The bottom line is, TV stations like KIEM-TV probably can’t justify the cost of spending tens of thousands of dollars to upgrade small translators like those in Orleans, which reach only a handful of viewers. While the FCC pedals its “No TV left behind” rhetoric to the public, the economics of the situation does not bode well for either broadcasters or rural TV viewers. While financial aid has been made available to the public via TV converter coupons, TV stations in small markets and those serving rural communities via translators are getting no such help from the federal government.

In light of recent events with the economy, the federal government’s mandate that TV stations cease broadcasting their analog signals in February is dripping with irony. On one hand you have the federal government handing over hundreds of billions of dollars to banks and automakers with few or no strings attached so that they may continue selling Americans overpriced cars and high-interest loans. On the other hand, we have the Federal Communications Commission forcing for-profit businesses to cease offering a free service to the public that actually pays for itself. Here’s the real punchline though… part of the motivation for forcing broadcasters to cease transmitting analog signals in the VHF band is so that the government can turn around and auction off those same frequencies for billions of dollars. Much of that money may end up being spent on bailing out banks and automakers.

Obviously, the FCC could not have foreseen the current economic crisis and the resulting overwhelming lack of enthusiasm that consumers are currently showing when it comes to paying for upgrades to their TV sets. The unfolding scandals plaguing the FCC are only likely to grow worse when thousands of Americans eventually lose access to television programming in February though.

We have been looking for a source of these DTV converter boxes locally for awhile now. The hard part wasn’t so much finding a store that stocked the boxes, but finding a model that included the analog pass-through feature that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Without this feature, we would lose access to about half of the channels that will be available locally after February 2009. This includes all local LPTV (Low Power Television) stations and translators. We’ve written plenty of articles on this feature in the past, so be sure to check our archives for more information.

So, what did we find, and where did we find it? Surprisingly, the store that finally came through for us was Target. The Target store in Eureka, California stocks three different models of DTV converter boxes. The first two are pretty much a waste of money, since they do not have analog pass-through. They always seem to have plenty of these boxes in stock, strangely enough. However, after making repeated trips to the store last week we finally found the model in stock that we wanted. It’s the Venturer STB7766G1.

Obviously, Venturer is not exactly a household name, but we have not seen a great deal of difference in quality between manufacturers when it comes to DTV converter boxes, so we’re not too worried as to the quality. The main thing we are interested in here are the features and the price, which is the lowest we have seen any DTV converter box sell for.

Assuming that you happen to arrive at a time when these boxes are in stock, the sticker price is $49.95. Of course, that’s the price before applying the discount from your $40 government coupon. Once you toss-in the sales tax of 7.25% (that’s what it is here), your final purchase price will be a little over $13. Of course, the state sales tax is calculated on the original sticker price of $49.95.

Be sure to have your government coupon handy with you when you go to the store, and be sure to pay attention to the total price when checking out. As we could have guessed, the Target employee at the check-out counter was totally clueless as to how to apply the coupon, and originally charged us full-price for the unit, even after having scanned the coupon! So, make sure that they actually apply the $40 discount while you are there, unless you plan on making a return trip to get your money back for being overcharged.

Interestingly, while checking out, I was also asked to sign some sort of piece of paper that was spat out along with my receipt. It basically stated (I didn’t get to keep a copy of the document, unfortunately) that I agreed that I had just used-up one of my government coupons, and that I was not going to get the entire purchase price back if I returned the item. I wasn’t really expecting to have to sign anything when paying for an item with cash, but whatever…

The unit is very basic, but does everything that you should need it to do, including allowing you to watch channels that continue to broadcast in analog after February 2009. I’ll have a full product review for you later this week. For the moment though, we suggest that you snatch one up with one of your government coupons while you can. At $49.95, you aren’t going to find a cheaper model anywhere else, and most certainly not one that includes analog pass-through. We’ll have more detailed information on it later this week. Stay tuned!

The below list was compiled from the U.S. Department of Commerce (NTIA), and is current as of January 2008. We’ve added an *asterisk in front of stations licensed in Humboldt, Trinity, Del Norte and Southern Mendocino Counties in Northern California. Keep in mind, these stations all transmit using very little power, so picking up any of them is rather tricky. As far as I know, this is the most comprehensive list of translators available for the area, and the only one that lists network affiliations and the names of the stations that operate invividual translators.

One fact that I find particularly interesting is that we have more LPTV stations and translators in rural Northern California than you will find in any major metropolitan area, such as Los Angeles or San Francisco. In fact, San Francisco seems to only have a single LPTV broadcaster. Also, the localities given do not always seem to reflect the actual location of the translators in all cases. Broadcasters are not required to disclose the “exact” location of their transmitting facilities, which can make it extremely difficult to determine which direction to point you antenna in for the best reception. This is especially true at UHF frequencies (channels 14 and up), where you likely won’t see any signal at all if you don’t aim an antenna in precisely the right direction.

Another interesting factoid is the large number of low-power television stations that have been licensed in the Eureka area. Despite having been granted construction permits, none of the channels currently assigned to “MS Communications” have ever broadcast a signal, to the best of our knowledge. Apparently, MS Communications holds the licenses for literally hundreds of LPTV stations across the country, none of which seem to be operational. It is doubtful that there will ever be any television programming on these stations.

We’ve added comments where appropriate, including network affiliations.

Community Served Station Call Letters Channel ALTADENA KTAV-LP 69 ALTURAS K20DE 20 ALTURAS, ETC. K47EH 47 ALTURAS, ETC. K60AR 60 ANDERSON/CENTRL VAL. K38FQ 38 ARROYO GRANDE KSSY-LP 20 ATASCADERO KASC-CA 7 BAKERSFIELD KTFB-CA 4 BAKERSFIELD K08MM 8 BAKERSFIELD KKEY-LP 11 BAKERSFIELD K18HD 18 BAKERSFIELD K21FP 21 BAKERSFIELD K24GS 24 BAKERSFIELD KBTF-CA 31 BAKERSFIELD KVPT-LP 34 BAKERSFIELD KBFK-LP 36 BAKERSFIELD KNXT-LP 38 BAKERSFIELD KZKC-LP 42 BAKERSFIELD K46II 46 BAKERSFIELD KEBK-LP 47 BAKERSFIELD KABE-LP 52 BAKERSFIELD KBFX-CA 58 BARSTOW KCIO-LP 6 BARSTOW K16GE 16 BARSTOW K28IE 28 * BENBOW, ETC. K12JJ 12 (KAEF Translator) BIEBER, ETC. K06GS 6 BIG BEAR LAKE K06MU 6 BIG BEAR LAKE KPCD-LP 40 BIG BEND, ETC. K04EZ 4 * BLUE LAKE K36BT 36 (KAEF Translator) BLYTHE K24FA 24 BLYTHE K26FS 26 BLYTHE K29EC 29 BLYTHE K31FE 31 BLYTHE K33FD 33 BOONVILLE, ETC. K57CT 57 BOONVILLE, ETC. K59CH 59 BOONVILLE, ETC. K61CH 61 BOONVILLE, ETC. K63CE 63 BOONVILLE, ETC. K67CC 67 BOONVILLE, ETC. K69CU 69 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K02JX 2 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K07QM 7 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K11HS 11 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K13EX 13 BURNEY, ETC. K05DQ 5 * BURNT RANCH, ETC. K12JL 12 (KIEM Translator) CALEXICO K36FO 36 CATHEDRAL CITY KDPX-LP 45 CATHEDRAL CITY-PALM KPSP-LP 58 CEDARVILLE K71AF 71 CHALFANT VALLEY, ETC K64CY 64 CHALFANT VALLEY,ETC. K55FD 55 CHALFANT VALLEY,ETC. K61EJ 61 CHICO K02OA 2 CHICO KEFM-LP 6 CHICO KXVU-LP 17 CHICO K19FY 19 CHICO KZVU-LP 22 CHICO KUCO-LP 27 CHICO KKPM-CA 28 CHICO KKTF-LP 35 CHICO KBIT-LD 51 CHICO KSGO-LP 59 CHINA LAKE, ETC. K14AT 14 CLARKS CROSSING KDAS-LP 48 * CRESCENT CITY K09VQ 9 (KEET Translator) * CRESCENT CITY, ETC. K22DS 22 (KOBI Translator) * CRESCENT CITY, ETC. K39EO 39 (Daystar Television Network) CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K15DP 15 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K17DF 17 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K19DI 19 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K25EB 25 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K27DV 27 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K58BN 58 DAGGETT K15BZ 15 DAGGETT K19BS 19 DAGGETT K41CY 41 DAGGETT K48IP 48 DAGGETT K50HV 50 DAGGETT, ETC. KTSK-LP 17 DAGGETT, ETC. K23BP 23 DAGGETT, ETC. K35BQ 35 DAGGETT, ETC. K39DW 39 DAGGETT, ETC. K46HT 46 DUNSMUIR, ETC. K02CN 2 DUNSMUIR, ETC. K05BR 5 EAGLEVILLE K13IU 13 EAST WEED K33DI 33 EL CENTRO-HOLTVILLE K56GC 56 ETNA-FORT JONES K02HC 2 * EUREKA KUVU-LP 9 (CW Network) * EUREKA ** K27FX 27 * EUREKA KEUV-LP 31 (Univision) * EUREKA KEMY-LP 33 (MyNetwork) * EUREKA ** K41FD 41 * EUREKA ** K48GP 48 * EUREKA ** K50EQ 50 * EUREKA ** K52FK 52 * EUREKA ** K57HB 57 * EUREKA ** K59FW 59 * EUREKA ** K63GK 63 * EUREKA **** K67GU 67 (KKTF-LP Translator) * EUREKA ** K69IE 69 FALL RIVER MILLS,ETC K11JM 11 FALL RIVER MILLS-MCA K28DB 28 FORT BIDWELL K04GB 4 FORT DICK K36HM 36 FORT JONES, ETC. K04EQ 4 FORT JONES, ETC. K06KA 6 FORT JONES, ETC. K13HU 13 * FORTUNA K14MN 14 (KBVU/KTVU Translator) * FORTUNA/RIO DELL K20CN 20 (KAEF Translator) * FRESHWATER, ETC. K45DS 45 (KAEF Translator) FRESNO K03HK 3 FRESNO KVHF-LP 4 FRESNO K12OZ 12 FRESNO K15ET 15 FRESNO KHSC-LP 16 FRESNO KZMM-CA 22 FRESNO KJKZ-LP 27 FRESNO KBID-LP 31 FRESNO KJEO-LP 32 FRESNO KSDI-LP 33 FRESNO KMSG-LP 39 FRESNO KTFF-LP 41 FRESNO K56DZ 56 * GARBERVILLE K10HX 10 (KVIQ Translator) * GARBERVILLE, ETC. K04NX 4 (KIEM Translator) GONZALES KOTR-LP 2 GRASS VALLEY K16CX 16 * GREEN POINT, ETC. K05EQ 5 (KRCR Translator) HAPPY CAMP K07IX 7 HAPPY CAMP, ETC. K09PI 9 HAPPY CAMP, ETC. K11GO 11 HAPPY CAMP, ETC. K13GL 13 * HAYFORK K05CR 5 (KIXE Translator) * HOOPA K07GJ 7 (KIEM Translator) * HOOPA K11NE 11 (KVIQ Translator) HOPLAND K06FA 6 HOPLAND K10FZ 10 HOPLAND K11TD 11 HOPLAND K13ID 13 HOPLAND K35DO 35 INDIO KVER-CA 4 INDIO KEVC-CA 5 INDIO K06MB 6 INDIO KVPS-LP 8 INDIO KUNA-LP 15 INDIO K19DH 19 INDIO K25GW 25 INDIO/PALM SPRINGS KDFX-CA 33 INLAND EMPIRE KHTV-LP 48 INYOKERN K19CL 19 INYOKERN, ETC. K47AE 47 JOSHUA TREE K25GK 25 JOSHUA TREE, ETC. K14JT 14 * KLAMATH K25CI 25 (KAEF Translator) LA JOLLA K35DG 35 LA JOLLA K59AL 59 LA JOLLA K67AM 67 LAKE CITY, ETC. K06FF 6 LAKE SHASTINA K27BH 27 LAKEHEAD K02FF 2 LAKEHEAD K14HX 14 LAKEPORT K15FJ 15 LAKEPORT K26GK 26 LAKEPORT K33CH 33 LAKEPORT K46DR 46 LAKEPORT K54CY 54 LAKEPORT K56AW 56 LAKEPORT K58AW 58 LAKEPORT K64AZ 64 LAKEPORT K68AL 68 LAKEPORT, ETC. K52AJ 52 LAKESHORE, ETC. K04FL 4 LANCASTER K26GN 26 LANCASTER KEDD-LP 50 * LEWISTON K06EX 6 (KHSL Translator) * LEWISTON K28CY 28 (KIXE Translator) * LEWISTON, ETC. K03CT 3 (KRCR Translator) LIKELY K05ET 5 LIKELY K11LD 11 LITCHFIELD K13RZ 13 LITCHFIELD K46HL 46 LITCHFIELD K48DI 48 LITCHFIELD K50HJ 50 LOMPOC K10OG 10 LOMPOC KLDF-CA 17 LOMPOC K23CL 23 LONG VALLEY K05FR 5 LONG VALLEY K49EA 49 LONG VALLEY K56BS 56 LONG VALLEY REGION K60BR 60 LOS ANGELES KVTU-LP 3 LOS ANGELES KNET-LP 25 LOS ANGELES KSMV-LP 33 LOS ANGELES KNLA-LP 68 LUCERNE VALLEY K15CA 15 LUCERNE VALLEY K19BT 19 LUCERNE VALLEY K33DK 33 LUCERNE VALLEY K41CB 41 LUCERNE VALLEY K43EE 43 LUCERNE VALLEY K48AD 48 LUCERNE VALLEY K50EW 50 LUCERNE VALLEY K54AD 54 MAMMOTH LAKES, ETC. KSRW-LP 33 MARIPOSA K27GZ 27 MARTINEZ K49HV 49 MINERAL K05JK 5 * MIRANDA K08LD 8 (KVIQ Translator) * MIRANDA K10NU 10 (KIEM Translator) MODESTO KAZV-LP 14 MODESTO KEXT-CA 27 MODESTO K49EO 49 MODESTO KACA-LP 61 MONTEREY KMUV-LP 23 MONTEREY KYMB-LP 27 MONTEREY KMCE-LP 43 MONTEREY, ETC. K29AB 29 MORENO VALLEY KRMV-LP 45 MORONGO VALLEY KHIR-LP 3 MORONGO VALLEY K13WJ 13 MORONGO VALLEY K14AB 14 MORONGO VALLEY K16AA 16 MORONGO VALLEY KJHP-LP 18 MORONGO VALLEY K21GI 21 MORONGO VALLEY K30GU 30 MORONGO VALLEY K32EM 32 MORONGO VALLEY K34EU 34 MORONGO VALLEY K36GO 36 MORONGO VALLEY K40HX 40 MORONGO VALLEY K48EM 48 MORRO BAY K09UF 9 MORRO BAY K22EE 22 MOUNTAIN GATE, ETC. K03FU 3 NATIONAL CITY K61GH 61 NEEDLES K30BQ 30 NEEDLES, ETC. K17BN 17 NEEDLES, ETC. K31HY 31 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K03EK 3 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K06IQ 6 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K08IA 8 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K10IX 10 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K12JI 12 NEWELL, TULELAKE K13IV 13 * ORLEANS K08HJ 8 (KVIQ Translator) * ORLEANS K11IQ 11 (KIEM Translator) OROVILLE K08NH 8 OROVILLE K15CX 15 OROVILLE K42HL 42 OXNARD KSKP-CA 25 PALERMO K04QC 4 PALM DESERT KDUO-LP 43 PALM DESERT, ETC. K09XW 9 PALM SPRINGS KCWQ-LP 2 PALM SPRINGS KYAV-LP 12 PALM SPRINGS KODG-LP 17 PALM SPRINGS K20HZ 20 PALM SPRINGS KVES-LP 28 PALM SPRINGS K40ID 40 PALM SPRINGS KPSE-LP 50 PALM SPRINGS DK77AV 77 PALM SPRINGS/INDIO K21DO 21 PALMDALE KPAL-LP 38 PALMDALE K67AO 67 PARADISE K05EM 5 PARADISE K49CT 49 PASO ROBLES K17GD 17 PASO ROBLES KPAO-CA 22 PASO ROBLES K23ED 23 PASO ROBLES KJCN-LP 36 PASO ROBLES K44DN 44 PORTERVILLE K15CO 15 PORTERVILLE KVVG-LP 54 POTTER VALLEY K06DK 6 POTTER VALLEY K08EE 8 POTTER VALLEY K10EQ 10 POTTER VALLEY K12DV 12 POTTER VALLEY K66DQ 66 POTTER VALLEY K69DI 69 POWAY, ETC. KUAN-LP 48 REDDING KMCA-LP 2 REDDING KVFR-LP 4 REDDING KRDN-LP 5 REDDING KFMD-LP 6 REDDING KRVU-LP 21 REDDING KGEC-LP 26 REDDING KMSX-LP 29 REDDING K33HH 33 REDDING K40HE 40 REDDING K46HI 46 REDDING KRDT-CA 47 REDDING K50GP 50 REDDING KRHT-LP 58 REDLANDS KLAU-LP 66 REEDLEY KCWB-LP 13 RIDGECREST K41GO 41 RIDGECREST K43AG 43 RIDGECREST K45GQ 45 RIDGECREST, ETC. K02HY 2 RIDGECREST, ETC. K04HX 4 RIDGECREST, ETC. K05FO 5 RIDGECREST, ETC. K07NH 7 RIDGECREST, ETC. K09MG 9 RIDGECREST, ETC. K11ML 11 RIDGECREST, ETC. K13NF 13 RIDGECREST, ETC. K49AA 49 RIDGECREST, ETC. K51DD 51 RIDGECREST, ETC. K53AB 53 RIDGECREST, ETC. K55AB 55 RIDGECREST, ETC. K57AK 57 RIDGECREST, ETC. K59AO 59 * RIO DELL K04NY 4 (KIEM Translator) * RIO DELL, SCOTIA K10FS 10 (KVIQ Translator) RIVERSIDE KZSW-LP 27 SACRAMENTO KBTV-CA 8 SACRAMENTO KMMK-LP 14 SACRAMENTO KMUM-CA 15 SACRAMENTO K22FR 22 SACRAMENTO KEZT-CA 23 SACRAMENTO K27EU 27 SACRAMENTO KSTV-LP 32 SACRAMENTO KCSO-LP 33 SACRAMENTO K45HC 45 SACRAMENTO KRJR-LP 47 SACRAMENTO KSAO-LP 49 SALINAS KMMD-CA 3 SALINAS K15CU 15 SALINAS KLFB-LP 21 SALINAS K38JP 38 SALINAS/MONTEREY,ETC KDJT-CA 33 SAN BERNARDINO KSGA-LP 64 SAN DIEGO KBNT-CA 17 SAN DIEGO KDTF-LP 36 SAN DIEGO KZSD-LP 41 SAN DIEGO KBOP-CA 43 SAN DIEGO KTCD-LP 46 SAN DIEGO K63EN 63 SAN FERNANDO VALLEY KSFV-LP 26 SAN FRANCISCO KMMC-LP 40 SAN FRANCISCO, ETC. KFTL-CA 28 SAN LUIS OBISPO K16FC 16 SAN LUIS OBISPO KMMA-CA 18 SAN LUIS OBISPO KKFX-CA 24 SAN LUIS OBISPO K28FK 28 SAN LUIS OBISPO KSBO-CA 42 SAN LUIS OBISPO KFUL-LP 44 SAN LUIS OBISPO K47GD 47 SAN LUIS OBISPO KCCE-LP 50 SAN LUIS OBISPO KPXA-LP 60 SAN LUIS OBISPO,ETC. K57BC 57 SAN MARCOS KSKT-CA 43 SANTA BARBARA KZDF-LP 8 SANTA BARBARA KSBB-LP 17 SANTA BARBARA KWHY-LP 22 SANTA BARBARA K26FT 26 SANTA BARBARA KVMM-CA 41 SANTA BARBARA KTSB-LP 43 SANTA BARBARA KBAB-LP 51 SANTA BARBARA K59CD 59 SANTA BARBARA, ETC. K28GY 28 SANTA CLARA-SAN JOSE KAXT-CA 22 SANTA MARIA K07TA 7 SANTA MARIA KKDJ-LP 8 SANTA MARIA KQMM-CA 14 SANTA MARIA KLFA-LP 25 SANTA MARIA KDFS-CA 30 SANTA MARIA K35ER 35 SANTA MARIA KWSM-LP 40 SANTA MARIA K46GF 46 SANTA MARIA K51GB 51 SANTA ROSA K25HI 25 SANTA ROSA KDTV-CA 28 SANTA ROSA KTVJ-LP 36 SANTA ROSA KQRM-LP 40 SEIAD VALLEY K04NU 4 SEIAD VALLEY K08EQ 8 SEIAD VALLEY K12JD 12 * SHELTER COVE K02OD 2 (KIEM Translator) * SHELTER COVE K10KY 10 KVIQ Translator) * SHELTER COVE K12OV 12 (KEET Translator) * SOUTH EUREKA/LOLETA K51EG 51 (KAEF Translator) SOUTH LAKE TAHOE K12PP 12 SOUTH LAKE TAHOE K33CN 33 SOUTH YREKA K47DV 47 STATELINE, ETC. K43DB 43 STOCKTON KMMW-LP 47 STOCKTON KDTS-LP 52 SUSANVILLE KREN-LP 29 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K36HH 36 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K42GV 42 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K61EN 61 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K63CM 63 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K69FS 69 SUSANVILLE-HERLONG K59ET 59 SWAUGER CREEK K51CP 51 SWAUGER CREEK K54CX 54 TAHOE CITY K23DT 23 TAHOE CITY K56BW 56 TEMECULA K12PO 12 * TRINITY CENTER K39DG 39 (KIXE Translator) TWENTYNINE PALMS K18FH 18 TWENTYNINE PALMS K38EE 38 TWENTYNINE PALMS, ET K51DU 51 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K16FI 16 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K29GK 29 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K47IB 47 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K49DC 49 UKIAH K17CG 17 UKIAH K21CD 21 UKIAH K27EE 27 UKIAH K29DF 29 UKIAH K31GK 31 UKIAH K39AG 39 UKIAH K41AF 41 UKIAH K43AF 43 UKIAH KTJH-LP 44 UKIAH K45AH 45 UKIAH K47AL 47 UKIAH K51AQ 51 UKIAH K55GX 55 UKIAH K69DF 69 VAN NUYS KWJD-LP 25 VAN NUYS KSKJ-CA 38 VAN NUYS K55KD 55 VENTURA KIMG-LP 23 VENTURA K45DU 45 VICTORVILLE K39GY 39 VICTORVILLE K47CC 47 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K21AC 21 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K25AD 25 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K27AE 27 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K31AD 31 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K51AN 51 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K55CW 55 VISALIA KFAZ-CA 8 VISALIA KMCF-LP 35 VISTA K26FA 26 VISTA KHAX-LP 49 * WEAVERVILLE, ETC. K02EE 2 (KIXE Translator) * WEAVERVILLE, ETC. K04DD 4 (KHSL Translator) * WEAVERVILLE, ETC. K05CF 5 (KRCR Translator) WESTWOOD, ETC. K54EE 54 * WILLOW CREEK K08GR 8 (KIEM Translator) * WILLOW CREEK K10EN 10 (KVIQ Translator) * WILLOW CREEK K34BW 34 (KRCR Translator) YREKA K06GP 6 YREKA K41JB 41 YREKA K53DY 53 YREKA, ETC. K04HE 4 YREKA, ETC. K13LO 13 YREKA, ETC. K17BA 17 YREKA, ETC. K35DE 35 YUCCA VALLEY K27DS 27 Source: Stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, January 23, 2008
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** Also listed, but unable to confirm:

K13MD Channel 13 Hyampom (KIEM Translator?)

k09PM Channel 9 Covelo (KEET Translator?)

K09MS Channel 9 Hoopa (KEET Translator?)

K04EM Channel 4 Hayfork (KRCR Translator?)

K05FZ Channel 5 Trinity Center (KRCR Translator?)

K05EX Channel 5 Burnt Ranch (KRCR Translator?)

*** Construction permit applied for by MS Communications, Inc. No word on what, if anything, will eventually be on these channels. Channels currently vacant.

**** Supposedly belongs to KKTF-LP, a Spanish language broadcaster in Chico, which plans to offer Telefutura. Currently vacant.

The website seems to have a fairly large selection of DTV converters, as well as a handful of HDTV-ready antennas. Shipping looks to be a flat $9.95 per order. The cheapest converter they currently have available is $52.95. When you add-in shipping charges, that would make the cheapest digital television converter you can buy from them come out to about $23 after using your coupon. Depending upon where you live, the $9.95 price for shipping can be balanced against the fact that they do not charge sales taxes in most states. In high tax states like California, ordering two converters at a time from them would be only slightly more expensive than if you had bought the units (at the same price) locally and had to pay the sales taxes.

One potential problem that you might have ordering from this site is one that pretty much all retailers have in common these days. Many of the models listed are out of stock, and quantities are limited. Also limited are the number of DTV converters that provide analog pass-through capabilities. As we have stated in previous articles, this is a key feature that most DTV converters are currently missing. Not having this feature will leave you unable to view channels that are still broadcasting in analog. Quite a number of translators and LPTV stations in the local area are currently in analog and will STAY in analog for some time to come. These stations are exempt from FCC rules mandating the switch to digital television. Almost half of the TV stations in Humboldt County are classified as LPTV, or low-power television. The percentage is much higher if you count the numerous low power translators scattered throughout Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino and Del Norte Counties in Northern California.

Needless to say, we would recommend holding off on ordering a CECB converter box until you can get one with analog pass-through capabilities. You may have to check websites and retailers regularly to find any in stock, but it is definitely worth the wait in areas like Humboldt County, where there are so many stations continuing to broadcast in analog.

Another good place to look online for DTV converters is SolidSignal.Com. We have always had excellent service when ordering from this company and we highly recommend them. In addition to selling the CECB digital to analog converters, they also sell a large selection of DTV-ready antennas, cabling and accessories. You can also find gear for DirecTV, Dish Network and other satellite TV equipment as well. SolidSignal.Com is able to process government coupons for DTV converters now, so you should be able to order these products online and still get your $40 discount without any hassles.

As always, if you haven’t applied for your free government coupons yet, be sure to do so. You can apply directly online through the government’s website at DTV2009.GOV .

The key feature I am talking about is something called analog pass-through, and it is not available on the majority of DTV converters that initially hit the market this year. Exactly what does this feature do? It allows those who install their DTV converters to continue watching analog broadcasts in addition to DTV signals.

You may have been mistakenly led to believe that all TV stations in the U.S. will go completely digital after February 2009. That isn’t the case. In fact, in many areas of the country a large number of stations will NEVER go digital. These channels are referred to as Low Power Television, or LPTV, stations. In essence, LPTV stations broadcast analog signals at power levels below that of larger “full power” broadcasters. In urban areas, many of these channels are occupied by religious broadcasters, shopping networks and a variety of independent stations. In rural areas such as Humboldt County though, these stations can be network affiliates and others who want to avoid the expense of going digital.

Without the analog pass-through feature on your converter box, you will not only immediately lose reception of local TV stations that are still in analog, but you will permanently lose access to all LPTV stations, unless they decide to go digital themselves one day.

Humboldt County currently has a number of LPTV stations, which are in addition to low-power analog translators that serve the most rural areas. Local LPTV stations currently consist of The Trinity Broadcast Network on UHF channel 47, KUVU (The CW) on channel 35, Univision on channel 31 and KEMY (MyTV network affiliate) on channel 33. Without the analog pass-through feature on your DTV converter, you will lose all access to these channels. The only way to watch them over-the-air would be to use some type of antenna selector switch, install two separate TV antennas or by manually swapping cables each time you want to choose between digital and analog stations.

So, when can we expect these LPTV broadcasters to switch to DTV or even HDTV? I’m tempted to say never, but never is a long time. Perhaps not during my lifetime though, since there is little to no incentive for these broadcasters to do so. As the vast majority of those in Humboldt County tune-in these channels via cable television, it simply is not cost effective at present for them to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on digital broadcasting equipment to reach a relative handful of additional viewers. In fact, one could make the argument that it would actually be cheaper for those stations to pay for your subscription to cable TV than it would be to buy new transmitters for each station.

The Federal Communications Commission, which is the brainchild behind DTV and HDTV regulation, currently has no plans to force LPTV broadcasters to switch to DTV. Therefore, after February 29th, 2009, almost half of TV stations in Humboldt County will actually continue to broadcast in standard analog with no announced plans to switch to digital at all. In fact, Humboldt County will likely be one of the few communities in the United States with nearly as many local channels broadcasting in analog as digital after 2008.

With the majority of those who watch television in Humboldt County either subscribing to cable or satellite television, it would seem that the transition to DTV will have less of an impact in Humboldt County than possibly any other location in the U.S. When you take into consideration the fact that NO local channels have announced plans to broadcast in HDTV, it would seem that little change will be noticed in our area come February 2009.

ETG currently owns the vast majority of television stations in the Eureka, California market. These include KVIQ Channel 6 – a CBS affiliate, KBVU FOX-29 – a FOX Television Network affiliate, KUVU – the local CW affiliate and KEMY – a low-power station broadcasting material from the “MYTV” network.

In a nutshell, there are no TV stations in the Eureka, CA, market that are uplinked to, or available from, DirecTV or DISH Network. These are the only two companies legally allowed to offer network satellite television services to consumers in the United States. ETV will NOT grant satellite viewers waivers in order to receive network programming from other stations. So, if you live just about anywhere in Humboldt County where cable television or a broadcast signal is not available, you will likely not be able to view any type of broadcast network programming (legally).

For those of you who happen to live in “wired” areas of Humboldt County, SuddenLink Communications offers all local Over The Air TV channels (albeit in analog, with no plans for HDTV on their basic tier) for approximately $15 per month. SuddenLink is the only major cable television provider in Humboldt County, and covers most areas in and around the cities of Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, Rio Dell, McKinleyville and a number of smaller, unincorporated areas. The majority of residents in Humboldt County have access to cable, since the majority live in and around the county’s major population centers. However, this is not to say that cable TV is available in most of the area of Humboldt County in a geographic sense. Travel more than 500 feet from any major road or street, and there is a 99% chance that cable television will be completely unavailable to you.

Broadcast availability is another matter altogether. This is largely dependent upon how far you are from the TV station’s broadcast transmitter, terrain and what type of equipment you are using for reception. The vast majority of Humboldt County falls into what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) describes as a “Grade B Contour Area”. Generally speaking, this is defined as an area where a “watchable” signal should be available using an outdoor TV antenna placed at a height of 30′ above the ground.

Like most TV and FM stations in Humboldt County, ETG’s stations broadcast their signals from a transmitter facility atop Kneeland Mountain, which overlooks Eureka, Arcata and the more populated areas of Northern Humboldt County. The further away you are from Kneeland, the weaker your signal will be, generally speaking. When it comes to UHF and HDTV or digital television signals, you will most likely need line-of-sight in order to actually get a watchable signal. This is even more important when talking about low-power television (LPTV) stations, which 3 of ETG’s stations happen to be.

Having installed antennas in many parts of Humboldt County, I can say from experience that the FCC’s entire “Grade B Contour” requirement is entirely inadequate when it comes to checking for signal availability. These charts are generated by engineers using computers to determine where a signal should be available, but fails to take into account quite a number of variables that are detrimental to receiving a signal. Having a line-of-sight view of the transmitter tower on Kneeland, along with an adequate antenna system, is the only way to assure that you will have a watchable picture.

ETG’s signal coverage maps give at least a rough estimate of whether a TV signal will even be possible to receive in your area, so I highly recommend taking a look at them before spending any money on an antenna system.

Date: Thu, May 22, 2008 3:23 pm
To: tom@teletruth.org
Subject: “A View from the Digital Divide DTV Front”

I’m not really sure how to address the issues in the article, so I’ll just try making a few points and suggestions below. Many, if not most, of these points would not be understood by the average consumer, but that’s another matter:

Mistake #1 - Buying a converter at Best Buy. You are far better off buying online or via mail order from a company that specializes in broadcast or Over The Air (OTA) antennas than purchasing one art a mass market retailer like Best Buy. Probably the best place you can shop is at solidsignal.com . They have a wide range of boxes, many of which are cheaper than the one you purchased in the article. They also have excellent customer service and can make some useful suggestions by phone. You can also compare a number of boxes on websites such as amazon.com as well.

Mistake #2 - Listening to a salesperson at Radio Shack. Let’s face it, if someone really knew a lot about local broadcasting, they probably wouldn’t be working at Radio Shack to begin with. The suggestion for you to buy an in-line amplifier to solve your problem of lack of signal strength was just plain stupid. Radio Shack is no place to look for expert advice.

Mistake #3 - Looking for antenna installers. If you couldn’t find a few hundred antenna installers in the state of New Jersey, you were definitely looking in the wrong place. If you are going to use the Yellow Pages, try looking under “satellite television”. The satellite installers that have been around for a long time also commonly install broadcast reception antennas as well. They just don’t want to spend the money on advertising to the small audience that buys OTA antennas. In particular, look for a dealer that does more than just DirecTV or DISH Network only. The dealers that install C-Band dishes and do commercial installs are your best bet. They will know the inside scoop on your local broadcasters better than anyone at Radio Shack.

Mistake #4 - $300 for an outdoor antenna??? I’m not sure what antenna you bought, but if you are doing a self-installation it should not cost anywhere near that much. I bought my own OTA antenna from solidsignal.com and paid around $75. That antenna is longer than I am tall and provides far better reception than most people would ever need. Unless you are running more than 100′+ of coaxial cable, you shouldn’t need an amp and the rest of the costs (cable, connectors) are pretty minimal. It might be cheaper to figure out EXACTLY how much cable you need, then buy it by the foot at a local hardware store, rather than buying a whole spool or a 100′ length with the connectors already crimped on.

Mistake #5 - Assuming that the signal you get today is similar to the one you will get after analog broadcasting is phased out. The fact is, very few people are actually watching their TV via digital Over The Air broadcasts right now. Most of them are still tuning in the analog channels or get their signal from the cable TV company or by satellite. The broadcasters know this. Since many broadcasters are still “toying” with HDTV, quite a number of them are only broadcasting a digital signal on limited schedules or are using limited transmitter power to save money on electricity at the moment. After all, if they are simulcasting both digital and analog signals at the same time using the same amount of power they are having to pay DOUBLE the electric bill, which is a big concern for many small stations. I think you’ll find that once the old analog signals go away, you will see broadcasters start firing up their transmitters at full power. It makes quite a difference when a broadcaster goes from a minimal 50 Watts to a full 200,000 Watts.

Mistake #6 - Expecting to get the same number of channels that are on analog. I’m sure that there are quite a number of low-power (LPTV) channels that will never make the conversion to digital, because they simply can’t afford transmitters at this point. Quite a number of other stations simply don’t have their digital systems set up yet, or are only broadcasting on a limited basis. Quite a few of them will likely wait right up until the last minute to make the transition. Until then, you should still be able to receive them on analog. Bottom line… Don’t take “overlap” of analog and digital for granted! Expect one or the other, but don’t expect to get a perfect signal from both. After all, it’s not like you are actually going to watch BOTH the analog and digital version of the same channel.

Mistake #7 - Forgetting the past. People these days quite simply take getting a decent TV signal with little or nothing for an antenna for granted. It wasn’t always that way, nor was it ever intended to be that easy to get a picture. In the early years of TV broadcasting, an outdoor antenna was almost always required, but people weren’t complaining about it back then. The only reason that it is so easy to get a signal with “rabbit ears” these days is because the shift from TV receivers using tubes to solid-state technology has made pulling-in a watchable picture infinitely easier. Solid-state amplifiers are much more sensitive and produce much less “noise” than vacuum tubes. If you tried plugging-in a circa 1940′s TV set in the same location you are in right now with rabbit ears, you wouldn’t get any picture at all. If anything, it cost far MORE to buy a TV and antenna (when you take inflation into account) back in the “old days” than it does today. Broadcasters are already pumping out signals using hundreds of thousands of watts of power. It’s the consumer’s job to turn it into a watchable picture. TV was not initially designed to be that easy to pick up. Older Americans would probably be the first to remember this. To be honest, today’s generation has been rather spoiled after growing up with cable TV or satellite television. Over The Air reception will never compete with those technologies when it comes to how easy it is to get a “perfect” picture.

Mistake #8 - FCC testing of HDTV converter boxes. ALL boxes sold in the U.S. have to be granted FCC type acceptance prior to being imported into the country or sold. Some companies have gone through the additional steps of getting their products “certified” for use with the coupon program as well. As for “practical” testing, there really is no need for it. Nothing that happens in the world of broadcasting is anything more than a matter of math. An engineer can tell you exactly what signal level to expect at a specific location well prior to hitting the transmit switch. Most products these days are only “simulated” before going into mass production. Even airplanes. The FCC has already “done the math” on the issue and broadcast engineers have already calculated the specs each broadcaster would need to get the same coverage as they had previously and what specs receivers would have to meet in order to receive them. There is no guess work going on here. It is simple math.

Mistake #9 - I wouldn’t exactly call this a mistake, but more of a reality check. All electronics products eventually become obsolete. Some sooner than others. Just ask anyone who has owned a Betamax (or any VCR, for that matter), video disc player, CD mini-disc player, Digital Audio Tape players, 8-Tracks, cassette players, 78 RPM record players, Windows 95 or any number of other examples. Some products far, far more expensive than portable television sets have been pulled from the market after as little as a few months in the past. How about all of the people that rushed out at bought non Blu-Ray HD-DVD players are getting their money back? TV sets purchased in the late 1930′s still work today (albeit in black and white). I’d say that most of these people have gotten their money’s worth by now.

Let’s not forget that the broadcasters themselves are being forced to shell out millions of dollars on new equipment, and that the FCC has pushed back the final switchover date on HDTV numerous, numerous times in the past at their request. It’s either now or never. The rest of the world is passing us by. The previous delays have already led to our version of HDTV being a half-baked solution compared to newer technology. Let’s just get on with it. I hope you find some of this info useful.

HDTV Is On The Way

HDTV and DTV service is coming soon to a television set near you, even if you live in Humboldt County. In February of 2009, most broadcasters across the county will be changing the frequencies that they currently broadcast at and start transmitting their signals in an all-digital format called DTV (Digital Television). The only over-the-air analog TV signals remaining will be that of Low-Power Television (LPTV) stations.

U.S. Government To The Rescue?

Many would argue that the Federal Government seems to be helping its citizens adjust to digital television in much the same manner as it helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Too little, too late. Few people seem to know what the transition to DTV will mean, or how it will affect them.

For those of you who do not have HDTV-ready television sets, the federal government has coupons for you. That’s right, every household in the United States is eligible to receive up to two (2) coupons good for $40 each towards the purchase of a government-approved “CECB” converter box. This box will allow you watch digital TV (DTV) signals on older, analog TV sets. Think of this as a bonus on top of your IRS “economic stimulus” check. Unfortunately, all of the CECB receivers we have found currently retail for $50 and up. It is highly questionable whether these converters will ever reach the $40 mark, making them free to consumers.

You can receive your coupons via mail from a program run by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Why the program is not administered by the Federal Communications Commission, I have no clue. In any event, you can apply to receive your coupons online at the website address: https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx , or call 1-800-DTV-2009 to get the forms mailed to you.

Once having filled out the form, you will be placed on a waiting list to receive your coupons. You will have less than 90 days to make use of the coupons once you receive them. Locally, you should be able to buy one of these CECB converters at Radio Shack, if they are in stock. I have even seen them sold at Walgreen’s in Fortuna recently. If you want to purchase a box over the Internet, the situation is a bit more muddled, since most online checkout systems have absolutely no clue as to how to handle discounts from a government coupon. You can currently find many units available on Amazon.Com though.

What Will Happen

If you are a cable television subscriber, you will not need a new converter in order to watch channels on cable, before or after February 2009. Most cable channels are already transmitted in a proprietary digital format that can only be decoded by their own cable converters. If you already have a cable converter that is leased or sold to you by your cable company, that should be all you need. On some cable systems, channels on “basic” tiers will continue to be transmitted to subscribers in the pre-2009 (NTSC) analog format. If a local station switches to digital, the cable company may decide to “downconvert” the station’s digital (DTV) into analog, which would allow you to continue receiving local channels without a DTV converter box. That decision is up to your local cable television provider though.

If you subscribe to television service via satellite (i.e. DirecTV or DISH Network) you will not need a new converter to watch HD signals, because satellite broadcasters also use their own type of proprietary digital format. The DTV switchover should not affect you at all.

If you receive TV broadcasts via “rabbit ears”, an outdoor antenna, an antenna built-in to your television set or even just a coat hanger, you WILL need a CECB converter box in order to watch most local television stations after February 2009. If you already have an HDTV-Ready television set, it already has a digital tuner built-in. No converter should be necessary in that case. Almost all plasma and LCD flat screen TV sets sold in the past two years have digital tuners built-in. You will only need a converter if you have an older set that only tunes-in analog TV signals.

DTV VS. HDTV

So, what is the difference between DTV and HDTV? All full-power (non-LPTV) broadcasters will be switching to DTV in February 2009. DTV simply stands for Digital Television. It produces a picture that is arguably equal in quality to a traditional analog TV signal, which is what most broadcasters currently use.

On the other hand, High Definition Television (HDTV) is unlikely to be used by the majority of broadcasters for some time to come. It produces a much higher quality picture than traditional analog or standard DTV broadcasts. However, it is still a very expensive broadcast technology to deploy, and few stations will be switching to it in the near term. All television stations that broadcast HDTV signals will be doing so via a digital signal (DTV). However, few who broadcast in DTV will have HDTV. Clear as mud?

What You See…

You will NOT be able to see the “High Definition” version of DTV broadcasts (if HDTV is broadcast locally) any more than you would be able to listen to a stereo TV broadcast with a TV that has only one speaker, or a color broadcast with a black-and-white TV, even if you have a converter box. Only HDTV ready televisions are capable of displaying the higher definition picture.

The CECB converter boxes will at least allow you watch DTV programming in standard resolution after the old VHF and UHF analog channels have switched to digital in 2009 though, and you will be able to use them to receive most local TV stations in Humboldt County right away. Keep in mind, these converters are only meant to pick up OVER-THE-AIR, local broadcasts. So, you will still need an external antenna of some type to pick up a signal. If you are not currently within range of analog TV reception, a converter will not likely be of much use to you.

Recent Experimentation

I currently use a standard HDTV set at my home in Eureka and receive most of the local stations in DTV using a fairly large, outdoor, mast-mounted UHF Yagi antenna. I can’t say as I am all that impressed with the type of signal that I receive from most local broadcasters, but it is a better picture than I could get on many of the older analog simulcasts. My house actually resides BELOW sea level, so I am probably lucky to get any signal at all.

Unlike with analog broadcasts, DTV is an “all-or-nothing” type of proposition. You will either get a perfect signal, or none at all. In that regards, it is much like satellite television. Gone will be the days of watching TV in fringe areas with weak reception. You will either get a signal, or you won’t. Occasionally, you may see the signal fading in quality due to weather conditions. When this happens, you will typically start to see what is called pixelation on the screen. This may be followed by the screen “freezing” on a single frame, or going black altogether.

This “all-or-nothing” DTV quality has its obvious downsides, but in most cases much can be done to improve the chances of receiving a signal just good enough to keep the tuner “locked” on a channel. By far, the best investment you can make is in a high-gain, directional, outdoor UHF TV antenna. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Generally speaking though, the bigger, the better. A 10′ long “ugly” rooftop antenna will always outperform a “cute” looking circular antenna or pair of rabbit ears.

What Type of Antenna?

First of all, I highly advise you NOT to buy any antenna that is small enough to set on top of your TV set, even if it has an amplifier built into it. The whole concept of adding an amplifier to an antenna that is only inches away from your TV set makes little sense. While the signal of the DTV stations may be increased by the amplifier, so will any background noise or interference. To make matters worse, indoor antennas suffer from what is called “multipath”. Indoors, a TV signal will bounce off walls, doors and other objects much the same as light will bounce off a mirror. Unfortunately, DTV does not handle multipath situations very well. You will be infinitely better off with an outdoor antenna that has a line-of-sight view of the station’s transmitter.

So, what will you need in order to set up a proper antenna for DTV reception? The materials are much the same as are used when installing a home satellite dish. The majority of the cost will be in the antenna itself.

Most high-quality, directional, outdoor antennas are referred to as Yagi antennas. The name came from the designer of the original antenna concept. These antennas will give you the most DTV bang for your buck. The outdoor antenna should be connected to your television or converter box via high-quality RG-6 coaxial cable, which is the same cabling used in satellite and most cable television installations. Each end of the cable must be fitted with “F” connectors, which are available from any hardware store. You can usually buy coaxial cable with F connectors already fitted to each end in 25′ lengths.

You will also need an antenna mast. These can typically be found at Radio Shack or at local hardware stores. They usually come in heights of 6′ and 10′. You may be able to save a few bucks by substituting metal pipe for an antenna mast. In that case, look for pipe that has around a 1.5″ outside diameter.

Lastly, you will need some type of mounting bracket. There are numerous types of mounting brackets for antenna masts, depending what you plan to mount the mast on. There are mounting brackets specially designed to affix your mast to a chimney, among other things. Typically, you will be mounting the antenna on the side of a house though. These brackets are easy to find online and locally at places like Radio Shack.

If you have to run at least 75′ of cable between your antenna and DTV receiver, it might be a good investment to purchase a mast mounted pre-amplifier. The best place to amplify a signal is as close to the antenna itself as possible. The closer to the receiver an amplifier is located, the less good it will do you. If you are unsure of whether you will need a pre-amp, you can always buy one after installing the antenna, later on. They are relatively simple to install and will mount on the mast directly below the antenna itself. Your money will be best spent investing in as big an antenna as possible first though. Only if you still can not get a watchable signal should you then consider adding a pre-amp.

One other option that you may want to consider if you are in a very “fringe” DTV area is an antenna rotor. What does it do? To put it simply, an antenna rotor allows you to rotate your outdoor DTV antenna at a 360 degree angle without having to go outside and move it manually. While the majority of television broadcasters in the area transmit their signal from somewhere high atop Kneeland Mountain, there are stations like KIEM-TV that place their main transmitter and low-power translators in alternative locations. It might be necessary in some cases to change the direction your antenna is pointing in to get a decent signal from each station. A good quality rotor is a significant investment, so you will definitely want to see if you can get decent reception without using one at first. Most rotors these days come with a wireless remote that will store the position of your favorite channels in memory. If you are unsure of what type of antenna rotor you will need for your particular installation, it is best to ask a professional. As is the case with most antennas, the bigger, the better. An underpowered or cheap-o rotor is the part of your system that is most likely to break-down first, especially if you live in an area with high winds.

What NOT To Buy

If you rely solely upon advice from a salesperson at a local electronics store, you are bound to be disappointed with what you have paid for. The majority of salespeople have never installed an antenna, and most are paid a higher commission for selling you the most expensive solution possible, NOT the BEST solution possible. If you need advice, go to a website or shop locally with a dealer that specializes in selling Over The Air antennas. If you can’t find one, look for dealers or installers that handle satellite television equipment. Many of the older satellite dealers have extensive experience in installing Over The Air antennas.

Some items that you should definitely steer clear of are things such as worthless gold-plated connectors and accessories. None of these will improve your signal significantly. In fact, most brands only use gold plating for the ground portion of the connector, which doesn’t even carry the signal! These overpriced items exist for one reason only. To sucker people out of their money. If you meet a salesperson claiming that anything gold-plated will improve your signal, don’t walk away… RUN!

Another nearly worthless contraption is the small, indoor antenna that is shaped like a satellite dish. You will be no better off with these than with a 99 cent pair of “rabbit ears”. Like gold-plated connectors, these things are for cosmetic purposes only. The “dish” portion of the antenna serves absolutely no functional purpose whatsoever.

You should also avoid in-line amplifiers on short runs of cable (i.e. 75′ or less). Line amplifiers are only meant to help in conditions where there is a significant loss of signal between the antenna and the receiver. Unless your antenna is a very long distance away from the receiver, a line amp is not going to do you much (if any) good. It might even make the picture worse.

“Flat antennas”, circular antennas and omnidirectional antennas will only work well in limited situations, where you are very close to a TV station’s transmitter. A traditional, directional antenna will always outperform these, and usually at a lower price. The bigger and uglier the antenna, the more likely it is to work well. The less something looks like an antenna, the less it tends to perform like an antenna. The only situation where I would recommend these types of antennas are in situations where zoning restrictions do not allow you to erect a real antenna, or if you live in an apartment building.

“House wiring” antennas are also just a gimmick. They claim to use your home’s electrical wiring as an antenna for television reception. There are many, many reasons why these devices do not work as advertised. They might sound good in theory to the average consumer, but anyone who knows anything about antennas knows that you would be better off just using a coat hanger and saving your money.

Snap-On F connectors are completely inferior to threaded, crimped on F connectors. Avoid any cable with connectors that are not threaded. Similarly, you should avoid bargain-brand RG-6 coaxial cable if you want good reception. Good quality coaxial cable is the second most important part of any antenna system, next to the antenna. Belden makes quality cable. That brand is usually a safe bet. The more shielding coaxial cable has, the better. Typically, high-quality RG-6 coaxial cable will feel a bit “stiff” and you will have a difficult time bending it at a 90 degree angle. Never use cable that has a “floppy” or “rubbery” quality to it, or that appears smaller in diameter to other RG-6 cable. Do NOT use RG-59 or other types of coaxial cable that are cheaper, but inferior in design.

How To Get HD On Your HDTV

So, you’ve spent a lot of money on a fancy, new flat panel, HDTV ready TV set. The picture may have looked great when you saw it in the store at Costco, but it looks lousy in your living room. What’s the deal? First of all, you can bet that the picture you were watching at the store was from either satellite or a Blu-Ray DVD player. If you want the best picture you can possibly see on your HDTV set, you will need to buy a Blu-Ray DVD player or a Playstation III console that has one built in to it. At the moment, these players are still rather pricey. Eventually, they will replace most home DVD players. For the moment though, you will have to shell out some serious cash for both a player and the limited number of discs that are available for it.

If you thought that you might be able to get an HDTV signal over the air for free with an antenna, you are in for a long wait. No local broadcasters have yet announced plans to offer their signals in HDTV. They are not required to do so by law, and it will likely be years before any stations are broadcasting in high definition.

So, what are your alternatives? Right now, cable and satellite subscription services are your only real options. The local cable company in most of Humboldt County is SuddenLink Communications. They claim to currently have up to 21 channels available in HD. Pricing for their services are not published, so we can’t give you an apples vs apples comparison to satellite TV providers whom openly advertise their subscription rates.

The United States currently has two DBS satellite providers who offer service to consumers via small, pizza sized antennas. They are DirecTV and DISH Network. Currently, DirecTV has the most HDTV channels and programming available. When comparing the two side-by-side, DirecTV is definitely the leader when it comes to the number of channels available, number of sports packages available and in receiver technology. DISH Network mainly advertises themselves as an alternative to cable and is a bit more competitive on price.

Little Known Alternatives

There are a few sources of HDTV programming that the majority of the public is totally unaware of. They are usually more expensive than cable or standard DBS service, but are worth considering if you can afford it.

The first alternative is a C-Band satellite system with a 4DTV receiver. C-Band satellites operate on different frequencies than that of DBS providers. These were the first satellite systems available to home users, and generally require a dish antenna that is at least 6′ wide. In Humboldt County, which has marginal reception of most U.S. satellites, I would not recommend anything smaller than a 9′ dish. Next to Blu-Ray, the HDTV picture you will get with C-Band 4DTV programming is the best you can find. Programming packages are much more flexible than with DBS providers and subscription services are the cheapest you will find anywhere. The trade-off is the expense involved in setting up a C-Band system and the amount of space it will take-up in your yard. Expect to spend in the neighborhood of $1,500 or more to have such a system installed. This is definitely NOT a “do-it-yourself” type of project if you are unfamiliar with how these systems work. The biggest upside with these systems is the fact that you can get a lot of programming “in the clear”, which means free and unscrambled, that is quite simply unavailable anywhere else. With the proper hardware you can pull-in hundreds of TV channels and radio stations across North America and even some from Central America. A C-Band system is the ultimate in home entertainment. No cable or DBS system in the world provides as much programming as is available using a “Big Ugly Dish”. Still, only a small percentage of it is currently broadcast in HD.

Another alternative that is well beyond the reach of most consumers is the unadvertised DirecTV Titanium package. For $7,500 a year, you get every single channel that DirecTV broadcasts. This includes all HDTV channels, all pay-per-view movies and events, all local network affiliates… everything. I can’t imagine anywhere else that you could possibly get more HD programming from. It certainly isn’t cheap though.

Lastly, the most obscure programming source for HD comes from our neighbors to the North… Canada. There is a little-known “grey market” in satellite television programming that involves StarChoice, which is a DBS programmer that is only legally allowed to sell it’s services in Canada. StarChoice is one of two DBS providers that serve Canada. Neither DirecTV nor DISH Networks are legally allowed to be sold there, so Canada has it’s own version of DBS. Many of the channels on StarChoice are just American cable channels and broadcast networks, much as you would get from a U.S. satellite or cable provider. However, there are a number of exclusively Canadian channels on StarChoice as well. You can also receive the U.S. broadcast networks in both Eastern time AND Pacific time. The number of HD channels is currently limited, but growing. So, what’s the catch? The catch is… you can’t “legally” buy the programming in the U.S. However, there is at least one company that will act as a “broker” and resell you the service for a yearly fee. They take care of all the billing, and provide StarChoice with a phony Canadian address and contact name in order to get your service authorized. The company is able to do this through a loophole in current international law. While being technically a copyright violation, you are still paying for the programming, so shutting down these types of services is not a big priority for law enforcement and I’ve never heard of anyone being prosecuted for such a “crime”. Still, it involves some amount of risk. Try searching Google for more information on these services. You will be amazed at the amount of original programming you can get for a rather modest price.