Search results matching tag 'DTV'

3.1 Mil Households Still Unready for DTV

Anonymous — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:32:51 GMT

The number of TV households completely unready for the digital transition decreased to 3.1 million, according to Nielsen. The number represents 2.7% of TV households, down from 2.9% at the time of Nielsen’s last report two weeks ago, which stated that 3.3 million households were unready. For TVWeek’s comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. The other statistics released by Nielsen were in line with the previous report. Although they’ve made improvements, African-Americans, Hispanics and those under age 35 are still the least ready groups, at 5.4%, 4.7% and 5%, respectively. Additionally, Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., remains the least ready market with 8.40% of households completely unready. (Editor: Baumann)

DTV Soft Test Results in Record Number of Helpline Calls

Anonymous — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:28:13 GMT

A record number of consumers called the Federal Communications Commission’s national helpline Thursday in response to a nationwide DTV soft test. The FCC helpline received more than 55,000 calls from consumers, a single-day record. The helpline has averaged 15,000 calls per day since May 1 and prior to the soft test. For TVWeek’s comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. The most common issues raised and information sought by callers included information about government coupons for DTV converter boxes, concerns about reception and instructions for installing DTV converter boxes. Consumers seeking information about coupons represented 51% of calls, while reception issues and installation accounted for 15% and 10% of calls, respectively. More than 125 broadcast markets participated in the soft test. The Chicago market generated the most calls at 1,310, followed by New York with 1,277 calls and Dallas-Fort Worth with 764 calls. The Dallas-Fort Worth market is the No. 2 most DTV-unready market, according to a report released by Nielsen last week. “This soft test did exactly what it was supposed to do,” Michael Copps, acting FCC chairman, said in a statement. “It was a wake-up call for consumers who are unprepared, alerting them to the fact that they need to take the necessary steps before the June 12 DTV transition.”

Univision Sets Digital Test for Saturday’s ‘Gigante’

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:54:43 GMT

Univision will conduct the first nationwide digital transition test during this Saturday’s edition of “Sabado Gigante.” The test, scheduled during the 9:30-10 p.m. EST half-hour, is part of the network’s 30-day countdown to the government-mandated analog shutoff June 12. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. “With less than 30 days until the DTV transition, Univision recognizes that we must leverage all of our platforms to ensure that Hispanic viewers take action,” said Cesar Conde, Univision Communications’ chief strategy officer and executive VP. “Sabado” host Don Francisco will lead the test and will continue to serve in Univision’s DTV preparedness campaign. As part of the initiative, the network will run several tests across the 148 owned and affiliated Univision and TeleFutura stations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Univision will participate in the nationwide test scheduled by the FCC on May 21, slated to happen throughout the day, and will hold an additional test during the June 2 edition of “Aquí y Ahora” between 10-11 p.m. TeleFutura will conduct tests during its broadcast of “La Tijera” May 18 from 6-7 p.m., and then another during “Contacto Deportivo” June 4 from 11-11:30 p.m. Univision’s morning news program, “Despiérta America,” will dedicate an extra hour of programming to analog’s farewell June 11. The network’s special “TV Digital … Conteo Final,” featuring network talent and local personalities, will air in different markets throughout the month and provide local viewers with any market-specific information related to the DTV switch.

DTV-Unready Households Down to 3.3 Mil, Nielsen Says

Anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:11:55 GMT

Fewer than 3% of U.S. TV households are still completely unready for the digital transition on June 12, Nielsen said today. As of May 10, 3.3 million or 2.9% of households are completely unprepared, down from 3.5 million unready households in Nielsen’s last update less than two weeks ago. The number of completely unready households declined two-tenths of a percent from 3.1% of households. Among different demographics, Asian households made the greatest improvement, dropping from 4.1% completely unready households to 3.4%. African Americans, Hispanics and those under age 35 also made slight improvements. Nielsen saw the percentage of unready African American and Hispanic households decline from 5.9% to 5.7% and 5.0% to 4.9%, respectively. Unready households headed by those under the age of 35 decreased from 5.7% to 5.4%. Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., remains the most unready market among Nielsen’s 56 metered markets. In the market, 8.47% of households are completely unprepared for the transition, down slightly from 8.8% as of April 26. Texas markets Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin take the No. 2 and 3 spots with 6.67% and 5.31%, respectively. Providence, R.I.-New Bedford, Mass. represents the least unready market, with 0% households completely unready.

Column: Broadcast TV: Going Mobile

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:20:00 GMT

The future of broadcast television is mobile. At least that was the message at the National Association of Broadcasters’ NAB Show last week in Las Vegas. While the 83,000 attendees at the annual convention—down about 20% from last year—encountered 3-D TV displays, super-hi-def TV and cheaper cameras everywhere on the show floor, the immediate interest for TV station managers lay in the mobile digital television exhibits. Mobile digital television is like video on the cell phone, but there’s more to it than that. Mobile DTV lets local broadcasters harness their digital spectrum to transmit simulcasts of their existing broadcasts—news, syndicated shows, primetime programming and more—to handheld devices. That includes DVD players, portable devices for automobiles and smaller computers known as netbooks, as well as mobile phones. As audiences shrink and advertisers defect to the Web, broadcasters—like many other media companies—are looking for new ways to reach viewers. Mobile DTV is one possibility, and broadcasters have just begun testing its potential this year. The business model is similar to Twitter’s, however, in that it’s not yet clear. Broadcasters I talked to at the show said revenue options include advertising because they can potentially grow their audiences by reaching new viewers who’d prefer to watch TV on mobile devices. Another option is a subscription model; that’s something mobile TV company MobiTV is currently testing. Subscription models would include turning a cell phone into a sort of digital video recorder by letting consumers access programming from the most recent week on a mobile DTV device for a fee, MobiTV said. Broadcasters aren’t totally sold yet. Some of the managers I talked to are skeptical. They’re concerned about asking viewers to buy or even use another device, especially after stations have spent ample time and dollars telling them to buy digital sets and digital tuners. On the flipside, TV stations also know they need to do more to attract anyone under the age of 49, so they figure mobile DTV can lure younger viewers who favor new ways of watching TV. The Open Mobile Video Coalition, a group of broadcasters aiming to promote the adoption of mobile DTV, announced at the show that TV stations in the Washington, D.C., market would conduct a consumer trial this summer of mobile DTV technology. Overall, 21 broadcasters including Belo, Cox, Ion, Hearst-Argyle, NBC Universal, Post Newsweek, Scripps and Sinclair said they plan to launch mobile DTV services this year. Collectively, that includes 70 stations in 28 markets, reaching about 39% of the U.S., the OMVC said. At NAB, I had the chance to speak to one of the broadcasters involved in the D.C. test. Allan Horlick, president and general manager of Gannett-owned CBS station WUSA-TV in D.C., said he’s keen on mobile DTV because it gives stations a better chance to reach younger viewers. His goal with the trial is to help broadcasters figure out the best content and business model. “This is going to be a wonderful new service that will connect us to countless new viewers of all ages,” he said.

FCC’s Adelstein to Unveil DTV Web Site at NAB Show

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:04:08 GMT

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein will unveil the FCC’s new, enhanced digital transition Web site at the NAB Show on Tuesday. The new site, www.dtv.gov, will help guide consumers, providing them with local TV support and answers to questions about DTV equipment and installation. The site will also offer statistics. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. Mr. Adelstein will have copies of the new DTV transition consumer guide on hand when he unveils the Web site on Tuesday at 11 a.m. The NAB Show is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Digital-Unready Households Down Slightly to 3.6 Mil, Nielsen Says

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:04:52 GMT

Some 3.6 million or 3.2% of U.S. television households are still completely unready for the digital transition on June 12, according to data collected by Nielsen. The number represents a slight decrease from the 3.8 million U.S. households that were completely unprepared, according to data provided earlier this month. For TVWeek’s comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., remains the least ready of 56 local metered markets, with 9.1% of households completely unprepared. Dallas-Fort Worth is second with 6.3% of households unready. Meanwhile, Providence, R.I.-New Bedford, Mass. is now completely ready for the digital switch and fewer than 1% of households in Hartford and New Haven, Conn., are unprepared. The number of completely unready households among African-Americans, Hispanics and those under 35 years of age all decreased from Nielsen’s last report. However, the three groups still represent the most unready demographics.

3.8 Million U.S. Homes Still Not Ready for DTV, Nielsen Says

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:43:14 GMT

Some 3.8 million or 3.4% of all U.S. TV households are still completely unprepared for the June 12 digital TV switch, according to Nielsen Media Research. The Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., market ranks as the most unprepared market, with 9.4% of households still not ready. About 610,000 households became DTV-ready during the month of March, according to new figures through March 29 from Nielsen Media Research. However, the rate at which households are becoming prepared is slowing down, as the number of households that are still unprepared went down 0.2% during the last two weeks of March. That marked the lowest rate of change in unpreparedness between two-week periods over the last three and a half months as measured by Nielsen. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. Although the percentage of households still unready for the June 12 switch continues to drop across the board, African American households remain the most unprepared, with 6.2% of homes still not ready for DTV. Hispanic households are down to 5.6% unpreparedness, followed by Asian households at 4.4% and white households at 2.7%. Younger households also are unprepared at a much higher level than older households, with those under 35 years old coming in at 6.3% unprepared and those over 55 at 1.8%. Among prepared households, the Providence, R.I.-New Bedford, Mass., market is now completely ready for DTV, while the Hartford-New Haven, Conn., market is coming in at less than 1% unprepared. (Updated: Added third paragraph. 1:30 p.m.)

FCC Enlists AmeriCorps for DTV Outreach

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:16:55 GMT

The Federal Communications Commission has partnered with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps to for a digital transition outreach effort. Forty-nine at-risk cities believe to be less prepared for the DTV switch have been targeted for the outreach effort. AmeriCorps NCAA members will help individuals in those cities who may be having trouble switching to digital television by the June 12 deadline. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. The group will focus on groups that the FCC has determined need special attention, which include low-income individuals, minorities, non-Englishe speakers, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and people living in rural or tribal areas. The interagency agreements will allow AmeriCorps to visit homes to help install digital converter boxes, help consumers apply for $40 converter box coupons, make presentations at community events and serve at walk-in DTV help centers. Groups of 8 to 12 AmeriCorps NCCC members will work under FCC area coordinators after undergoing training. The first team will begin training next week in the test market of Denver, where several TV stations plan to switch to digital TV signals by mid-April. “The FCC is grateful for the assistance from AmeriCorps NCCC, an organization committed to public service, as we focus our DTV education efforts on individuals who may find the transition to digital television particularly difficult,” Michael Copps, acting FCC chairman, said in a statement. “This fine organization is composed of dedicated young people with enthusiasm and experience in working with elderly individuals, low income residents and others who may need a hand in hooking up their converter boxes or checking their antennas.” (Editor: Baumann)

DTV Switch Getting Less Scary, Month by Month

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:05:00 GMT

If Americans continue to prepare themselves at the current rate for the June 12 switch to all-digital television signals, the number of homes that aren’t ready by the deadline could be quite small, vindicating the Obama administration’s decision to push back the transition. Last week, the Nielsen Co. said around 4.1 million homes, or 3.6% of U.S. households, were completely unready for the digital transition as of March 15. But that number was 916,000 lower than it was on Feb. 15. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. With nearly three months to go until the transition, and nearly a million homes a month joining the rolls of the DTV-ready, fewer than 1 million could be unprepared when analog broadcasts end. A last-minute rush for analog-to-digital converter boxes and a rush to cable or satellite services could leave even fewer viewers than that watching static. Stations’ gradual market-by-market shift to digital may enhance efforts to get the country ready. The Federal Communications Commission announced last week that 158 additional stations are looking to go digital before June 12. They join 637 outlets that already have made the jump to digital-only broadcasting. In total, 44% of the country’s stations will be digital-only before the deadline. A majority of the latest group of stations announced were public television and independent stations, with some standouts owned by larger station groups, including Fox-owned Philadelphia station WTXF. WTXF stands out because Fox, along with CBS, NBC, Telemundo and ABC, agreed in February to air dual analog and digital signals on their owned-and-operated stations until June 12. A WTXF spokesman said the station appears on the FCC’s newest transition list because it will lower its analog coverage area to 87% of its current area as of May 22. The spokesman said the FCC required stations that are lowering their analog coverage to less than 90% to submit a notice to the government. WTXF will be airing both analog and digital signals until June 12, he said. Philadelphia stands as the second most-prepared market of the top 56 in the nation as of February, with only 1.8% of households being “completely unready.” African Americans in Philadelphia are the largest segment of the city’s population unready for DTV, with 4.8% of those households listed as “completely unready.” Despite gains in overall readiness, minorities nationwide still lag in preparedness for the digital transition. Nielsen said 6.6% of African American households across the country were DTV-unready as of March 15, down just 0.1% from March 1. And 6.1% of Hispanic households are unready, while 4.4% of Asian households are unready nationally. Among white households, 2.9% are unready as of March 15, compared with 3.2% on March 1.