UCLA Housing digital TV upgrade problematic for many residents
By Sabiha Khan
Jan. 7, 2011 1:07 a.m.
During the winter campus closure, the cable television signal on the Hill, Faculty Levering Apartments and Weyburn Terrace was upgraded from an analog to a digital broadcast. Although the upgrade will make the television image clearer and offers more High Definition channels, a number of problems remain unresolved.
There are currently dozens of people on a waiting list for digital tuners, which some students need to complete the upgrade process, said John Min, director of information technology for Housing Services.
The guide channel is also not yet available, and not all students who have been upgraded can view all the channels. For some, only 10 to 12 out of the 85 broadcasted channels are available, Campos said. For others, even fewer are accessible, he added. Min said that he was not aware of these problems.
“We only have one channel working … my roommate watches football games so he’s pretty mad,” said Eric Ching, a third-year geography student and Rieber Terrace resident.
When students returned to campus after the winter break closure and turned on their televisions, many found that their cable was not broadcasting properly and discovered fuzzy screens. For some students, the upgrade process was as simple as pressing a button.
“All of the HD stuff looks awesome. All we had to do was autoscan the TV,” said Joel Ontiveros, a second-year communication studies student and Sproul Hall resident.
Ontiveros bought a new HD-compatible television over the summer. For his television, and for most televisions built after 2007, the process of upgrading involves a channel scan. If their televisions are compatible with the digital broadcast, students will then be able to watch cable.
For older televisions, a digital tuner device needs to be installed to pick up the new signal.
Students can rent the device from the Student Technology Center for the remainder of the year at no cost or independently purchase their own tuner for about $100-150, Campos said.
The STC, which implemented the change along with Communications Technology Services, provides support and step-by-step installation instructions. A new shipment of 100 to 150 tuners is expected in two to four weeks, Min said.
Nazia Rashid, a graduate student in education, said she was not able to watch television when she returned from the break.
“It was really annoying to make the switch,” said Rashid, a Weyburn Terrace resident.
The STC is currently working on the problem, according to Andres Campos, programmer analyst at the center.
“There will always be problems when you launch something new and expect it to apply universally,” Campos said.
