DTV (Digitial Television) Conversion: Where to Get Help

Like countless other Americans across the country, we thought we were ready for the conversion from analog TV to Digital. At the end of 2008, when our old TV sets lights dimmed and refused to brighten again, after a minute of silence in memory for our 10 year old faithful friend we put it to rest; we began to plan on finding a new faithful 'friend'.

When looking for a TV, our thoughts naturally turned towards getting a DTV. Why would we want to mess with an analog one that would be outdated with the switch? Just to stay on the safe side we bought an antenna to go with our new DTV. Yes, we are one of few, the mighty, and the cheap hold outs that refuse to pay for cable TV.

When our local stations tested to see if digital worked, we got the channels. We've enjoyed great reception for three DTV channels since about January. However, that has now changed. Oh, yes we still get those channels and several more. However, our favorite channels are not among them. Wondering if there was something wrong with the set, I shook the darn thing. Nothing happened. Having watched my father fix our TV so many years ago with a good fist to the right side of the set, I tried that too. It was to no avail. The only thing that happened was I got a sore fist. Since DTV is a 'new fangled contraption', perhaps a new fangled answer is what is needed.

So I hopped onto the net and this is what I discovered. Folks, this one should go into the book of 'Ripley's Believe It or Not', the government in its great wisdom, anticipated failure of the system. Go figure! Not only did they anticipate problems but they offer up possible solutions. Obviously there has been a change in our government recently. The is a website for problems with DTV is this: http://www.dtv.gov/ . On the site, you can plug in your zip code and find out what stations you should be receiving

While on the DTV website, I was surprised to find that the FCC has contracted with companies throughout the country to help with the transition. Here is a quote from the website:"FCC DTV Contractors - What You Need to Know

In preparation for the end of analog broadcasting for full-power TV stations on June 12, 2009, the FCC has contracted with vendors to provide DTV assistance for consumers in need. FCC contractors are hosting walk-in DTV help centers and clinics and are providing in-home DTV converter box installation assistance in communities throughout the country. You should be aware of the services FCC contractors are providing, and what to expect if you visit a walk-in center or clinic or schedule an in-home converter box installation. Learn More"

As for me and my TV set, I do not think I will bother trying to fix anything. The more I thought about it the more I like the idea of getting fewer channels. Americans, in general, watch far too much TV.

I'd rather live my life than watch a bunch of people on TV living theirs. If I want to watch something, there is always hulu.com, tv.com and joost.com. If that isn't enough, 24 hours after episodes have been aired both abc.com and cbc.com have shows up on the net.