you have a Windows XP Media Center or Windows Vista computer coupled with an analogue broadcast tuner card, you’ll need to either upgrade to a suitable and supported digital tuner card or USB peripheral, or connect a digital converter box after February 17, 2009.  This will enable your computer to receive what’s called local "over-the-air" (aka OTA) television broadcasts with a digital antenna.  See the site DTV Answers: What you need to know about the February 17, 2009 switch to DTV.  This site provides info on the switch from the old analogue TV signals to digital television, or DTV.  For more information, visit the US FCC website on the digital TV transition at www.dtv.gov.

(Where was this kind of site and promotional effort when the government was preparing for the change to daylight saving time in the States?)

As I noted in a this prior post, a majority of Americans today receive television via cable and satellite connections (70% are connected to cable). So if you subscribe to cable, satellite or fiber-provided television then you should be unaffected: for the most part, analog television receivers should continue to work as normal before with cable TV and satellite TV receivers, plus other video devices such as camcorders and VCRs.

Key word there: "should."

It turns out that the national digital transition is not the only digital television challenge.

As Brier Dudley, Seattle Times staff columnist, reported in his article "A digital switch on way for some cable customers, too" (last Dec 10th, 2008) that Comcast decided to take the opportunity in February to make a digital switch of their own, "a move that will affect more than 1 million households in Washington state." The move will require cable box needed for just about every television.  (See more FAQs in his post on "Comcast digital switch stirs more questions.")

Comcast’s advertising here exclaimed that "current customers don’t have to do anything" come 2-17-09.  That’s not quite accurate. As I noted in a Tweet to comcastcares (to Comcast’s rep on Twitter), the challenge is that most digital ready TVs, DVRs & PCs (with Windows Media Center) will now need a new converter set-top box if I want to receive stations above channel 30 on Comcast’s local channel map given the in-house cable connections to TVs are analogue.  And that means that most digital-ready televisions won’t be able to decrypt the encoded digital channels from Comcast above channel 30. 

Although local cable subscribers will continue to get the local main affiliates in the lower channel map (single digits) plus a few local access stations, home shopping and the Discovery Channel, much of the programming we watch at home (CNN, CNBC, SciFi and of course MTV) will require inserting a digital converter into the mix.

Not pretty.

Comcast is also placing a limit of two free digital to analog boxes per home.  Recently, the fount of knowledge that is USA Today reported that the there are more TVs in the average American home than people…

"That threshold was crossed within the past two years [of 9/21/2006], according to Nielsen Media Research. There are 2.73 TV sets in the typical home and 2.55 people, the researchers said."

… so it appears that this may not equate to (as Comcast advertising stated) the "same experience as you have today" if you have more than two televisions.  YMMV.

I wasn’t planning on adding yet another set top box to my television system, another remote and adding the intricacies of an IR blaster if I want to seamlessly integrate the set top converter box with my DVR and Media Center.

As noted in the article "You don’t need satellite TV when times get tough" from CNET News (December 19, 2008) Marguerite Reardon covered what one family found when they decided to cut some of their expenses at home, including their satellite television subscription…

"[Debra James of Oakland] said she found a wealth of legitimate sources for TV programming online. Sites such as Hulu, Fancast, Joost, YouTube, and most major TV networks’ Web sites offer TV shows and other video content for free. Using an existing rooftop antenna, James plugged her TV into the hook-up to get more than 50 high-definition TV channels over-the-air. The cost for these HD channels: zero.

"And instead of spending an extra $20 a month for HBO or any other premium movie channels, James subscribed to a $17-a-month Netflix service, which allows her to rent three movies at a time…"

We may vote with our feet and move off the cable television grid and see if we can implement a similar experience at home.

Tags: Windows, Media Center, television, DVR, Obama, policy.

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NBC Video Direct restores world order at home, saves my bacon

As I Twittered (tweeted? I’ll get this right), sometimes you forget to do something: pick up milk on the way home, feed the cat or empty the dishwasher.  On the whole, not so serious.  And with a digital vide recorder or a Media Center PC, you shouldn’t have to worry about missing an episode of your favourite show.

That is, unless you forget to program the system to record your favourite show. 

That happened to me this week, as I neglected to restart recording of The Office on NBC.

Luckily, imageNBC Video Rewind is available on the NBC 24/7 Video page, where you can view full-length episodes of NBC shows (posted the morning the day after they air), including 30 Rock, Heroes and others.  You can also watch quick recap, two-minute replays that provide a Cliff Notes video clip of the show.

As we found with Hulu.com, we were able to find episodes of The Office on the web, available for streaming for free to your computer, live over the web.  ABC and CBS also make many of their popular shows available for viewing on ABC.go.com and on CBS.com respectively, with many available in HD.

But most interesting over the compressed streaming video (fine for travel and desktop viewing) is full SD and HD video, downloaded to your PC.  Normally relegated to Bit Torrent file downloads, we’d rather have a network blessed (read "legal") way to get vide to our Media Center computer (or any PC for that matter). 

Thankfully, there’s the beta for NBC Video Direct, where full episodes are available for download. Using NBC Direct (now in beta), you can download full episodes to your Windows PCs.  We first installed the NBC Direct player (available free) and then after registering were able to download HD versions of current and past favourites (do you miss Erin Gray in Buck Rogers?).  For The Office one hour premier, it took about 10-15 minutes or so at home to get the full HD file.

Last fall, the New York Times said that the NBC Direct Beta was "not quite ready for prime-time" but a lot changes in a year.  There’s a full list of shows available, the performance was flawless and overall our experience this week has been quite positive.

So, next time you neglect to program your DVR or PC to record a show from cable, satellite or broadcast, remember that there is a fallback for many of your favourite shows. 

I'm a PC I'm a PC Life without Walls

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Reuters asks: Is PC the new black? Ask Microsoft

Just returned from the Company Meeting at Safeco field (that was fun) and happy to have a hand in one moment, helping my friends in Live Search (they know who they are, and how raising a few hands helps the cause ;).  Nuff said.

Unfortunately, I missed seeing our folks from the Microsoft Canada Development Centre (apologies!), but I read on the ride home (courtesy of Sound Transit Wi-Fi as I noted on Twitter) a blog post today, "Is PC the new black? Ask Microsoft", Daisuke Wakabayashi at Reuters. Wakabayashi asks the question in reference to a new set of ads coming out from Microsoft later…

Microsoft I'm a PC adMicrosoft is launching (another) new commercial campaign Thursday night. It takes aim at Apple’s “Mac vs. PC” campaign that has portrayed personal computers running Windows as clunky and uncool.

The commercial starts with a real-life Windows engineer who looks eerily similar to John Hodgman (the comedian who plays the role of "PC" in Apple’s commercials), saying "I’m a PC and I’ve been made into a stereotype." After that is a montage of celebs and normal folk, saying "I’m a PC."   Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, along with the aforementioned celebrities, makes an appearance in the ad.

"The new commercial is easier to understand than the first series of ads from Microsoft that featured comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Microsoft said the Seinfeld ads were meant to be an "ice breaker" and get people taking about the company and Windows. (Although it could be argued that there was already a conversation about Windows, just not the one the company wanted.)"

On Microsoft Presspass today, I see that we announced that the next phase of the long-term Windows marketing effort continues, now with "Life Without Walls".

Multiple Devices: Marlin

"The new tagline reflects how Windows connects people across PCs, phones, devices and the Web. Get the background story on the new marketing approach, and see the latest campaign elements."

Of interest, Video of Microsoft’s Bill Veghte on the Windows Brand: Life without Walls, I’m a PC and More (01:27), Life Without Walls Preview & Bill Veghte Soundbites (01:55), and an Image Gallery for the Life Without Walls Campaign.(Links to Downloadable Files: Broadcast (.mpeg) and Video (.wmv)

As Ina Fried notes on her blog today, a new commercial hits tonite… and this one is a little more to the point…

"I’m a PC and I’ve been made into a stereotype," says Microsoft employee Sean Siller, who looks a whole lot like John Hodgman, the actor who plays the PC in Apple’s ads.

The spot then goes on to have other people say that, they too are PCs, including an Obama blogger, a McCain broadcaster, actress Eva Longoria, a school teacher, and a fish salesman, among others. (My favorite is a guy standing near cows saying "I turn No. 2 into energy.")

Bill Gates does make a cameo, saying "I’m a PC and I wear glasses." The ads will debut later Thursday on NBC’s The Office.

The commercial will certainly be entertaining.  I have my Media Center and ReplayTV set to record The Office tonite, and I expect that more will be posted to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ as available.

Also of interest: this article in the New York Times by Stuart Elliott, Echoing the Campaign of a Rival, Microsoft Aims to Redefine ‘I’m a PC’.

Tags: advertising, Microsoft, Windows Vista

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