Demystifying the Digital TV Transition
As you may have heard on February 17th, 2009 all television broadcasts will convert to a digital signal only. Among some new desirable features for TV viewing, including a much-improved picture, this move will free up broadcast bandwidth for things like emergency services and advanced wireless services.
We are told that after February 17th, 2009 you will need to have a Digital TV or be required to have a separate Digital to analogue converter – similar to a cable box. If you have satellite TV you are not affected
Generally speaking if you own an older CRT TV as opposed to a "Flat Screen" your tuner is probably not Digital. However some flat screens, especially the off-brands, are not digital either.
As of last year, retailers were required to inform customers of whether the TVs they were purchasing were digital-ready. Unfortunately, Target and BestBuy among others failed to do this and have since been fined. Nonetheless there are a lot of TVs out there that are not digital ready.
You can email me with your model number and I should be able to tell you if your TV is digital.
What’s really going to happen?
On February 17th, 2009 all broadcasters that send a signal over the airwaves (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.,) will switch to Digital. If you receive your signal via Rabbit ears or a roof antenna and you have an analogue TV you will see nothing but snow. You will need a converter.
If you have cable TV it gets a little complicated. The cable companies will be receiving broadcast stations (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.,) in digital and will then have the option of converting the signal to analogue or simply leaving it in digital. The same will apply in general to cable stations (HBO, TNTetc.,). Some cable companies have already converted to all digital.
If your cable company is digital already or plans on converting by February 17th:
Cable TV customers with non-Digital TVs who do not have cable boxes can get a cable box from their service provider. If you currently have a cable box attached to your TV you would just need to confirm with your cable company that the box is digital. It probably is. You can always call me.
Besides the unsightliness of a box in general as well as the slightly more complicated operation, it will be especially unsightly for smaller TVs in a kitchen environment or one that sits on dressers in guest rooms
Some cable companies may not flip the switch right away
If we all know something about Cable Companies we know that they are not generally reliable about timely service. I don’t think some companies have the capacity to get cable boxes to all of their customers between now and February. I would think they would have to start very soon, so it would not be in their interest to "flip the switch” unless they also had significant shares of DirecTV.
Join my mailing list and stay informed.
For more information on the Digital TV Conversion, go to http://www.dtv.gov/
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