Do you subscribe to TV service from the local cable company?

If so, you probably don’t need to worry. If you are a cable TV subscriber, no additional equipment beyond what you are using now should be necessary to continue viewing local stations. However, depending upon what type of programming package you subscribe to, you might not be able to view these channels exactly as they are broadcast using the new DTV standard. Cable companies often offer a cheap “basic cable” tier, which is only available in analog. While you won’t need any new equipment to continue viewing programming, you may also not be getting a high-quality digital picture in such a programming tier. If you want to watch local TV stations in High-Definition (HDTV), you will need an HDTV ready TV tuner. This is assuming that there are local stations in your area that offer HDTV programming and that the cable company passes this signal along without down-converting it to a picture of lesser quality. Call your cable TV provider to see if HDTV programming is indeed available in your area.

Do you subscribe to TV service from DirecTV or DISH Networks?

In 90% of the country, DirecTV and DISH Networks offer local TV channels via satellite. If this is the case, you should not need any additional equipment to continue viewing local TV stations. If you happen to live in a rural area (like where we live in Humboldt County) you might be out of luck when it comes to receiving local TV stations via satellite, since neither DISH nor DirecTV carry them. If you want to watch local TV stations in addition to satellite programming, you will need separate equipment. Keep reading for more info. HDTV programming is available in selected markets. You will need an HDTV capable TV if you want to watch these channels in high-definition though.

Do you have an outdoor TV antenna?

If you have an outdoor TV antenna that is mounted on a mast or other structure, you will need to make sure that it is capable of picking up UHF TV signals in addition to the “old” VHF band. Stations will be using different frequencies for the broadcast of digital television signals. Most of them will be in the UHF band. If your current antenna only picks-up (old) channels 2-13, you will likely need to upgrade to a new antenna.

Do you use “rabbit ears” to receive local TV stations?

Unfortunately, most people who currently receive a strong signal via rabbit ears or an antenna that is built-in to many older TV sets will need to upgrade to an outdoor antenna in order to continue receiving over-the-air signals. Why? Because many local TV stations are now broadcasting DTV signals using less power than they did before. Plus, the new digital television standard does not perform well at all in weak-reception situations. If you had marginal analog TV reception before, you will likely have NO digital TV reception now. Find a qualified, local installer for advice on what type of antenna you will need.

Do you have a newer, HDTV-ready TV set?

If so, congratulations! You should be able to watch local TV stations in both DTV and HDTV formats, assuming that you have an antenna that can receive signals from local TV stations reliably. HDTV reception is only available from stations that broadcast in high-definition. With others, you will receive DTV programming in standard digital TV resolution. The new DTV standard gives a better quality picture than you would receive in analog, but it isn’t the same thing as HDTV.

Do you have an older, analog TV set?

This is where things start to get expensive. Most TV sets that are more than 2-3 years old only receive channels in analog format. They are not capable of receiving digital television signals over the air without a special converter box. HDTV is not viewable on older, analog TV sets, due to their design. So, if you want high-definition, you will need to buy a new HDTV-ready TV set. If you wish to continue receiving broadcast television stations that have converted their signals to digital, you will need to purchase a DTV converter box. These are sold in electronics and appliance stores, and range in price from around $50 to well over $200. Pricing generally depends upon what type of extra features are available. Many have built-in program guides and other bells and whistles that will increase the cost. The converter box needs to be connected between your TV set and an external antenna. If you have an antenna built-in to your TV set, you will need to purchase a new outdoor antenna or an indoor antenna that is capable of receiving very weak signals. Regardless of your location, an outdoor antenna is always the better choice.

How do I know which channels I can receive?

Newer HDTV-ready TV sets and DTV converter boxes can scan all available frequencies to find what channels are available to you in digital or analog formats. If you have scanned through all available frequencies and not found any channels, you will likely need a better antenna and/or amplifier to improve your reception. There is no guarantee that you will be able to continue viewing your local stations. New transmitters may be using less power or be aiming the signal in a different direction than they were previously. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if you will be able to receive a signal is trial-and-error. There is no foolproof method of determining what signals will be available to you beforehand.

What type of antenna do I need?

If you have to ask, you probably should rely on a professional to pick an antenna for you. Retailers such as Radio Shack are typically NOT the best place to go to for advice. In many cases, you will be dealing with salespeople who know little more than you do about TV reception. So, unless you happen to know one of these people personally, I would not recommend relying upon their advice. Your best source of information is local TV antenna installer. Look in the yellow pages under “television” or “antennas” to find one. If you don’t see any listings in your area, the best place to look is in the listings for “satellite television”. Most professional TV antenna installers also install satellite TV equipment. Chances are that any company that has been in the business for 10+ years or installs C-Band or FTA (free-to-air) receivers either installs local TV antennas as well, or knows of someone who does. It is definitely worth a phone call. If you still can’t find anyone locally, I would suggest contacting a mail-order provider that specializes in selling antennas and that has technicians available to give advice. One retailer I would highly recommend is Solid Signal.

What else will I need?

Depending upon your location, you may need an external amplifier or amplified antenna in order to continue receiving a watchable TV signal.These are generally available at Radio Shack or other electronics retailers. If you are installing an outdoor antenna for the first time, you will also need to purchase an appropriate length of coaxial cable to connect the antenna to the TV or DTV converter box. High-quality, well-shielded RG-6 is usually the best bet when it comes to cable. We recommend using cable made by quality manufacturers, such as Belden. It is definitely worth the extra few cents per foot to purchase high-quality cable.

Be sure to check out the rest of our website at HDTV for more information on the digital TV transition, including tips on antennas, where to get free coupons for DTV converter boxes and much more.

Eureka, CA, Feb 18, 2009

Apparently, broadcast networks are coming to the realization that their own investment in HDTV programming counts for very little, unless people can actually view them. To that end, FOX and NBC have set up a joint venture to make much of their HDTV programming available for free to anyone in the country via the Internet.

Assuming that you have a broadband Internet connection capable of keeping up with it and a computer monitor or display that isn’t from the stone-age, Hulu.Com may be just what you have been looking for for in HDTV programming.

Not even considering the fact that the service is absolutely free, there is a lot to like about Hulu.Com. Of particular interest to HDTV enthusiasts is the fact that a great deal of TV and movie content is available for free in 480i, which is the same HDTV broadcast format used by both the FOX and NBC TV networks for over-the-air programming. While it may not provide the same resolution as you would receive in the 1080i format used by Blu-Ray and some other broadcasters, the decreased need for bandwidth makes it much more accessible to the average broadband user.

In my own experience, trying to view streamed programming in 1080i via the Internet can be a fairly frustrating experience. Unless you have an extremely reliable connection that is capable of download streams that well exceed 3MBps, you can pretty much forget about viewing anything in 1080i. While many DSL and cable modem providers may provide speeds greater than this during occasional bursts, few are capable of delivering this much bandwidth in a sustainable fashion. The result is (a signal) that has reliability more akin to the shortwave band than one that TV viewers are used to putting up with. Unless you have fios, or other fiberoptic connection that runs directly to your home, trying to stream 1080i can be more of a headache than anything.

Back to Hulu.Com… Not all programming on this service is available in HD, but there is certainly a lot more than you will be able to receive here locally via over-the-air reception. Even their “standard” resolution is more than acceptable for most viewers, and there is much more programming available in that format.

Unlike YouTube, which mainly consists of short, low-quality amateur video “clips”, Hulu.Com is actually sanctioned by broadcasters and production companies, so nothing you will see is second-rate, insofar as quality. The most often viewed programs on the service seem to be sketch clips from Saturday Night Live. That’s followed by first-run episodes of The Daily Show with John Stewart, Family Guy, 24, Battlestar Galactica, House, Nip-Tuck and many others. The latter are all available in their entirety, unedited. In addition to the NBC and Fox networks, programming is also available from Comedy Central, G4, FX, Showtime, The Sci-Fi Channel, The USA Network and others.

Although the newest content seems to get the most attention, of particular interest to many viewers will be the site’s huge catalog of ancient TV shows and re-runs. Dozens of TV series are available, many of them from their pilot episodes until their final broadcast. Quite a number of them are from short-lived TV shows that few viewers will remember. Quite a few memorable TV shows are available as well though. Just a few include The Simpsons, ER, ALF, Married…With Children, The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, etc.

While the selection of feature-length films isn’t anything comparable to a subscription from HBO or Showtime, you will find quite a bit of good material for free. Surprisingly, quite a number movies are available completely unedited, including a few that are Rated R. The latter requires website visitors to register (free) and login anytime they want to watch something that is “mature”.  A sampling of some of the movies recently available are Robocop, Liar, Liar, Jumanji, Virus (shot in Humboldt County!), Rocky III and The Karate Kid. Obviously, not first-run material, but not bad for free.

So, by now, you’re probably wondering… what’s the catch? There are a few, but none that are too annoying. First of all, first-run programs like The Daily Show are generally only available the day after they first air on TV. The only exception to that rule seems to be news content from NBC. Secondly, you need a really good broadband connection in order to watch anything in HDTV resolutions. Even standard resolution viewing can be a challenge if your connection and computer are not well optimized. The inability to download any material is also a bit of an annoyance, especially when the stream you are watching gets interrupted by some sort of Internet glitch. While the service does provide a small memory “buffer”, it is not possible to control it in any way, and can make viewing a hit-or-miss proposition when bandwidth demands are strained. Commercials. Did I mention that almost all of the programming has commercials? Compared to broadcast TV or cable, the commercials are hardly noticeable though. Commercial interruptions are 30 seconds AT MOST, and take place infrequently. There is also an annoying JavaScript login that will NOT store your name and password from one TV show to the next. It only pops-up if you are watching R Rated content though.

Other than that, the service is remarkably catch-free. One of my biggest kudos for the service is the fact that it does not require any type of special software or operating system. I do almost all of my work on a laptop running Ubuntu Linux without any problems. Obviously, it runs on computers running Windows as well. It should also work on recent versions of the Mac.

While services like Hulu.Com will almost certainly never replace cable or satellite television, it definitely is a welcomed addition to one’s programming choices, especially for those of us who do not have access to local TV programming in HDTV. While the service may not be perfect, it certainly is worth far more than you will ever pay for it.