Jersey Shore Business Journal

February 06, 2008

Will you be ready?

Digital Television Transition Only A Year Away

By JOE GRANESE
Correspondent
One year from now, on Feb. 17, 2009, the way you watch television will change forever. That is the date that television stations in the United States will cease providing an analog signal and begin to broadcast exclusively in digital format. You will not be able to say you have not been warned if your screen goes snowy just before Super Bowl XLIII kicks off in Tampa.
The changeover is being engineered under federal law. The change to digital television, or DTV, was mandated when President Bush signed the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act into law in February of 2006.
Aside from the expense associated with such a rapid changeover, there are quite a few benefits included in the transition. At the top of the list, public safety and certain wireless communications will have access to more bandwidth as private broadcasters are dislodged from more than 60Hz of the broadcast spectrum.
Digital television broadcast signals will now be confined to the portion of the spectrum currently occupied by channels 2 through 51, with wireless systems occupying the area now used by channels 52 through 69. For a more detailed explanation of the changes, you can visit www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Digital_Television_Transition_and_Public_Safety_Act,
For the viewing public, the transition will impact to virtually everyone, from the occasional viewer who simply watches local stations via over-the-air signal, to the all-day every-day tuber who turns on the TV first thing in the morning and turns it off just before nodding off to sleep.
In all cases, the type of television you currently own has a great deal to do with the way the DTV changeover will affect your viewing habits. Over-the air viewers who currently own televisions equipped with a digital tuning system may only have to add something as simple as a set of rabbit ears to their system. This category includes viewers already using a separate digital tuner, frequently referred to as a set-top box.
Virtually all new-stock televisions sold after March 1, 2007 were required to be equipped with a digital tuner. After May of last year, any retailer still selling analog systems was required to inform consumers that their set would require a digital tuner after the February 2009 changeover. You can find more information on these laws at www.dtv.gov, or you can call the FCC at 1-888-225-5322.
To determine if your TV is digital or analog, consult the information supplied with the television by the manufacturer. Most digitally equipped systems were boldly labeled as such. Keep in mind that the presence of the words “Digital” or “Digital Ready” does not mean that your set has a digital tuner.
You can visit the manufacturer’s website for more information, and possibly find an e-mail address or telephone number there to ascertain your status. If your television turns out to be digital, don’t worry. There are plenty of solutions that will keep your current equipment operating after the changeover. After Feb. 17, 2009, your analog tuner equipped television will simply require a digital-to-analog set-top converter box to continue content delivery.
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2008, consumers will be able to apply for up to two coupons good for $40 each toward the acquisition of such a converter. You can get more details on this program and apply for your coupons by visiting https://www.dtv2009.gov/ or calling 1-888-388-2009. Both resources will also be able to help you find a supplier for your new converter.
Surprisingly, you may not require a special antenna to receive digital signal. If your existing antenna is capable of receiving UHF signal, that is to say channels higher than 13, it should continue to work correctly after the transition. If not, a quick trip to a local consumer electronics retailer should yield the appropriate equipment.
Many cable and satellite television subscribers are already enjoying the benefits of digital television. Most set-top boxes provided by premium television services are already capable of delivering digital to televisions equipped only with analog tuners. If you are unsure, contact your provider and ask about equipment availability.
Keep in mind that this time next year all televisions in your home, as well as VCRs and PVRs, you may have in service will also need to be equipped to receive digital signal. This means that you may need to acquire converters for several devices before achieving compliance. Again, contact your cable or satellite provider for more information.
There is another solution to the problem for those highly dedicated television viewers who have been waiting for the right time to make the jump to new equipment. Consider that the winter holidays and the time leading up to the Super Bowl are among the busiest sales periods for television retailers.
Consider further that as the deadline approaches, more and more consumers will decide to move their old Dumont out to the curb and replace it with the latest chrome-trimmed wall hanging 4” thick TV. The time between those two periods may be your last great buying opportunity for more than a year.
Nearly all retail outlets, online or bricks-and-mortar, experience a slowdown after the holidays as incoming bills and inclement weather keep the buying public out of the market. Expect to see some big sales and great pricing on new televisions in the next few weeks. If you are in a position to make a move, you may be able to land a bargain.
A wide array of television choices await the consumer entering the market in late winter. Tried-and-true CRT sets are still available, along with front and rear projection models and flat panel televisions equipped with LCD or Plasma displays.
You will be able to choose from sets that fit in the space vacated by your old system, or jump up to a new, huge wall-hanging model without fear, knowing that all TVs being sold today are either equipped with an appropriate digital tuner or are clearly marked as lacking that technology. Whether you choose standard definition or high definition television, expect a more pleasant viewing experience once you have made the move to digital.

Joe Granese can be e-mailed at granese@juno.com or you can comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 250.