Why Pay for Free Stuff

The local ABC station, WCPO Channel 9, recently announced that it was going to begin to charge a fee for some of the news content provided on its website. (www.wcpo.com) The report noted that only a portion of the material will be in this “walled garden” section.  Reports on local businesses and government will require a subscription while weather and public safety news will continue to be provided free.
 

This is not the first online news reporting to embrace the subscription model.  The Wall Street Journal has, from the very outset of online publishing, required a fee to read the complete daily paper.  About 18 months ago the Enquirer adopted a pay as you read model.  For some these changes may be irritating.  Nobody likes to pay for something that was free. 

 

A closer look however might change your mind.  A cursory glance at news reporting available online will show clearly that a large portion of the solid, credible and complete reporting is still being done by professionals associated with bona fide newspapers and broadcast news organizations.  In many cases the Internet is only a wonderful aggregator of material produced and paid for by others. 

 

When the internet was only a minor player in our daily lives this was not a problem.  In fact, newspapers and other major broadcast news operations were delighted with the publicity and the extended reach provided by the online exposure.  As more and more of us moved away from paying for the ink and paper version dropped on our driveways everyday, the newspapers’ revenues plummeted.  Today the viewership of major TV network newscasts is a fraction of what it was and as such there has been a precipitous drop in advertising revenue.

 

Look for more news websites to begin charging.  While citizen journalists and twitter and Facebook reports can provide information quickly and from places inaccessible by traditional media, having trained articulate journalists also part of our news diet is critical.  Paying a modest fee toward the cost of professional newsgathering is a small price to pay for maintaining an informed electorate that is absolutely imperative for a vital democracy.

Why No Local TV On My Smartphone

A reader recently asked me why he is not able to watch local TV stations on his smartphone.  With the state of mobile technology providing apps for everything from real time foreign language translation to solving complex math problems, one would think the simple process of capturing and displaying programming that already is being transmitted over the air would be a simple task for a smartphone.   Well, it is not.

There are two major stumbling blocks to making local TV a reality on your smartphone: the first impediment is technology based; the second, and the more difficult issue to conquer, relates to money and programming rights.

As I have written often, the standard over-the-air digital TV broadcasts are often plagued with reception issues.  Trying to receive these less than robust signals transmitted from your local TV stations using a small hand held device is difficult if not impossible without the addition of a large antenna and some battery eating circuitry.   Both are cumbersome, heavy and just not practical. 

While there are special mobile DTV technologies available, they have been enthusiastically embraced by neither the phone manufacturers nor the broadcasters.  Here in Cincinnati some stations have mobile transmissions but programming is sparse and very few of the local viewers have the equipment to receive them. 

A few Cincinnatistations are now promoting an add-on device called Dyle.  This mini DTV converter, about the size and weight of a can of tuna, connects via a wire to your iPhone or Android.  It might be ok for use at home but carrying around this extra box with a two foot antenna just doesn’t cut it for me.

The technical problems most likely could be solved by using the internet and existing 3G or 4G networks to carry the stations but then the second big impediment, the legal and financial issue, would need to be addressed.

The way local broadcast stations obtain programming from the networks for local broadcast has really not changed in decades.  The local affiliate has rights to broadcast programming from the network within a specific geographic area, i.e., a market.  For non-network programming like Jeopardy or Oprah, stations purchase the rights for the individual market from a syndicator.  Again the rights are only for the specific market which is limited by the physics of the broadcast signal.  Moving from a broadcast to the internet broadens the coverage.  It changes the economic model.  At this writing the local stations would not be permitted to offer most of their programming on line.

Programming that is locally produced, like the local newscasts, could be distributed via live internet streaming but so far very little is.  There have been some.  Recently one of the mayoral debates for Cincinnati was streamed live instead of being broadcast on a TV station.

The bottom line to this whole issue comes down to the fact that the economic model, the copyright laws and the agreements between local stations and the networks are based on technology that was dominant in the last century.  Until and unless these issues get resolved you will be able to watch programming live from half way around the world on your mobile phone but local news and weather will not be available.

 

All Eggs in One Basket

 The recent outage causing thousands of Cincinnati Bell Fioptics subscribers to be unable to watch the Bengals trounce the New York Jets calls to mind an old saying: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”  The problem is that with the integration of all things digital, that good advice may be difficult, if not impossible, to follow.

Not too long ago you made telephone calls on a wired phone, watched TV using rabbit ears, paid your bills with a check, envelope and stamp and watched your favorite movie at the local movie theater.  When planning a family trip to Aunt Gertrude’s house you sent her a letter using the post office and you plotted your route using a free map picked up from the Esso station down the road.

Today literally all the tasks listed above are routinely accomplished with a smart phone and the internet.  Great when it all works as it does most of the time, but a real pain in the (fill in your favorite word here) when it does not.  Our eggs are indeed now firmly packed into a single basket.  While the integration provides great convenience, when the technology fails bad things can happen and sometimes it can be more serious than just missing out on a touchdown.

For example, many have cut the cord with Ma Bell and use a voice over internet (VOIP) service from Time Warner or another internet provider.  A power outage can render the phone useless.  Since Cincinnati Bell provides power to their network, even powering standard phones in your house, very seldom will you lose the use of your wired phone, even if your whole neighborhood is without power from Duke.

A few months ago there was a story on the news about a motorist who placed a bit too much confidence in her malfunctioning GPS, only to get lost in the Mohave Desert.  This does not happen often but a healthy skepticism of technology can be good idea.  Digital or not, you are using machines, very sophisticated machines but still machines.

Just as you most likely have a flashlight on hand for those times when the lights fail, you should have some alternate ways of handling those tasks that you take for granted and are handled solely by the internet.  So the cloud is fine for storing your files but make sure you have copies of those important files in a safe place. 

In the case of the customers relying in Cincinnati Bell Fioptics, a $10 rabbit ears antenna would have solved the problem.

The Problem Is Not In Your Set

A recent email exchange with a reader prompts this week’s essay.  It seems she had recently purchased a new HDTV and was having trouble receiving local Channel 12, the CBS affiliate in Cincinnati.  The reader, like many people, has decided that she does not want to pay for cable or a satellite service and instead would rely on free over-the-air broadcasts.  She noted in her email that she could receive 18 other channels just fine.
 

When she questioned the salesperson at Best Buy about her problem he responded that it had to do with the Channel 12 tower location and how HDTV works.  Well, he was close but … no cigar.  For sure, tower location can cause reception issues but in Cincinnati the transmitting towers for all but one TV station are located within a mile of each other.  She was getting all the other stations. So tower location is most likely not an issue.

 

The real reason that Channel 12 is more difficult to receive than any of the other local TV stations lies in the fact that it is the only channel to use the VHF TV Band.  Many will remember the old days when you had VHF and UHF stations.  The major network stations in Cincinnati were in the VHF band, i.e., 5, 9 and 12.  Public TV and FOX were in the UHF band.  In fact, all stations still brand themselves with those old channel numbers but few actually use those channels.  In reality Channel 12 is the only station still using a “real” VHF channel.

 

Unlike the old analog transmissions, digital signals and the VHF band just don’t play well together.  The VHF signal does not cut through obstructions like walls and leaves on the trees as well as transmission in the UHF band.  You might remember that Channel 9 in Cincinnati had a similar issue when it first began digital broadcasting.  The station solved the problem by asking the FCC for a UHF channel in place of the assigned VHF channel.  They now use UHF Channel 22.  Of course, this change cost lots of money as it required a new antenna and extensive transmitter modifications.  But it solved the problem.

 

Channel 12 has not been able or has not tried to get a new channel assignment in the UHF band and as such that channel remains very hard to receive in many areas of our community. Perhaps the management of Channel 12 feels that since most local viewers rely on a cable or a satellite provider for receiving the local channels that making expensive changes for a relatively small number of people receiving over-the-air is just not worth it.

 

There are some things you can do that can help.  For example, using a high gain amplified antenna will often solve the problem and, of course, adding an outside antenna is always a good option, albeit somewhat pricey.

 

As they say, “the problem is not in your set.”  The problem lies in the laws of physics and we are not going to be able to change them anytime soon.

Your New Best Friend

The new operating system for Apple mobile devices was released about a month ago and to date some 70% of all who regularly use an iPhone or iPad have downloaded the upgraded OS7 software.  I waited a while as I have found that even with the most diligent testing and pre-evaluation, whenever a new version of software comes out there are always bugs.  This was true with the release of OS7.0.0 but after the release of OS7.0.2 most, if not all the bugs, have been addressed.

There are several improvements that OS7 provides even to older models of the iPhone and iPad.  For example, I am still using an iPhone 4S and have noticed significant improvements in speed and accessibility.  Perhaps the most visible, or should I say audible, improvements are in Siri, the personal assistant app that uses voice recognition.  The number and complexity of the tasks that Siri can now perform has been greatly expanded.

For those who do not use voice recognition applications like Siri, you are missing out on some very cool and helpful features of your phone or tablet.  It should be noted that many of the features of Siri, an application only available on Apple products, are available on other platforms as well.  For example, Google also has very good voice recognition applications and those can be used on both Apple and non-Apple devices.

The new Siri is very reminiscent of scenes from the bridge of the Enterprise in the iconic Star Trek TV series.  Captain Kirk was always in some dialog with the onboard computer.  For example Kirk would command, “Computer, lay in a course for the Orion Nebula.”  The computer would respond accordingly and off the ship would go.  All very cool.  Today, some 40 years later, you can ask Siri to give you directions to Aunt Millie’s house and up will come a map and a GPSapp will lead you there.

The new version of Siri does much more.  You can ask for math problem solutions like the square root of a number.  You can even speak a series of numbers and get a total.  The list of numbers is displayed so you can check to make sure all were included in the total.

If you use a calendar on your smart phone or iPad and forget when you set an appointment in the future, you can ask Siri to find it.  “Siri, when am I meeting with John Smith?”  The response will provide all the meetings you have scheduled on your calendar with John Smith.  Of course, you can ask Siri to schedule a meeting with John Smith at a specific date and time.  If Siri finds you already have a meeting at that time Siri will indicate the conflict.

You can dictate and send emails, instant messages and ask Siri to remind you of a meeting or appointment.  When turning in for the night you can ask Siri to wake you in the morning.  Many don’t use Siri because they forget it is available.  You might want to give it a try.

Now, if Siri can wake me up in the morning, is a fresh cup of coffee out of the question?

Apple Picking Time?

I often get asked for advice about purchasing a new computer, tablet or smart phone.  The question often boils down to whether I recommend going with an Apple product or one from one of a dozen other tech manufacturers.  Like so many decisions about technology products there are many considerations. 

Today the rock star buzz around the announcement of any new Apple product is extraordinary.  Apple aficionados wait in line for days so they can be the first to have the newest and greatest.  It is not surprising that one would think that only Apple products are worth looking at and all the others are “also rans.”  There are many very good products, many even superior to those that have the iconic Apple logo.   So what is the big difference between Apple and everyone else?

I have long been somewhat less than high on Apple for reasons that have little to do with its technology.  I did not like the control that Apple placed on the products and services.  It reminded me of Henry Ford when he said that you could have a Model A in any color as long as it was black.  That control however has allowed Apple to make it very easy to use its products.

In my opinion it is the integration of their products that makes Apple a good decision for most people.  Apple’s legendary tight control over hardware, software, marketing and applications allows their products to work together seamlessly and efficiently.   From the very beginning of the computer age the Apple vs. Microsoft battle has waged on and at its core was Apple’s belief that control would provide a better user experience.  Microsoft allowed most any company to build machines, author software and develop systems using their operating system.  They were convinced that this would foster innovation.  It did but unfortunately it also allowed for many product and system incompatibility issues and required users to learn different commands and procedures depending on the product they wished to use.

Today if you already have one Apple product you should try to stay with Apple when you are buying another device.  For instance if you already have an Apple computer on which you have stored calendar and contact information you can easily access that information using an iPad or iPhone using iCloud.  For the most part Apple takes care of all the machinations that make that work.  You will also find many of the conventions, icons, nomenclature and graphic look are all integrated and very intuitive across the various products.   Of course you can share calendar and contact information among other non Apple devices but it requires much more user involvement.  In short by keeping tight control over all aspects of the products Apple does all of the heavy lifting of keeping the underlying systems running and lets the user concentrate on the task at hand.

Simply put when you ask for the time of day an Apple product will give it to you.  Many other non Apple devices will tell you how to build a watch.  You may end up with a Rolex but did you really want one?

Just my opinion…

Cut Your Monthly TV Bill in Half

The one thing that has not changed with all the advances in cable and satellite TV services is the steady price increase.  The recent brouhaha between Time Warner and CBS is only one in a long list of contentious negotiations relating to paying for TV.  The more the cable company pays, the more the customer will need to pay.  As discussed a few weeks back, with cable we all pay for many services we neither view nor want.  When and if that will change is anybody’s guess.  No matter, there are some things you can do to cut the monthly cost of TV.  With the average cable bill running well over $125 per month, some are opting for new ways of watching TV.  Some services remain free and others provide similar services to cable for a fraction of the cost.

Many would be amazed at the selection of programming that is offered free over the air from local TV stations.  Most provide three or more different services over and above the main channel.  For example, Channel 48 provides major PBS programs on 48.1 and two other services. One is for Arts and the other airs many how-to programs.  All the commercial stations provide extra services and all are free.

A look at the offerings of Netflix and Hulu Plus will show that many of the most watched programs are available there, too.  Not only can you watch the latest episode of hits like Modern Family, you can watch all the previous episodes as well.  All of this is on demand.  You are no longer wedded to the network’s schedule and you don’t need a DVR.  The combined monthly fee for Netflix and Hulu Plus is about 16 bucks.

Of course, you need to have high speed internet access in your home.  This averages about $50 per month.  So the combined monthly TV bill is now at about $66 or about ½ of what you are paying now.

To really enjoy these services you need either a smart TV with internet access built in or a separate device like AppleTV or Roku that connects the internet to your flat screen TV.   This is a one time investment of between $50 and $100.

This option is not for everyone.  For example, right now if you want ESPN you have to also be a subscriber to cable which negates any savings.  With AppleTV however there are several cable-like services like the Weather Channel, HBO Go and others that do not require a cable subscription. 

Before you decide to give up your cable or satellite connections try these broadcast and internet services for a month or so.  You can cancel without penalty and the $16 won’t break the bank.  If you find that you don’t miss cable or satellite services go ahead and cut the cord.  If not, you lost the price of a good pizza.