Q: I have a new HDTV and can’t find listings of what’s on HD or on the new subchannels. Surely there’s a place to look? — Joan O’Neil, Denver
A: Absolutely there is. Unfortunately it’s not in your local television guide, either the magazine variety or the newspaper insert.
The quickest place to find the latest in subchannel and HD programming — you’ll recall that subchannels are the new ones added with the all-digital switch from analog — is on the Internet.
Each station’s website offers detailed information for each channel. Some, like Channel 9.2, don’t require any detail. It’s weather all the time.
The folks at KUSA-Channel 9 and KMGH-Channel 7 say print space is limited and publications such as TV Guide or the weekly newspaper insert can’t include all the new listings for the extra channels.
Too, each converter box or digital television has access to an on-screen guide. It works by reading the Program System Information Protocol from a station’s signal and provides some details.
Check your owner’s manual to ensure you access it correctly.
A lot of this might change in the future as more stations switch to all-digital programming. The final deadline for all stations nationwide to convert is in June.
The stations can have up to six subchannels, though most won’t be high-definition (HD) offerings take up much more of the available bandwidth.
Q: If you decline long-distance service with Qwest, they charge $3.50 a month. Why is that?
— Phil Keenan, Denver
A: Qwest will charge you the $3.50 fee only if you request that long-distance calls be blocked from your line.
That is, any outgoing long-distance call. You can still receive incoming calls. The fee, then, is for the blocking feature.
You can still refuse to choose a long-distance provider or to enroll in a plan. What that means is any outgoing call is charged at a rate dependent on the call’s destination and its carrier.
But you’ll not incur the monthly $3.50 fee.
