People who watch TV on older television sets without the aid of cable or satellite service will be forced into the digital age in February 2009.
Although it’s more than a year off, the analog-to-digital conversion is weighing heavy on the minds of those charged with easing the transition for the public and for manufacturers making converter boxes.
“What we need to do right now is get consumers aware of what is happening and what their choices are,” said Debra Berlyn, AARP federal affairs consultant.
The federal government wants to use the existing analog-TV spectrum for emergency communication.
About 20 million American households rely on free, over-the-air analog signals for TV, according to the National Association of Broadcasters, a trade association representing more than 8,300 free, local radio and TV stations.
Another 14.6 million households have secondary over-the air TV sets, generally a second or third TV in a kitchen or bedroom not equipped with cable or satellite. Those TVs will need to be replaced with a digital set, hooked up to a converter box or signed up for cable or satellite service, said Shermaze L. Ingram, spokeswoman for the NAB’s digital television transition department.
This January, digital-to-analog converter boxes will hit store shelves to help consumers make the transition.
To date, three manufacturers have announced plans to put a converter box on the market in early 2008 – LG, Thomson/RCA and Samsung. More manufacturers are expected to join them later.
“The converter box comes with all you need … a red, yellow and white cable and a remote control,” Ingram said. “Your rabbit ears (or rooftop antenna) are still your way of getting the (digital) signal. You grab it out of the air, and then your converter box becomes the translator.”
The LG box will be available at retail stores, such as Circuit City, Wal-Mart and Radio Shack, said John I. Taylor, vice president of public affairs for LG Electronics USA.
“Our goal is to have it on the market in 2008,” he said. “We expect it to cost $60.”
Both Taylor and the NAB said that rabbit-ear viewers will see a remarkable improvement in TV reception when they connect a converter. Digital-TV signals are transmitted in DVD-like quality.
Consumers don’t have to wait until 2009 to use their new converter box, as 92 percent of local broadcasters nationwide are already sending out digital signals.
Financial aid is available to offset the cost of a converter box through a government coupon system beginning Jan. 1, 2008. Every U.S. household is eligible for two $40 coupons that can be used on certain converter boxes at participating retail stores. The federal government has set aside a total of $990 million for the coupons and $5 million for a consumer education program.
“We always contemplated that there would be a modest cost for consumers,” Taylor said. “This is not a high-margin product but the right thing to do to support the nation’s transition to digital TV.”
But some people, particularly those who live in nursing homes, may be left out based on federal rules about who is eligible for a coupon. According to the rules, only those homes that have a distinct address and/or apartment number fall under the definition of a household to qualify for a coupon.
The current definition would leave out people living in nursing homes, group homes and assisted-living facilities, said the AARP’s Berlyn.
“The (government) is using the definition of household that doesn’t seem to cover certain types of institutions,” she said.
However, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., introduced a bill last week that would give those without cable or satellite priority in receiving a coupon for two digital converter boxes.
It would also make those living in nursing homes and other nontraditional households eligible for a coupon, establish a grant program for agencies to help seniors and make public service announcements about the transition mandatory.
Berlyn said seniors may have difficulty understanding their need for a digital TV and some may simply be unable to move large TVs to even hook up the digital converter boxes.
“Older individuals perhaps have more challenges to meet in terms of making this transition work for them,” Berlyn said. “AARP is working with the federal agencies and Congress on some of these challenges.”
Kimberly S. Johnson: 303-954-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com
Tower may thwart early adopters
Some viewers in Colorado may have difficulty receiving their digital signals should they want to begin using their digital converter boxes early. That’s because a new tower on Lookout Mountain in Jefferson County isn’t complete. Currently, digital signals from the networks are being sent from downtown Denver and may not reach those in outlying areas with over-the-air antennas and digital converter boxes.
“Denver is running on a shoestring emergency basis,” said Lynn Claudy, senior vice president of science and technology for the National Association of Broadcasters. According to the Lake Cedar Group, the consortium of broadcasters constructing the tower, building is on schedule and is expected to be completed next year, well ahead of the February 2009 transition deadline.
How to tell if your television is ready to go with digital flow
Q: How do I know if I own a digital television?
A: Many digital televisions, or DTVs, and DTV equipment have labels or markings on them, or statements in the informational materials that came with them, to indicate that they contain digital tuners.
These labels or markings may contain the words “Integrated Digital Tuner” or “Digital Tuner Built-In.” “Receiver” may be substituted for “Tuner,” and “DTV,” “ATSC,” or “HDTV” (high-definition television) may be substituted for “digital.”
If your television equipment contains any of these labels or markings, you should be able to view digital over-the-air programming without the need for a digital-to-analog converter box.
Bear in mind that all HDTVs are digital, but not all digital TVs are high-definition. You do not need an HDTV to view free over-the-air digital programming.
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.
If your television set is labeled as “analog” or “NTSC,” but is not labeled as containing a digital tuner, it contains an analog tuner only.
If you cannot determine readily whether your television set or other television equipment contains a digital tuner, check your equipment for the manufacturer name and model number, and contact your consumer electronics retailer, or the manufacturer. Or check the manufacturer’s website.
Source: FCC
Q: How do I get more information about the digital transition and the coupon program?
A: Head to ; ; or call 1-888-DTV-2009/(888)388-2009
A listing of the operational DTV stations is available at .
