Dtv 2009

That's what the CECBs are for


You're asking for one box that can take 6 local stations, with up to 4 subchannels each, and putnthem all out on individual channel. Cost Prohibitive. Teach them how to use the CECBs instead.

One possible solution would be to purchase a new, inexpensive CRT set. If it's a more recent model, a digital tuner will be included, and you'll typically see the "SDTV" logo imprinted on the shipping box, as well as the set itself. Wal-Mart has a variety of models to pick from.

Well, you could spring for HDTV, but really, the CECB is less confusing than what cable offers. My CECB (Zenith) lets me delete unwanted channels, and there's also a favorites list. If I punch in nothing more than "2" it takes me to 2.1 within a few seconds. It's faster to punch in 2 and ok, or 2-1, or 2-1 and ok. But there are so many ways to get there, and one is bound to feel right. CECBs use virtual channels, so it's easy for someone used to OTA, compared to cable, which is only half way logical for local channels.

You can get a learning universal remote so the buttons are what's comfortable and located where they are used to. Yes, it's more complex than changing the channel, but there are features older people will quickly grow to love, like a readable EPG and "display" of what's on, it's far better than the fine print in the newspaper, and it includes sub-channels.

There are annoying things about my Zenith cc, like not having a simple toggle (analog/digital/off), instead having to cycle through 15 choices when stations aren't broadcasting digital cc, but even so, I use cc much more than I did before, just because it's accessible from a button without interrupting what I'm watching. So yeah, there's stuff to learn, but nice features that make it quite worthwhile. Like finding out I get 4 PBS stations instead of 1.

A chart or table can really help people who have learning difficulties (at least for new electronics) or memory difficulties.

A table or chart to correspond newspaper listings for channel numbers to that of tuner box.

Step by step instructions of button press combinations to achieve a particular function listed by function.

I've had success in helping elderly people use cable boxes and/or vcr/dvd with tv, I think the issues with dtv would be the same as cable boxes.

Yes, charts can be very helpful, sorted by local number or network name, however they think of them. I photocopied the remote for my mom, to illustrate sequences. The remote had a 'can't miss it' "power" button, but she looked for "ON/OFF," so having a labeled photo helped. I laminated two pages back to back, but spiral bound index cards would work well, too -- pics of menus and how to get there. Or the many ways to select a channel - things not in the user manual.

One more thing: if the tv remote is still accessible, your grandparents need to know what it looks like if they accidentally change the tv channel, and how to fix it. If they just use the CECB remote, it will never be a problem. I keep hitting the up channel when I'm in tv mode on my universal, which is why I think of it. Plus, I got snow when I hooked up the box, and I disn't see anything in the guide; with RCA cables, I needed to have my tv on Video1.