WHO to Test Conversion Aug. 25

Local TV's Des Moines, Iowa, station to conduct 19-hour digital-conversion test.

By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/22/2008 12:38:00 PM

Local TV’s WHO Des Moines, Iowa, will conduct a 19-hour digital-conversion test from 5 a.m.-midnight Monday.

The test will help viewers to realize if their televisions will pass or fail February’s analog-TV shutdown.

Viewers who are up to speed on the conversion will not be impacted by the test. Viewers who are not digitally equipped will see a crawl about one-third of the way up the screen that informs them that they’re not prepared and instructs them on how to fix the issue.

Regional vice president and general manager Dale Woods said the idea was hatched at a leadership meeting about one month ago. “It’s one way to help viewers understand how prepared they are,” he added. “We wanted a way to break through the clutter of informational messages and really target those people who we know it will impact.”

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Good for 13. I keep hearing about them, but am not in thier market. Now for the other stuff.... When one oes a test, are they just doing it on a clear day? are they doing it several times a day? How about in the winter versus the summer? The reason I bring these issues up, MY LOCAL DTV stations (Toledo, Ohio) are not working for me. I find that in windy WX, the signal drops. WTOL-DT with a possible tonado above my South Toledo, Ohio location... couldn\'t get it to stay in. Same goes for signal bouncing off vehicles, in the antenna\'s pointing direction (towards the Oregon, Ohio tower farm). Granted, one of the offending stations is in the SAME EXACT predicament as WHO-DT and TV. Both on 13, both DTV\'s are 19, then moving back to 13. However, WHO-19 (DT) is much more powerful, due to antenna ht. Either way, The test needs to be at various times. Because someone CAN get a 2 second picture of the 60 second test, does not mean its a success. I would do the test several times a year... or a few times this year. With this method, one can tell the actual barriers of DTV. That\'s one reason I have a set of youtube videos, with \"DTV Issues.\" Partially done, is not always done well, nor can be called done.
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Good for 13. I keep hearing about them, but am not in thier market.

Now for the other stuff....

When one oes a test, are they just doing it on a clear day? are they doing it several times a day? How about in the winter versus the summer?

The reason I bring these issues up, MY LOCAL DTV stations (Toledo, Ohio) are not working for me. I find that in windy WX, the signal drops. WTOL-DT with a possible tonado above my South Toledo, Ohio location... couldn't get it to stay in. Same goes for signal bouncing off vehicles, in the antenna's pointing direction (towards the Oregon, Ohio tower farm).

Granted, one of the offending stations is in the SAME EXACT predicament as WHO-DT and TV. Both on 13, both DTV's are 19, then moving back to 13. However, WHO-19 (DT) is much more powerful, due to antenna ht.

Either way, The test needs to be at various times. Because someone CAN get a 2 second picture of the 60 second test, does not mean its a success.

I would do the test several times a year... or a few times this year. With this method, one can tell the actual barriers of DTV.

That's one reason I have a set of youtube videos, with "DTV Issues."

Partially done, is not always done well, nor can be called done.

Mikel Grenier - 8/27/2008 10:08:00 AM EDT

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