Digital Television And You

On February 17, 2009, all television broadcast stations are required to stop transmitting their traditional analog signals and swicth entirely to digital television. Wow, that sounds ominous, doesn't it? Well, don't panic. The changes will only affect people who receive their television signals over the air - either through a set-top antenna or an outside antenna. If you receive your television service by cable or by sattelite, your current connection or converter box will continue to provide you with the same service that you're getting now.

If you receive your television signal over the air, the change will affect you, especially if your television is more than 2 or 3 years old. The key is that your television needs to have a digital tuner built in, or you will need a digital converter box to covert the digital signals into the analog signals older sets were designed to use. If your set is less than 2-3 years old, it probably has a digital tuner, but you need to check the instruction manual or the manufacturer's website to be sure. For the last few years, retailers have been required by law to post prominent signs by televisions they display to warn consumers if they do not have the necessary digital tuner. But several retailers have recently been fined by the FCC because they did not post such signs. So, check the instruction manual or the label on the television to get the model number and then visit the manufacturer's website to check the specifications for your set. It needs to say "digital tuner" or "ATSC Tuner" to be ready for the new digital signals. And if your set has a digital receiver built in, you're all set and you don't need to do anything. So what do you do if your set doesn't have a digital tuner? You need to buy a digital converter box. They cost between $50-60.00. The good news is that the Federal Government is issuing free coupons worth $40.00 off the price of approved converter boxes, so the ultimate price to you should only be $20.00 or so. You can get up to 2 coupons per household. Just click on the ad to the left here. Even though this program has been developing for several years now, finding a digital converter in stores can still be difficult. Four major retailers have made a significant commitment to carrying these converter boxes: Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, Best Buy, and Circuit City. However, you may find the converter boxes are often sold out, or only one store in a region offers them. So you may have to shop or call several stores before you find one. When you receive your coupon, a list of retailers closest to you is included in the envelope.

Installing the converter box is very simple. It's just like hooking up a VCR or DVD player. The antenna input is connected to the input jack on the converter, and the input connector on your television is connected to the output jack on the converter. The converter boxes require a coaxial cable connection. If your antenna or television set uses a pair of wires, you will need to buy an appropriate adapter. Electronics stores like Radio Shack, Best Buy, and Circuit City carry the adapters. Once the converter box is properly connected, it's just a matter of going through a short set-up sequence to allow the converter box to locate all of the digital signals in your area.

The Benefits of Digital Television

You will probably find that the quality of the picture you receive with the converter box is significantly better than what you were used to with the old analog signal because the digital signals are less subject to problems of interference and work well even with relatively weak signals. In addition, television stations can now broadcast more than one signal on their digital channels, so you will also probably find that you are getting many more channels. Most stations will broadcast both a standard definition signal and a high definition signal. Yes, that's right. Digital television and high definition are not the same thing. Old standard definition television is broadcast at 480 lines of vertical resolution. High definition television is broadcast at 720 or 1080 lines of resolution. A digital converter box will let you see the high definition channels. While high definition channels will certainly seem sharper on all televisions, older televisions will only show them to the best of their capabilities.

For more information about the change to digital television, including information on getting your $40.00 off coupon, visit the FCC website at http://www.dtv2009.gov/. When you receive your coupon, bring it with you when you go to the store to buy your digital converter box and you will receive a $40.00 discount at the cash register.

My Personal Experience With A Digital Converter

While we have cable for the living room and bedroom televisions, there is no connection for our kitchen TV. Even though I live in a large city, the over-the-air television reception is poor in our neighborhood. Only two or three stations have an acceptable signal. But with the converter box, I was able to receive all of the local network stations, as well as many independent stations I hadn't been able to receive before, and all with a very sharp, clear picture. And since the box picks up both the standard definition and the high definition channels, on many stations I have a choice of full-screen or "letterbox" images. Beyond that, the local PBS station has three extra digital channels - one general interest, one dedicated to children, and one that shows cooking and creative arts programs. The local NBC affiliate has a special digital weather channel. Weather is something of an obsession here in Minnesota. Our unique "theater of seasons" always keeps us guessing, so I'm sure that's a popular channel. And the digital signals include program information so that with a push of a button on the remote control, I can see the name of the program that's on at the moment and what's coming up next.

Installation was dirt simple and required no tools because the kitchen television has a coaxial cable connector. The digital converter box I bought came with the extra length of cable, so I didn't need to buy anything extra. But even if your set uses the old two-wire connection, the most you'll need is a small screwdriver.