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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Results of the test...

are in. The test of the Amber Alert System/Emergency Alert System (constituting this month’s RMT for Alaska) was successfully received, relayed and rebroadcast by the ARCS Television Network at 10:47 A.M., Thursday, September 11, 2008.












Here's a screenshot showing ARCS right off the satellite receiver in the upper right hand corner. (upper left is KTUU's DTV signal off air in Anchorage)
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Standing by for a test...

of the Emergency Alert System utilizing the Child Abduction Emergency (CAE) event code. That is, the Amber Alert. This test will be carried on ARCS Television. We'd love to hear from you if you see it and care to comment.
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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

ARCS Television: Digital or Analog?

Everybody wants to know if ARCS will be going Digital in time for the Februrary deadline. There are lots of PSA's on TV telling of the deadline and how your TV will not work after the digital conversion. But, that will NOT BE THE CASE for ARCS viewers!

Nationwide, there are around 1,800 television stations that must turn off their analog transmitters and go digital. However, the ARCS transmitter in your community is one of some 7,000 low power television transmitters nationwide that are not subject to the digital conversion deadline in February.

Confidence is high that ARCS will eventually go digital, probably in three to five years. That is why you may want to participate in the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. That program is set to expire in March 2009.

You can find out more about all these issues and get all the links here.

Meanwhile, relax and enjoy your ARCS television service with your regular TV's, even after the February deadline.
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ARCS, Digital Television, and The Future


You have probably heard a lot about Digital Television and the upcoming February deadline when “all TV must be digital”. Well, not exactly. Even after February 2009, ARCS will still be “Analog” and your current TV will work just the same way it does now. You won’t need to make any changes to keep watching because ARCS is a “low-power” television system that is not required by the FCC to convert to digital at this time.

The FCC has required some 1,700 full-power stations nationwide to meet this conversion deadline. However there are nearly 7,000 low-power transmitters across the USA, just like ARCS, which are not yet required to convert. Most of these transmitters serve viewers in rural communities.

ARCS probably will convert to digital in the next three to five years, so eventually you will need to do something. One thing you can do right now is check out the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Created by Congress, this program allows households to get up to two coupons, each worth $40, for use in obtaining a box that will convert over-the-air digital television signals for viewing on an analog television set. Even though you won’t need a converter to watch ARCS in the near term, you can still get your coupons, use them to purchase converters at the reduced cost, and then keep them for future use. You can find out more at http://www.dtv2009.gov/ or by calling toll free, 888-388-2009.

Meanwhile we continue to work with volunteers across the state, in more than 230 communities, to repair and maintain the ARCS system.

Would you like to help keep ARCS going in your community? Send an email to arcstv@gmail.com.