Key Issues

What is the Digital Transition?

The nation’s full power over-the-air local television stations are moving from an old system known as “analog” broadcasting to a new system known as “digital” broadcasting. On February 17, 2009, TV stations will stop transmitting their programs in today's analog technology, and will start transmitting them only in digital.

What’s the Catch?

The wrinkle here has to do with the incompatibility between this new way of broadcasting TV signals and many TV sets still in use. After Feb. 17, 2009, analog TV sets - TV sets without digital tuners - must be connected to cable or satellite TV service, or outfitted with a special converter box, in order to continue displaying over-the-air TV signals.

Why change a system that has worked for decades?

For one thing, changing over to a digital format will reduce the amount of signal spectrum the nation's TV broadcasting system uses. Some of the extra capacity that's freed up will be made available to first-responders such as local police and fire departments and will enhance the way they react to emergencies. This will significantly increase public safety for all Americans.

In addition, changing to digital broadcasting lets TV stations send clearer signals through the air. Picture and sound quality will be better. TV stations can even use the new digital technologies to transmit high-definition TV (HDTV) signals, and they can introduce new channels.

How Do I Know If I’m Ready If …

… I am a cable TV customer?
If you are a cable customer, you may have to do little or nothing to enjoy your favorite programming after the switch to digital TV (DTV). Your cable provider will take care of the transition for you!

It does this by capturing these digital signals and sending them to your home through the same cable connection that delivers popular national channels like ESPN, CNN, HBO and hundreds of others. As long as your TV sets are connected to cable, they'll display local DTV stations, along with the many other stations cable has to offer.

And, if you've signed up for Digital Cable, you're already enjoying all the benefits of digital TV, including more channel choices, and better quality picture and sound. And even better, if you have a high-definition TV (HDTV), you can ask to be connected to Digital Cable with HDTV. You'll get lots of national and local channels in crystal-clear, high-definition resolution.

Of course any secondary analog television sets you have that are not connected to cable will not receive the new DTV signal.

… I have an analog TV connected to an antenna?
You have three basic options to allow you analog TV to receive digital programming. The first two are to subscribe to a cable or satellite service, where they will take care of converting the digital signal to an analog one for your TV.

The third is a do-it-yourself method. Simply purchase a digital-to-analog converter to connect between your antenna and your TV. These converters will be available from retailers early in 2008, and the federal government wants to help you pay for them. You can apply for up to two vouchers that offer a significant discount off the price of the converters. For more information on the converter coupon program, go to www.DTV.gov, or call, toll-free, 1-888-DTV-2009.

… I don’t know what kind of TV (digital or analog) I have?
What you need to know is whether your TV set has something called a "digital tuner" already built in. If it does, your TV set is already configured to receive and display the new digital over-the-air TV signals that will be transmitted in February 2009. The best way to determine whether your TV set has a digital tuner built in is to consult your owner's manual. If that's not possible, you may be able to look up information about your TV set on the manufacturer's website. Or, you can take an up-close look at your TV set. In any case, you're trying to find out if your set has an input connection labeled "digital input" or "ATSC" (for Advanced Television Systems Committee, which is developing the DTV format).

Here are some general guidelines that may help:

• If you bought your TV set before 1998, it probably doesn't have a digital tuner at all. Almost every TV set made before 1998 was a traditional "analog" set that can't display digital TV signals without either a special converter or a cable TV connection.
• If you bought a big-screen, projection TV between 1998 and 2004, it's possible there's a built-in digital tuner inside. But chances aren't great. Only a limited percentage of projection TV sets (and generally only those 42 inches in diameter or larger) included digital tuners before 2004.
• If you've purchased a new TV set since 2004, your chances of having a built-in digital tuner improve dramatically. Starting in 2004, many of the TV sets sold at popular electronics stores have featured digital tuners that will let you receive the new digital over-the-air broadcasts starting in February 2009. But be wary: It's not a sure thing. Even some of the newer TV sets are purely display monitors that lack the internal circuitry needed to pick up digital broadcasts. Usually these sets have been advertised as "HD-ready" or "HDTV monitor" sets. That means they can display digital and high-definition signals, but they need help getting those signals in the first place. You'll still need a special converter or a cable TV connection.

For more information, visit GetReadyForDigitalTV.org.

Source: NCTA