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WSIU Public Television Will Complete the Transition to Digital On Thursday, January 29, 2009

At 11pm on Tuesday, January 27th, WSIU TV 8 Carbondale will cease regular programming.
Viewers will see information pertaining to converting their old television sets to receive digital signals and other helpful information.

At 10am on Thursday, January 29, WSIU TV 8 Carbondale will cease broadcasting analog television broadcasting.
For the past few years, WSIU and WUSI, like all television broadcasters across the United States, have run analog and a digital transmitters simultaneously. Now that the government-mandated transition is complete, it is time to say goodbye to analog!

Our newer digital television broadcast transmitters are more efficient and can carry multiple channels. If you already have a digital TV or set-top converter box, you’re probably enjoying our multiple channels. Our HD channel 8.1 provides the best high-definition programs that PBS has to offer. Channel 8.3 provides “Create,” a service from American Public Television offering “how-to” programs around-the-clock. Finally, our main WSIU and WUSI channel, 8.2, is delivered to you with improved digital clarity.

Attention, WSIU Over-the-Air (OTA) Analog Viewers

If you are not a cable or satellite subscriber and watch WSIU on an analog television set using an antenna, you must take the following actions now in order to continue watching WSIU Television after January 29.

1. Purchase a digital converter set-top box for your analog television or buy a new digital television. Converter boxes are available at most retail outlets for between $40-70. To offset the cost, the federal government is providing two $40 coupons per household. In order to receive your coupons before the transition, you must apply now at www.dtv2009.gov or 1-888-DTV-2009.

2. Check your antenna status. If you currently receive a good WSIU or WUSI analog signal with your set-top or rooftop antenna, your DTV reception should be OK. Contact us at (618) 453-6156 if you are not receiving WSIU after installing your converter box or after installing a new digital TV.

The FCC has some helpful consumer facts related to antennas, digital television and solving reception problems.

Important information about your antenna! To improve our signal coverage, WSIU TV digital is moving broadcasts from the UHF to the VHF frequency band. After February 3, 2009, you will need a VHF antenna to view WSIU TV 8 digital channels. WUSI TV digital channels 16.1, 16.2, and 16.3 are currently and will remain on the UHF band. If you currently receive
WUSI digital television, you do not need to do anything after February 3.

Not sure if your antenna is adequate? Visit AntennaWeb online at www.antennaweb.org to determine the antenna you will require. Or, call WSIU for assistance at (618) 453-6156.

Why is WSIU Going Digital Only?

In the mid-1990s, Congress and the Federal Communications Commision determined that all full-power broadcast stations must transition to digital-only television (DTV) broadcasting. In 2006, Congress set February 17, 2009 as the official date when analog broadcasting will cease.

This transition was mandated for two reasons: DTV is a more efficient transmission technology, offering crystal-clear pictures and sound, as well as the option to offer high-definition broadcasts and multiple channel streams; It will release valuable analog radio frequency spectrum for vital emergency wireless and mobile telephone services.

Analog television has been serving us well since July 1, 1941, but unfortunately, it is now time to say good bye!

What is the Cliff Effect?

Digital television, like all newer wireless digital communications systems, can suffer from a malady known as the “Digital Cliff.” If you have a digital TV, you’ve probably experienced this effect! You may switch on your television one day and see a perfect picture. A few hours later and without warning, the picture may be very badly distorted or disappear altogether.

The Cliff Effect may be best explained this way: analog television’s gradual degradation (that is, the farther from the analog transmitter you go, the worse the picture gets) is a result of the weaker analog signal being overcome by atmospheric noise or even electronic noise in the television’s circuitry. A noisy or “snowy” picture may be annoying, but it still can be watched.

Digital television, by its nature of conveying a picture by a series of numbers or “digits,” can send extra information or numbers along with the broadcast to ensure the picture’s clarity. This means that even if the signal is weak or noise interferes with reception, the extra information can correct the errors to ensure a perfect picture. However, the corrections can only work up to a certain point. When there are too many errors, the error correction system will break down and the picture will disappear. It is hard to tell how close you are to the digital cliff without falling off!

Most new digital TV sets and set-top converter boxes feature a built-in signal quality meter display, which let you know if you are sufficiently far enough away from falling over the digital cliff. Be sure to read the instructions provided with your digital TV receiver or set-top converter box, which will explain how to use the meter to maximize your received signal and identify the best position for your antenna.

How to Install a Digital-to-Analog Converter Box

Step 1: Unplug the existing coaxial antenna wire from your TV “Antenna In (RF)” port.

Step 2: Plug the existing coaxial wire into the “Antenna In (RF)” port on your Converter Box.

Step 3: Using the coaxial wire that comes with your Converter Box, plug one end into the “Out To TV (RF)” port on the Converter Box. Plug the other end into the “Antenna In (RF)” port on your TV.

Step 4: Plug the power cords on your Converter Box and TV into a power outlet, and turn on your TV and Converter Box. Using the instructions that come with your Converter Box, tune your TV to channel 3 or 4. Using the remote that comes with your Converter Box, follow the on-screen set-up guide to scan for available DTV channels, and begin enjoying the benefits of digital television!

If you experience any problems in setting up your DTV converter box, contact us at (618) 453-6156.

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Hailing from the basement of the Communications Building on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale - this is the blog of WSIU Public Brodcasting