Preparing for the digital television transition
All television broadcasters have shut down their analog signal in favor of a higher-quality digital signal, because the federal government mandated television stations to switch from analog to digital broadcasting.
The most common question I hear is: What does that mean for me? If you receive a TV signal with an antenna or set-top “rabbit ears” and your TV set does not have a digital receiver built into it, you must use a converter box to watch over-the-air broadcast TV. By law, all TV sets sold in the United States after March 1, 2007 have been required to have a built-in digital tuner. If you do not have a converter box, you can apply for a $40 government coupon here to supplement the cost of one until July 31, 2009, or until supplies run out. You can also call 1-888-DTV-2009.
Please note: You do not need a converter box if your TV is connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV services, or if you bought a new set after March 1, 2007.
You might be thinking: What is this digital television and why is it so important? The mandate to end analog TV transmission was ordered by Congress to provide a common date for the broadcast industry to switch from the outdated analog method of broadcasting to the improved and more versatile digital method. Digital broadcasting is a great advancement over the analog method because it dramatically improves picture quality while taking up a much smaller amount of the public frequency spectrum. The shift to digital frees up parts of the broadcast spectrum for public safety communications, such as police and fire department communications. The additional bandwidth will allow various emergency responders to communicate more effectively with each other in the event of a disaster. Another part of the spectrum will be used by companies to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services, such as wireless broadband internet.
The change to DTV means that broadcasters will be able to offer high-definition (HD) broadcasts or multicast several programs at the same time on their digital bandwidth. High definition digital programming will look sharper and more detailed when viewed on a television capable of displaying HD-quality images. High-definition TV provides a much clearer image, allowing you to read the fine print on the screen and watch your favorite television shows or sporting events in crystal-clear quality! Multicasting will allow stations to broadcast multiple programs on the same channel. For example, a station at channel 7 will be able to offer its main programming lineup on channel 7-1, a second program on channel 7-2, a third program on channel 7-3, and so on. Multicasting and HD broadcasting were not possible using analog technology.
If you still have questions about DTV, visit www.dtv.gov.
