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Are you ready? Digital TV tests tonight in O.C., L.A.

December 2nd, 2008, 9:59 am · 11 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress

TV channels going digital in 2009UPDATE, 4:11 p.m.: Wondering what you’ll see if you’re a cable customer? See below in bold.

Several TV channels viewable by Orange County residents will conduct a 2-minute test tonight to help viewers check to see if they are prepared for the nation’s transition to digital TV.

From 5:28 p.m.  to 5:30 p.m., Channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 18, 28, 30, 50, 52 and 58 will stop broadcasting an analog signal to simulate what TV life will be like after the Feb. 17, 2009 digital changeover deadline. Channel 9 will conduct the test from 9:28 to 9:30 p.m. A list of TV stations nationwide who are participating is available HERE.

Viewers will see an on-screen message informing them whether they are ready for digital or not. If they aren’t ready, they will be directed to www.dtv.gov, the government’s information site, plus a phone number where live calls will be taken.

Consumers who fail the test will need to get their TVs ready for digital or else be stuck with a useless box. They can either buy a digital TV or a digital converter box, or pay for cable, satellite or Internet-based TV service. The cheapest way to convert is to buy a digital converter box, which averages between $40 to $70. You can get up to two $40 coupons for converter boxes from the government at dtv2009.com.

Again, TV channels participating in 5:28 to 5:30 p.m. test tonight are:

  • KNTV-TV (NBC, Channel 1)
  • KCET-TV (PBS, Channel 28)
  • KCBS-TV (CBS, Channel 2)
  • KPXN-TV (ION, Channel 30)
  • KTLA-TV (CW, Channel 5)
  • KOCE-TV (PBS, Channel 50)
  • KCAL-TV (Ind., Channel 9) - at 9:28 to 9:30 p.m.
  • KLCS-TV (PBS, Channel 58)
  • KABC-TV (ABC, Channel 7)
  • KSCI-TV (IND, Channel 18)
  • KNBC-TV(NBC, Channel 4)
  • KVEA-TV(TELEMUNDO, Channel 52)

**UPDATE: 4:11 p.m.** For reader Barry who asked what will cable TV users see tonight, Time Warner Cable says you should pass the test. However, for a small minority of analog cable users, those folks may see the message indicating they aren’t ready for digital. But no worries, Time Warner has got you covered. Post Feb. 2009, Time Warner will take that digital signal, convert it to analog and send it back to homes everywhere.

Related stories:

  • Cox to host public digital TV transition forum in Irvine
  • Guide to the 2009 Digital TV transition
  • Consumer DTV information www.dtvanswers.com
  • Coupon program www.DTV2009.gov
  • Coupon expired? Apex Digital offers $10 for expired coupons
  • Digital TV coupons now available to more users
  • 23 reviews of digital converter boxes
  • Reminder: Digital converters bought with coupons aren’t taxable
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     11 Comments

    • wosomo says:
      December 2, 2008 at 11:09 am

      This 2 minute digital test will go down as the best televisions programming of all time.

    • TV says:
      December 2, 2008 at 12:58 pm

      about time man… who doesn’t have cable or satellite anyway?

    • Ryan says:
      December 2, 2008 at 1:29 pm

      My grandma tried the box about 3 weeks ago and took it back b/c she didn’t get any channels. Are the digital channels not available until the “cutoff date” ?

      …Forgive my ignorance, I’ve have digital cable for almost 10 years

    • Gadgetress says:
      December 2, 2008 at 1:43 pm

      Ryan - Pretty much every local TV station is already broadcasting in digital. But they aren’t showing up on the regular 2, 4 and 7 channels. Rather, the channels show up as 2.1 or 9.1… You can check digital signals near your address at AntennaWeb.org. — Gadgetress

    • Ryan says:
      December 2, 2008 at 1:59 pm

      Thanks Tamara. Love your column.

    • Barry says:
      December 2, 2008 at 3:57 pm

      So what would a cable user expect to see on their analog tier during the 2-minute test?

    • La Habra Mike says:
      December 2, 2008 at 4:12 pm

      This really bites!
      I am on fixed income,
      Can’t afford cable (it sux anyway)
      I have one of those digital converters
      I have to use rabbit ears because the apartment does not have a master antenna and does not allow outside antennas
      Under Digital I get 2 channels THATS IT!!
      Under the old system I can get every channel (some snowier than others)
      Looks like Feb 17 I will have to go back to reading or spend my nights at the Library to get streaming video
      Why hasn’t our rotten politicians thought of the rights of people like me!
      I would like to find out if any of the politicians I voted for voted this stupid changeover to digital and the switching off of millions of others like me

    • La Habra Mike says:
      December 2, 2008 at 4:16 pm

      >Ryan Says:
      December 2nd, 2008 at 1:29 pm
      My grandma tried the box about 3 weeks ago and took it back b/c she didn’t get any channels. Are the digital channels not available until the “cutoff date” ?

      If your Grandmother is like me with rabbit ears she will get slim to no Digital channels at all!
      The Government needs to sign an emergency law forcing Apartment owners to either put up a master antenna, or allow us to put up small antennas or pay for digital basic cable channels 2-13-14-83

    • Gadgetress says:
      December 2, 2008 at 4:53 pm

      Good question Barry. I guess we’ll find out at 5:28 p.m…. I did call Time Warner about it — company spokesperson said that whether cable subscribers see tonight’s message or not, their TV will continue to work post Feb. 2009. I will update if I hear or see otherwise on what cable viewers will see during the test. UPDATE: 4:11ish p.m.- I just added Time Warner’s official response.

      La Habra Mike — Tell the government yourself at Cox’s Irvine event, which is 3,000 miles closer than D.C. An official from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is supposed to be there.
      - Gadgetress

    • Barry says:
      December 2, 2008 at 10:38 pm

      Thanks Gadgetress!

      For fun, I did a comparison between one TV on cable and another TV on rabbit ears (the TV on cable can switch between digital and analog.) During the test broadcast on KABC, the TV on rabbit ears showed a warning message and the TV on cable showed the same warning message when switched to analog. Switching to digital, the programming was different where they talked about what was happening to the analog viewers.

      Thanks again!

    • eyemale says:
      January 7, 2009 at 1:04 am

      for those using rabbit ears , just toss them out and try using a 6-9 inch wire ( speaker wire or old phone cord) strip the ends and loop each end to a 75 ohm connector, ( can pick one up at radio shack for a few bucks) also the old UHF Antennas ( either round or bow tie shape) work better than rabbits ears for digital. I live in the orange county area and my 1st scan with this cable method picked up 17 digital channels. whereas the rabbit ears only picked up about 5.