Why the transition?

Through Title II of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 Congress mandated that February 17, 2009 would be the last day for full-power television stations to broadcast in analog. Congress set a firm date because it expects to collect a large sum of money from the sale of the old analog spectrum. These channels will be used by emergency rescue, fire departments and law enforcement for communication purposes. Broadcast stations in all U.S. markets are currently broadcasting in both analog and digital. After February 17, 2009, full-power television stations will broadcast in digital only.

Digital television may appear to be the similar to analog but you'll quickly realize that the picture quality is much better. Right now there are some 70 million television sets connected to "rabbit ears" or roof top antennas. As we all know, it is difficult to consistently receive a good signal with these methods. That is because analog signals depreciate over long distances. An analog signal is sent over-the-air and thus is subject to "noise" or disturbance which is seen in the form of "snow" on any television sets receiving the signal. Digital signals can also be sent over-the-air but will not depreciate the way that analog does.

What is the difference between digital and analog TV?

An analog television picture is "drawn" on the screen an entire frame at a time, similar to the way a motion picture film is a series of still images displayed in rapid succession. Analog television exploits the properties of the human eye to create the illusion of a moving image, or "persistence of vision." Due to this effect, a rapid sequence of images will be perceived as an integrated moving image. Digital television, however, is actually a compressed signal that is sent and must be decoded by a special mechanism before it can be displayed on your television.

The digital television signal can be decoded by a set-top box, a television set designed to decode the signal or a personal computer equipped with a television card. Broadcasting a digital signal will allow television stations to send multiple streams of video through a single channel. For instance, with digital television, over-the-air customers will have access to an on screen programming guide.

What extra equipment (if any) will I need to receive digital TV?

As stated above you can receive a digital signal with a set-top box, a television set designed to decode the signal or a personal computer equipped with a television card. If you purchased your television before 1998 chances are it does not have a built-in digital tuner. If you purchased a television set after March 25, 2007 then it must have built-in tuner by law. Many digital televisions will have labels or markings on them to indicate that they contain digital tuners. If your television equipment contains any labels or markings, you should be able to view digital over-the-air programming without the need for a set-top converter box. Keep in mind, you do not need a High Definition Television to view over-the-air digital programming. As long as your television equipment contains a digital tuner, you can view over-the-air digital programming for free. If you have any doubts you should check the manual or contact the manufacturer in order to determine whether it contains a digital tuner.

If your television set is labeled as a “Digital Monitor” or “HDTV Monitor,” or as “Digital Ready” or “HDTV Ready,” this does not mean it actually contains a digital tuner. You may still need a separate set-top box in order to view programs in the new digital transmission standard (which includes HDTV formats). Remember, there is a difference between high-definition and digital television.

If you aren't currently a cable or satellite customer and you have no interest in subscribing to a cable/satellite service you can still receive an over-the-air digital signal for free. In order to do so you will need to purchase a set-top box converter. The federal government is offering two vouchers to consumers valued at $40 each, you can use these coupons to receive a discount when buying a set-top box. The converter coupon program will be up and running on January 1, 2008. At that time, the government will begin taking requests for coupons. Requests will be taken beginning January 1, 2008, and going through March 31, 2009, by calling 1-888-388-2009. Each household can request a maximum of 2 coupons. Only one coupon can be used per converter. (For more information on the coupon program, visit the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety web site.

Learn more at www.dtvanswers.com and www.dtv2009.gov

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