[SBE] Consumer DTV Education

[Tony Mancari]

Vinny and all- 

Our Chapter found a hosting station location and partnered with all the
TV stations in the area so we had everyone (all Chief Engineers)
together to do a DTV kick off- We also partnered with a big vendor (I
won't mention who it was here) but... did three local DTV schools with
their massive equipment displays. During our DTV for Dummies schools
(which held about 150 students at a time) we set up a pc with a DTV
card, a DTV converter box to an analog TV, and the vendor showed the
HDTV's they brought (all 10 of em!) 

Well ...at the end of the day everyone flocked around the PC and the
converter box (into the analog 20" 15 year old Sony) and very few were
interested in the actual HDTV's except for the real techies. The vendor
was ok with it because they realized up front with SBE doing this it was
a learning community experience. Now I'm also part of DTV Speaks and do
lots of one on one for groups and I hear over and over...thanks- you
made it easy to understand and you didn't even try to sell me something
I don't really need right now. Working with a vendor can be good but...
they really have to understand you are educating the public and not
trying to sell them a particular product.

Have a great Holiday weekend everyone and ...Vinny thanks for stepping
up to the plate to assist while Barry is recovering. Say Hi to David
Staunton!

Best,
Tony

Tony Mancari SBE 78 Vice Chair
WVPT DTV
298 Port Republic Road
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
(540) 437-2451
(800) 345 WVPT
(540) 434-7084 (fax)
tmancari at wvpt.net
www.wvpt.net