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GET READY FOR DIGITAL TV | PBS
- Thread starter robmadden1
- Start date
It is produced by the "This Old House" production team (a JV of Time 4 Media, Inc. and WGBH), and is hosted by Kevin O'Connor and Norm Abram (who are hosting all of PBS's DTV transition messages).
It would be less effective if the "Sesame Street" gang were to host it. I don't think seeing Big Bird and Elmo trying to hook up a digital converter box or Bert and Ernie climbing a latter to adjust an antenna would get parents' attention...but the children could go to their parents asking "Mommy...are we DTV ready?".
I am surprised other PBS hosts (Jim Lehrer for instance) have not cut transition promos.
It would be less effective if the "Sesame Street" gang were to host it. I don't think seeing Big Bird and Elmo trying to hook up a digital converter box or Bert and Ernie climbing a latter to adjust an antenna would get parents' attention...but the children could go to their parents asking "Mommy...are we DTV ready?".
I am surprised other PBS hosts (Jim Lehrer for instance) have not cut transition promos.
Hey, you know what I think would be really funny? If Oscar said something along these lines:
"Hey, I can't WAIT for that day, February 17, 2009! Because then my Grouch TV will ALWAYS be broken! Heh heh heh!"
In fact, there were even a few episodes in the 80s where he had this Grouch TV set where you had to adjust the antenna all over the place to get any reception, and one time he had Bob hold his antenna for him while he was standing out in the middle of the street. And then a car came so he had to move, and Oscar was like "Wow, just as it was at its best!"
"Hey, I can't WAIT for that day, February 17, 2009! Because then my Grouch TV will ALWAYS be broken! Heh heh heh!"
In fact, there were even a few episodes in the 80s where he had this Grouch TV set where you had to adjust the antenna all over the place to get any reception, and one time he had Bob hold his antenna for him while he was standing out in the middle of the street. And then a car came so he had to move, and Oscar was like "Wow, just as it was at its best!"
What I find interesting is how much PBS and their local affiliates are promoting the conversion from analog to digital more than commercial TV is doing.
IMO, PBS has a lot more to gain, and to offer viewers, with the digital transition. From what I can tell, many if not most PBS affiliates are going to have a net gain in coverage and net gain in potential viewers after 2/17/09.
Furthermore, PBS offers more hours each day with HD programming than any other OTA station, and also offers more subchannels as well. Between the HD channels and the subchannels, furthermore, I would argue that there is more worthwhile, valuable programming compared to most commercial broadcasters. Commercial subchannels, with the exception of ion, tend to primarily consist of news and/or weather loops, or perhaps even a live feed of radar with NWS audio. On the other hand, PBS subchannels, varying by market, include Create, V-Me, PBS World, and locally programmed subchannels which may have 24 hour kids programming or are "statewide" channels like KET-KY or SCETV's SC Channel.
I also think that PBS stations tend to feel a greater responsibility toward OTA viewers. Perhaps this is because there must be some segment of the public that actively rejects commercial TV and therefore will "only watch PBS."
Something else to consider is that in some major markets like New York, Boston, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Los Angeles, etc. - PBS has at least two affiliates, giving them double the digital capacity of any other broadcaster in the market. Often, one station can carry a full quality HD signal, leaving the other one to carry a wide array of subchannels. Or, in other cases, each station may offer HD, and instead of squeezing in 3 or 4 subchannels with it, each station may only carry 1 or 2, but generally, they avoid duplication and this allows for a greater diversity of programming choices.
Furthermore, PBS offers more hours each day with HD programming than any other OTA station, and also offers more subchannels as well. Between the HD channels and the subchannels, furthermore, I would argue that there is more worthwhile, valuable programming compared to most commercial broadcasters. Commercial subchannels, with the exception of ion, tend to primarily consist of news and/or weather loops, or perhaps even a live feed of radar with NWS audio. On the other hand, PBS subchannels, varying by market, include Create, V-Me, PBS World, and locally programmed subchannels which may have 24 hour kids programming or are "statewide" channels like KET-KY or SCETV's SC Channel.
I also think that PBS stations tend to feel a greater responsibility toward OTA viewers. Perhaps this is because there must be some segment of the public that actively rejects commercial TV and therefore will "only watch PBS."
Something else to consider is that in some major markets like New York, Boston, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Los Angeles, etc. - PBS has at least two affiliates, giving them double the digital capacity of any other broadcaster in the market. Often, one station can carry a full quality HD signal, leaving the other one to carry a wide array of subchannels. Or, in other cases, each station may offer HD, and instead of squeezing in 3 or 4 subchannels with it, each station may only carry 1 or 2, but generally, they avoid duplication and this allows for a greater diversity of programming choices.
I could see Roy Underhill holding an HDMI cable and saying "What the? Where's the instructions again????" with a quizzical expression.
Then he hits it with a block plane and some chisels and forms it into a walking monkey-on-a-string toy.
Then he hits it with a block plane and some chisels and forms it into a walking monkey-on-a-string toy.
A report on radio today said that:
1. The $40 Govt. Coupon Program funds are all spoken for now, and that to release any more coupons, other coupons that have already been issued but not redeemed, will have to expire, first.
2. It's now past the date to order and receive your $40 Coupon, in time to redeem it by the conversion date of Feb. 17th, 2009.
3. For those special folks caught short on Feb. 17th....
there's always the Cable/Satellite/New TV Dealer waiting to Help you spend your hard earned/fixed income. ;D
1. The $40 Govt. Coupon Program funds are all spoken for now, and that to release any more coupons, other coupons that have already been issued but not redeemed, will have to expire, first.
2. It's now past the date to order and receive your $40 Coupon, in time to redeem it by the conversion date of Feb. 17th, 2009.
3. For those special folks caught short on Feb. 17th....
there's always the Cable/Satellite/New TV Dealer waiting to Help you spend your hard earned/fixed income. ;D
ssetta said:
This post reminded me of a pledge break intro (which I found on YouTube) in the 1988 prime-time "Sesame Street Special" on PBS, with Kermit interviewing Oscar about what he likes best about public television--and Oscar's interesting response:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDyDrjf5LK0
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