Canadian officials are reminding broadcasters and viewers alike that the end of analog broadcast TV is coming. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has set August 31, 2011 as the drop-dead date for analog to go dark and they are taking a firm stand on that date. (See http://tinyurl.com/6ahazv for a more complete discussion. Scroll down to “Digital Transition”.)

Since we have so many Canadian sports fans in this area, over-the-air (OTA) reception using your analog set WILL be affected. After the 2011 date your choices will be limited to digital OTA reception via an HD set (or converter) or cable subscription. You should be aware, however, that the Canadian broadcasters seem to be running lower power on their digital transmitters and reception in the Buffalo area will be difficult. The dedicated OTA sports viewer will likely need to put up a large rooftop antenna. For the time being, watching Canadian TV with a digital converter will require one with an analog pass through.

Some of us here at the station have noted that there is not an overwhelming supply of DTV converters in stores around Buffalo. If you’re having difficulty finding a converter locally, please remember that you are not limited to brick and mortar stores. There are a number of online retailers that sell coupon-eligible converters.

While we will NOT recommend any particular brand (we have not had hands-on experience with more than one or two), searching the internet will point you to several sites that rate and compare models, including Consumer Reports.

Here is a link to a chart showing where to find converters online: http://tinyurl.com/38mobj. Again, we are not recommending a retailer or manufacturer but simply providing a link to information.

Happy hunting.

We’re hearing that the transition to DTV is not progressing as everyone had hoped according to some government agencies.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said that nearly half of the households that could lose TV service when analog service goes away are still unprepared for the switch. About 84 percent of consumers are aware of the coming transition but many don’t know what they need to do to maintain uninterrupted service. More than half surveyed knew of the converter coupon program but two-thirds of these people didn’t know how to obtain a coupon.

The Washington Post reported that some viewers who didn’t need converters said they were ready to apply for coupons. Confusion exists even though we and other broadcasters have been trying to raise public awareness of the issue.

As far as the coupons go, the agency responsible for the program said that of the 800,000 coupons distributed so far, about 40 percent have not been redeemed.

Here’s where you can help your family and neighbors by spreading the word. Help us make them aware of the coming changes and take them seriously. Those needing converters should apply soon and remember that they carry an expiration date.

It's encouraging to see that our viewers are taking the digital conversion seriously. We are averaging about 10 calls and emails a day with inquiries, usually regarding the digital converters. And we expect this to increase as we get nearer to February 2009. Below is a quick guide to setting up your converter:

Tips for receiving digital signals from WIVB and WNLO with a converter

- The digital signal for channels 4 and 23 are actually on channels 39 and 32 respectively. These are UHF channels, so make sure your antenna is compatible.
- An old antenna generally is not desirable. If there are broken elements or the cable is in poor condition, you will not have good results with a digital signal.
- Point your antenna at our tower in Colden NY for WIVB. The transmitter site is directly south of East Aurora.
- Point your antenna at our tower in Grand Island NY for WNLO. This is slightly NW of the city of Buffalo.
- After aiming your antenna and powering up the converter and TV, you must perform a channel scan. Instructions for this are in the owner’s manual that came with the converter.
- If you are suddenly missing one or more channels a channel scan will most likely restore them.