Feb. sweeps pushed to March

[DAMfan]

The Feb. prime time sweeps will be pushed back to March in 2009 - because of the change over on February 17, 2009 - TV changes over from analog to digital - so far I don't know about daytime Feb sweeps, did ask GL when I called, but I was told they haven't heard of any changes for the show.

[tina m]

Wow, that's very interesting. But I don't get the connection between no Feb sweeps/pushing it back because of DTV. Very strange, but interesting! Thanks!

[JackPeyton]

as far as i know all of TV sweeps is pushed back to March.

[jcar03]

Yes, the whole sweeps period is moved back to March due to the whole DTV transistion which now may be moved as well because people are stupid and couldn't figure it out.

[tina m]

I also heard that the DTV coupons for the converters are running low and Obama wants to push it back, people aren't prepared, etc.. I just want it over with already!

[applcin]

I had gotten my 1st coupon earlier on but didn't use it so it expired. I ordered my 2nd coupon around Thanksgiving and got it mid-December. But in the meantime I ended up buying 2 combo DVR/VCRs with an HD tuner (I have one cable tv and 2 antenna tvs), so I'm already picking up the digital channels on the 2 tvs without the converter box. Plus, it allows me to continue to program shows and it changes the channel, which I've heard you can't do with the converter box unless you get two of them and hook one up to the VCR and one up to the tv.

Anyway, I did order a box (hasn't arrived yet) just to have one (since it only came to about $23 anyway) but the DVR/VCR is doing the same thing, and I like the timer/channel changing capability. I don't understand anything really about the way tv shows are made/broadcast as far as "High Definition" and all those terms but one thing that has changed with me using the DVR as the tuner is that some shows now don't fill up the screen. The right and left sides are now cut off about an inch each on both tvs (one of which is a brand new flat screen LCD). Most shows I've come across seem to be like this (including all the ABC soaps). The news broadcasts fill up the screen except for when they have certain stories. I'm wondering is that a difference between a show that's done in HD vs. one that isn't? Anyway, I don't mind so much since I do get to continue using the timer/channel changer capabilities.

I wish it lets you delete some channels. I'm not really interested in figure skating/skiing and a Spanish channel.

I think the transition, generally speaking, is going to be a nightmare for quite a while. I think a lot of people still are confused about whether their tvs can handle digital. One of my own is several years old and says DTV on it so I thought that one would be okay until my local ABC news ran a test one night a couple of months ago and I lost the signal. I also think a lot of people who are using VCRs and programming shows may not realize they'll lose the channel changer capability when they add the box..and I've also read that the converter box timers "time out." I only found that out by reading up on various sites online.

[dragonflies]

I think the whole thing is stupid(the DTV stuff), cause people who can't afford cable, are basically up a creek, especially if they don't even have 40 bucks to buy the converters

[DavidEvanSmith]

A recent Soap Opera Digest did mention that Sweeps were pushed to March because they anticipate disruption of viewing patterns and want to be able to judge sweeps fairly. It was an article about GH's new storyline that's starting now, and how a story that seemed like a clear "sweeps-tailored" story launched outside of a sweeps period to avoid the Digital TV transition.