Q For several weeks, not just during the cold snap, our garage door has not closed in one smooth motion. We have to push the button on the remote control several times to get the door all the way shut. There is nothing in the way of the motion sensor. The door opens just fine. Any advice?
A It sounds like a defective, misaligned or dirty photo eye is the problem. Clean the eye and check the beam's alignment. If the emitter and sensor don't line up, they will cause the opener to act as if there's an obstruction. A bump, a brush or even just aging can cause these sensors to get out of alignment. Realign them and the problem goes away. Or the eye may need replacing.
Digital and analog Q With the switch to digital broadcasts in February, if I have an analog TV set with cable, will the quality of the picture be any different? Or do I have to own a set with a built-in digital tuner?
A Any television that is connected to cable or satellite -- whether it's an older analog TV or a brand-new digital TV -- is ready to go for the Feb. 17 broadcast digital transition, according to Dave Nyberg with Comcast in St. Paul. After the transition, you may have slightly improved picture and sound quality, depending on your cable provider. Comcast already delivers an all-digital lineup, according to Nyberg.
Some cable or satellite customers, however, may have an older analog TV set that is not connected to cable. For each TV set that falls into this category, they'll need to do one of the following:
• Connect those TVs to their existing cable or satellite service.
• Purchase a digital converter box at a local electronics retail outlet. (The federal government is providing up to two $40 coupons per household to use in conjunction with the purchase of these digital converter boxes.) You should be able to use your existing antenna.
• Purchase a new digital TV set with a built-in digital tuner. You will likely need an external antenna as well to use for the new TV set. However, as long as the TV has a digital tuner, there is no need for an external digital converter box.
