Four of the five local TV stations will switch to broadcasting digital signals on Tuesday, Brian McNeill writes in the Progress. NBC-29, CBS-19, ABC-16, and FOX-27 will all cease to broadcast in analog, although NBC-29 is compelled by the FCC to broadcast 24/7 instructions on switching to digital for the next couple of months. WHTJ, the local PBS affiliate, will continue their low-power analog broadcast until June, when they’ll shut it off.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
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Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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The upside for those of us that have only an antenna is that all local stations will be over-the-air high definition as of Tuesday. Gray has not had the bandwidth to provide analog and HD signals at the same time. With the analog gone they’ll be free to go all HD.
Comcast subscribers have had them in HD for awhile. But not us old-fashioned types.
I thought there was a postponement of this until June.
Stations were given the option of going ahead with the change with some requirements. The article says at least one station in the area must continue to broadcast analog with a message explaining about the change. Apparently NBC29 will do that. Not sure why they got stuck with it.
I wonder if this explains why 29 got stuck with it?
http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2009/02/13/fcc-nixes-early-digital-tv-switchover-123-tv-stations
February 13, 2009
FCC Nixes Early Digital TV Switchover for 123 TV Stations
Washington – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has denied the applications of 123 U.S. TV stations wanting to make their transition to digital broadcasting on the “old” date of Feb. 17, saying that “their early termination poses a significant risk of substantial public harm,” Ars Technica reported.
These stations had until today to file with the FCC saying that they have met a number of additional requirements, should they still wish to switch off their analog signals before June 12.
If the 123 stations think they can’t meet those requirements, they may still file a statement with the FCC describing how delaying their digital transition would result in “extreme economic hardship.”
The FCC said it would take “appropriate action” against any station that does not meet its requirements yet still shuts off its analog signal next week.
A total of 368 stations that applied for early analog termination with the FCC were approved.
I assume the story means to say, “…will all cease to broadcast in analog…”
I’ve been off cable for the past few years and have been doing over-the-air digital broadcast for the past six months or so and really like it. The picture quality is great (often better than cable’s more heavily-compressed picture) and I get surround sound on a lot of programs. It’s going to be a problem for people that can’t get strong signals (deep rural areas or line-of-sight to the transmitter tower blocked by buildings or hills), though, since while you can still make out and understand a weak analog signal, a weak digital signal can’t be displayed at all. I wish they’d just mandated digital broadcast without mandating the analog cut-off.
You’re right about that, Will—I used the wrong word entirely. I’ve corrected it now.
I don’t know much about digital yet. I do know I upgraded the TV in one of my SUVs to digital very recently, and the picture and sound quality are absolutely amazing when sitting still in traffic. But when you start moving you pretty much lose the signal completely. It looks like the pixels have started a fist fight and are beating each other up! Guess I need to look into upgrading the antenna too.
In my home, when disconnected from satellite reception and hooked to an antenna, the digital picture and sound are also amazing when compared to the old analog system.
I’m confused — I thought NBC29 was required to continue broadcasting in analog until June and run the messages explaining the switch. But they were saying on 106.1 this morning that NBC29 will also switch to all digital signals today at noon. 29’s website, meanwhile, says they will switch over in about 13 hours — midnight, not noon. Did something change again?
29 has ceased analog programming, they are now broadcasting a PSA explaining where the analog stations went on their old analog 29. So it appears we have no analog programming from the major networks in Cville anymore. IMHO, that’s good.
I’m perplexed, though, because I’m only receiving SD broadcasts from Gray channels. That’s what they were doing before. I thought once they turned off the analog transmitter that they’d transmit HD over the air. So today they turned off analog and moved their SD broadcasts to new channels, but that appears to be it. I’m underwhelmed.
I’d call Gray, but I’m guessing they are fielding calls from confused viewers looking for the analog channels. I sincerely hope that isn’t the case, this has been coming for years. But who knows? Maybe someone from Gray is scanning this blog and has some info.
Hmmmmm …
Well, this may be as good as it gets for me. I’m not getting the channels where their website said I should. I get ABC on 16.1 and CBS on 19.1, as expected. But Fox is 19.2, and MyCville is 40.1. I wonder if they have a repeater somewhere up north and it doesn’t repeat HD. That’s a guess. Anyone else notice the same thing?