The End of Analog Television Begins Today

Today is the final day for television stations to broadcast programming using analog radio signals.

If the next time you switch on the television you see nothing but static, you won't be alone. The FCC estimates that some 1 million television viewers are as yet unprepared for the digital television transition. To accommodate a likely flood of calls and requests from confused television viewers the FCC has put 4,000 operators on standby. Demonstration centers have also been set up in several cities to help people understand the digital transition, and how they can continue to get their programming.

The DTV transition marks the largest change to television viewing in sixty years. The last big change in the television industry was the switchover from black and white to color broadcast. The change was initiated as part of the Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005. The bill returns the analog bandwidth currently used by television broadcasters to use by emergency agencies. The date for the transition to digital television was originally set for February 17th of 2009. The Obama administration, fearing catastrophic backlash from television consumers unprepared for the transition, pushed the date back an additional four months. The FCC feels confident this move has greatly reduced the level of disruption that may be caused by the transition.

Here are some things to know about the digital television transition.

• Any television manufactured after March of 2007 is required by law to include a digital tuner.
• If you purchased a new television after that date, you don't need digital converter box.
• If you already subscribe to satellite or cable television services, you already get digital programming and don't need a digital tuner.
• Most televisions manufactured after 2004 will include a digital tuner. Check with your manufacturer to be sure. Many sets were sold as "HD-Ready" or "HDTV monitor," meaning they have the hardware required to display a high-definition image, but require a converter or cable TV connection to receive a digital signal.
• Television sets made before 2000 will most likely require a digital converter box.
• If your television was manufactured after 2007 and includes a digital tuner, but your image is either garbled, or the station displays either static or a "please upgrade your hardware" message, you may only need a digital antenna.

Some additional resources to help understand the digital television transition:

• Associated press report on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ovqj3RJEuE
• The official digital television transition website: http://www.dtv.gov/
  
  

Your TV is Going Digital

The End of Analog, Networks Required to Start Digital Broadcast in February. Let the age of digital television begin!

At this point it should hardly come as a surprise that your local stations are scheduled to switch their broadcast format from the current analog signal to a digital signal by February 17th of this year. This is to meet requirements put in place by the FCC. The reason for the switch goes back to legislation passed in 2005 that requires the change. It was requested by Congress in order to make additional radio bandwidth available for emergency broadcasts and communications.

This change is set to have a fairly substantial impact on everybody who watches television using a typical antenna. The standard 'rabbit ear' antenna will no longer be adequate to receive a television signal, unless your television already has a digital tuner. For the most part, if you have purchased a television in the last year or so it most likely has an integrated digital tuner. On the other hand, if your TV is maybe several years old it's possible that you may be faced with a loss in signal when the switch is made to all-digital broadcast.

If you have an older analog television that does not have a digital tuner you can avoid losing your television signal with a set-top digital converter box available during the transition period for between $40 and $80. These converter boxes will be available in retail stores during the transition. To offset the cost of the converter box the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce made coupons available. The coupons are for $40 apiece, and you can find more information from the government's DTV transition website located here.

At this time there is a waiting list for the coupons, and the program no longer has any funding. This may mean you will not be able to get a coupon before the transition takes place on February 17th, but it should not affect your ability to purchase a set-top converter box. It does mean you will have to pay full price for the converter box.

You may have more time to get ready for the transition, if you need to do anything at all. The new U.S. administration under President Obama is pushing to delay the date of the transition for three months. The new date of the transition would be June 12th. The new administration, and many Democrats on Capitol Hill make the argument that a delay is necessary so that many consumers, especially to the poor and elderly, do not lose their TV reception when the change is made to the broadcast format. If this goes through, and at this time it is expected to. You would not be required to purchase a converter box or television with integrated DTV tuner until the summer.

Additional reading:

A guide to the digital television transition on Yahoo! Tech News

Article about the DTV Transition Delay on Yahoo! Tech News

The FCC's DTV website

FAQ page on the FCC's DTV website