Jun 12, 2009 5:04 am US/Central
The DTV Switch: Are You Ready?
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
After years of waiting, TV is going digital today. And that means your TV needs to be ready. But just having the hardware isn't enough. Even though people have known about the switch for some time, CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports that not everyone is ready.
That's why CBS 2 is getting ready to answer all your questions. Later this morning, we will have staff members on hand at the phone lines standing by ready to talk to viewers. We expect a lot of phone calls because according to government reports, about 75,000 people in the Chicago area need help.
The historic move from analog to digital was supposed to take place back in February, but Congress pushed it back to give people more time to get prepared. Still, about 2 million houses across the country are waking up to static on many stations.
So officials have been issuing reminders.
"You do need an antenna if you want to get broadcast TV," said Patrick Weber of FCC.
On Thursday, some consumers admitted they were not quite ready for the digital switch.
"It's been daunting. We're trying but I'm back here again to ask questions because it didn't work like it was supposed to," said consumer Kandalyn Hahn.
"It" refers to the converter box you have to hook up to a TV with antennas. That's the only way you'll be able to watch your favorite programs. But connecting the box is just one step in the process. After the switch, even with your box connected, you still may not see a picture.
It could be black, blue or gray, but it'll say 'No Signal.' This means you need to rescan your TV or your converter box.
"Doing a scan is relatively simple," Weber said.
First, press the Menu button. Then scroll to the feature that says Channel Scan or Auto Scan.
"Once you see that highlighted, you press the Enter button or the OK button, and that digital device will start doing a channel scan automatically," Weber said.
The scanning bar will start to move which means the box is locking in all your channels.
But, and this is important, the FCC says each TV station will be switching at different times throughout the day, so you'll need to rescan several times.
"You should do one mid-morning, another one around noon, and then afternoon and then before you go to bed at night. So it's a good idea to do it a few times," Weber said. "And then into the future, once they're done with analog broadcasting and concentrate on their digital signals, they may be doing some things to fine-tune their signals. You may actually find in the future, it's coming in better, it's coming in clearer. So it's a good idea to rescan periodically for the next couple of months to make sure you're getting all of the channels that are available to you."
CBS 2 is going to make the switch to digital TV Friday at noon. So again, when you see the blank screen, you have to rescan. But don't do it before noon.
Also, Comcast customers who were receiving CBS 2 on Channel 22 will now find us back on Channel 2.
If you have any problems, call our DTV hotline at (312) 899-2800.
Or
click here to get answers to frequently asked questions, including instructions on installing the converter box.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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