Howard Helps Viewer Convert To DTV
How one viewer's attempt to stay connected came up short
Mary Ann Story has lived all her life on East 14th Street and has survived just fine getting TV reception from a regular TV antenna. Mary Ann is disabled and lives alone, so five times a week a home healthcare worker comes over and helps her in the apartment and getting up and down the stairs. But most of the time Mary Ann is by herself and depends on her TV to stay in touch with the outside world.
When she heard that TV stations were switching over to the digital system, Mary Ann bought a new converter and hooked it up last Friday. But when the switch-over happened, she began having trouble getting all of the stations. Some came in fine, but others did not, including Channel 11, so first Mary Ann called the FCC hotline for help. They told her that she was in a weak area and would need to buy a special antenna to improve her TV picture.
Unfortunately because Mary Ann is on a fixed income, she wouldn't be able to afford to buy an antenna for several weeks. She then called the WPIX DTV Call Center and told them about her dilemma. The Call Center got in touch with Help Me Howard and Howard was able to get Mary Ann the antenna she needed, thanks to Vic, the PIX Technician. He and Howard made a housecall to Mary Ann's home and installed it. Now Mary Ann's TV reception is just fine and she is watching all her favorite shows on Channel 11.
Comments: 22
getting an antenna that works in weak signal area may be hard, but install the converter box isn't. I can set one up in 10 minutes, given the right tools.
And often time a cheap antenna from 99 cents store can do the job, just make sure it can get UHF signal.
Channel 11 is a weak signal in several parts of NYC. I know people in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn who have problems with DTV converters getting WPIX. perhaps Howard could speak to his bosses about the problem. By the way, what's the WPIX DTV Call Center telephone number??
yes ,what about people like us who live 0o mi. away, who use to get 11,9,7,5,4&2 iwas told by yhe fcc you are not putting out enough signel.
The whole thing is a scam forcing people to pay for their TV. In the rain there is zero reception in parts of Brooklyn with a new TV and proper antenna. I can't understand why there is not more of an outcry of indignation
Dear at home senior
I have called that FCC number 3 times. :-(
Help please!
I live in the Bronx and I can’t get WPIX, ABC or PBS; I have tested 4 antennas on my new HDTV and I don’t get these channels with any of them, any suggestions? (the antennas I have tested are listed below)
1. TERK FDTV2 TV Flat Digital Antenna
2. TERK HDTVa Indoor High Definition TV Antenna
3. TERK TV-2 Indoor TV Antenna with Video Switch
4. Radio Shack HDTV Outdoor/Indoor Antenna
The problem is that 7,11 and 13 are vhf -dtv unlike the rest who are uhf. The FCC says that an attenuator may help to weaken the strong signals that are blocking the 3 vhf dtv stations.Does it really pay to buy a new tv if you are not sure it will pick up stations?Ask the engineers as to how much the signal was weakened by FCC mandate? The main solution is to give 7,11 and 13 uhf numbers.
DID ALL THEY SAID TO DO AFTER CONVERSION.....RESCAN BOX AND GET NEW ANTENNA. DID ALL THAT AND THEN DURING RESCANNING ALL CHANNELS TUNED IN, BUT CHANNEL 11 WAS TAKEN OUT COMPLETLY!!!! NOW WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO YOU GET IT BACK IN BOX? TRIED ALL ITEMS IN MENU FOR BOX BUT NO WAY TO REFRESH, ONLY FACTORY RESET BUT THEN YOU NEED "THEIR" CODE TO RESET BOX. WHY WAS THIS EVER PASSED INTO A LAW THAT YOU HAVE TO BE DIGITAL!!!!
I put a metal hanger between the 2 rabbit ears and rescanned. Channel 7 came back and now reception for 7 and 13. 11 has not yet returned. I will continue to try to rescan. Have you talked to the engineers? I believe they must have cut the power under DTV ( FCC mandated it). This DTV is a mess.I had 11 on the first scan in a different room. I have to watch the weather because I think it has something to do with it
Rescanned again and 11 returned.Used a flat antenna with amplifier and this morning the picture was ok.I think it has to do with the weather.First try to get the station on your listing and then try to fiddle with antennas.
I know channel 11 is losing a lot of viewer.. before 6/12/09 no problem now no channel 11 11/2 or 7/1 - 7/2 - or 7/3 channel 13's comes and goes... I think the problem is ur signal not ours....i want my channel with out high price cable.... PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM I NEED (WPIX 11) HELP ME HOWARD...
HELP!! I have the 3 older TV's and I am trying to convert the first one. I have the convert box hooked up. I bought a new Antenna (Radio Shack HDTV Outdoor/Indoor Antenna) because my original antenna was not picking up channels 2, 4, 7 and 11. Guess what... the new atenna isn't picking these channels up either. I receive channels 5 & 9 somewhat decently. They freeze & pixelate but usually will work. What can I do to get my local channels. I have scanned, rescanned and rescanned I don't know how many times. This is very frustrating. Everything was fine before the conversion. I have not really seen much TV since June 12. I miss my PIX News in the morning.
I can't afford to spend alot of money on this but I want to see my TV.
Any suggestions... I don't want a cable bill every month... Another expense!
HELP!! I'm trying to help my 86 year old father get channel 7,11,and 13.All other channels do come in. We got him the converter box and installed it and bought a new Antenna from Radio Shack because the old antenna wasn't picking up the channels. Same thing happened with the new atenna. WE have rescanned several times and nothing changes. He really misses watching Jeporady. Poor guy. Can you help with any suggestions. He lives in Van Nuys Ca.
HELP!! I'm trying to help my 86 year old father get channel 7,11,and 13.All other channels do come in. We got him the converter box and installed it and bought a new Antenna from Radio Shack because the old antenna wasn't picking up the channels. Same thing happened with the new atenna. WE have rescanned several times and nothing changes. He really misses watching Jeporady. Poor guy. Can you help with any suggestions. He lives in Van Nuys Ca.
We live in Brooklyn and were missing channels 11 & 13. We attached tin foil across the antenna's rabbit years, and now get 13 very well. Of 11, we get good picture, but no sound. Rescanning in good weather doesn't bring in sound.
Has anyone had and solved this problem? Something else we can hang off the antenna perhaps?
The problem looks very definitely to be caused by conversion to a VHF signal. I am using a Radio Shack amplified antenna and a Digital Stream converter box out here in New Jersey and had excellent results until June 12, when I lost channels 7, 11 & 13. I figured with the conversion there was no need for my VHF rabbit ears so I collapsed them to their shortest length. Dumb move. From searching other sites, I learned that rabbit ears are used to pick up VHF signals and guess who converted to VHF on June 12? Channels 7, 11 & 13. So I extended the ears to their full length and spread them apart and I have now have a beautiful signal on channels 7 & 11. 13 is still spotty, but I really don't want to mess with things just now!
Things are not much better on LI. I followed all instructions. I had people come check out my antenna and converter box connection. Everything is right. But, I only get 3 channels consistently and all 3 are ABC -- 7, the 7-LiveWell INFOMERCIAL station (which curiously is the ONLY station I get all the time) and 7-Weather. I occasionally get 11 and rarely PBS, which switches between 13 and 21.
I phoned the DTV.gov people. Very nice - they explained the NUMBER of reasons why it was happening and suggested I call my preferred stations and ask them when they are planning to increase power output. Wasn’t this conversion supposed to give “the public” better quality TV and more stations? Could it be that not all stations are in compliance with DTV mandates? The public is – but not the stations? Perhaps a phone campaign will help – call the stations demanding increased signal/power output.
Don’t we have enough problems staying afloat during this economy? Does the average citizen need the added burden of “purchasing paid programming or doing without TV?” Whose bright idea was this (mandated conversion) anyway? Somebody is making $$ on this and I am sure it is not the average citizen. Gotta love Washington! We need Howard in Washington.
Thank you Howard and WPIX.
Well the fact is the system is not working.
I`m using a high amplified RCA digital antenna that cost about 40 bucks and I miss channels 4,5,7,11,13,47.amog others.
And with the beautifull analogic I had those channels.(my old ear rabbit work a lot better)than this Digital Technology
Can Scan and Rescan the result is allways the same.
So it`s really this conversion for better or for worse???
I`m leaving the question for the Smarts that develop the system and Companies that Supply the Source.
Sorry forget to write that I live in Newark NJ
I live in Woodside, Queens and I still can't get channels 7,11,and 13. Since Labor Day Weekend, I've lost 5 and 9 as well. I have an RCA indoor/outdoor antenna I bought at Best Buy, with an excellent reception rating.
Yes, the problem definitely lies with the VHF channels but more than that the fact that no one addresses this issue, neither the FCC when you call them up or the televison stations themselves, goes to show that this is just an orchestrated effort to force people to switch to cable and pay for free on air television. I mean seriously, does no one care that many living in rural areas have lost all reception?? Or that many people, such as senior citizens live on fixed income and will not buy cable??? Does anyone get an uninterrupted signal, living in the city?? It's almost like because it doesn't affect the majority, this issue is not even addressed!!!
What is needed is for people to organize and protest to the FCC and hopefully advertisers will see all the potential consumers they are losing and push for some solution.
OK HOWARD AND WPIX, WE KNOW YOU'RE READING THIS, ANY CHANCE YOU COULD PUBLICLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE FOR ALL YOUR FORMER VIEWERS???
Why can't channel 11 , 7 and 13 go back to UHF signal??
i've tried 2 different antenna's but still no signal. I was receiving these channels clearly and strongly prior to the DTV transition. I do not understand why these channel signals had to change while 2,4, 5 were able to remain with UHF signals.
i live in rego park and can't get wpix either :(