Free Dish T V

From the Escanaba Daily Press.

Where is the left on giving everyone in Michigan free Dish T V

"Digital TV switch still hitting bumps
By Jenny Lancour
POSTED: July 31, 2009

ESCANABA - The recent switchover from analog to digital television has left some people in the dark, especially for those who get stations over the air.

Many viewers do not know how to receive the channels they can pick up. Others are left out in the dark completely and cannot receive the channels they did in the past while others are receiving channels they didn't have before.

On June 12, full-power television stations across the nation switched over from the analog signal to a digital signal, as required by the Federal Communications Commission.

Before then and since then, retailers of electronic equipment have been selling converter boxes like hotcakes. Digital televisions have also been in high demand.

"Those have been (selling) steady since Black Friday," said Dan DeRouin who works at Pioneer TV and Appliance in Escanaba.

As is common with change, customers have been complaining about the switchover. When they visit the store, employees ask customers about the equipment they have and try to help with any signal issues from that standpoint, he said.

For channel issues that go beyond available equipment, the customers are recommended to call their local stations, DeRouin said.

"Basically, if you're in this area or south, you're not getting channel 6 anymore...over the air," he said.

Sonny Reschka, vice president of operations and chief engineer at WLUC-TV6, said the local station has been receiving several phone calls regarding the new digital system.

Reception of the local station over the air is related to several factors, he said. From the station's end, it involves tower height, type, power and frequency. From the customer's end, it can involve converter boxes, digital televisions, and the right antennas pointed in the right direction.

Another major factor in reception is the terrain, he added.

"We're learning...how this digital beast turns out," Reschka said. Land terrain, obstructions and distance are now playing a bigger role in whether or not viewers get channels, he said.

"Digital is an all or nothing process," he said, explaining reception will not ever be fuzzy like the analog system but will only be received or not received with digital. Common questions are answered on the station's Web site.

Reschka said the outlook is improving for increased viewer reception of the digital system. Satellite customers with Dish Network are now offered local stations. This has increased the TV6 audience 25-30 percent and includes customers who have never received the local station, he said. Direct TV is working to have local stations available to over-the-air customers by this fall or early winter, he added.

In an effort to increase its signal area, TV6 is looking to up its power from 63,000 watts to 83,000 watts and increase its tower height to 186 feet, Reschka said. It's tower is located southeast of Republic.

"With increases in power and height, that will certainly enhance our coverage area," Reschka said. Currently the viewership is more than 200,000 customers.

According to Craig Gierke, manager at Radio Shack in Escanaba, the local business has answered hundreds of customer questions and sold hundreds of converter boxes. Employees will assist with how to hook up boxes and antennas.

But for some households, no equipment is going to allow them to receive stations, the manager said.

"Some people are very upset," he said, explaining their frustration with the loss of some local channels. "There are huge areas that don't have television reception...It's all about where you live."

Gierke said the only current option for over-the-air reception of local channels is to subscribe to Dish Network which offers, as of July 8, the options to pick up local stations like WLUC and PBS.

"In the long term, digital will be a real good thing with multiple programs on one station. But in the short term, not," he said.

Escanaba's Walmart sold thousands of converter boxes before and after the transition and antenna sales were also high, said Marlene Poquette, manager of the electronics department.

Customers have also expressed concerns about reception with the digital switchover, she added, saying they have not hooked up their equipment correctly or they do not get the stations.

Area cable customers did not experience interruptions in their cable service except for maybe right when the switchover occurred, said Sandra Gottschalk, operations manager at Charter Communications which has an office in Escanaba.

"It was a seamless transition for Charter Communications customers," she said. "We did a lot of education before (the switchover). If you have Charter Communications, you're fine."" Digital TV switch still hitting bumps - DailyPress.net | News, Sports, Jobs, Escanaba Information | The Daily Press