If you’re one of the 20 million Americans who will need a digital-to-analog converter box to watch broadcast TV next year, there’s something else you might need to pick up at a local electronics store — a new antenna.
Much confusion remains about the government-mandated analog-to-digital transition, set for Feb. 17, 2009. Local broadcasters are required to turn off their analog signals in favor of digital ones on that date. Consumers who do not have cable or satellite TV, or a digital television, will have to use digital-to-analog converter boxes to view basic programming on local channels such as NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox.
The cost of the converter boxes, available at such stores as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Radio Shack, can be offset with $40 government coupons, which come in the form of a gift card. Each household is entitled to two cards.
But those cards won’t help the cost should the current antenna connected to an analog TV fail to pick up the new digital signals. Experts say this will only add to the confusion surrounding the digital switch.
“Whenever you have the government involved in something, that’s not consumer choice. It always wreaks havoc,” said Bruce Leichtman, president of Durham, N.H.-based Liechtman Research Group. “The transition is still several months away — and there are a lot of elements to it and some moving parts.”
So do you need a new antenna or not? The answer depends on where you live and whom you ask.
According to the Lake Cedar Group, which represents a group of local broadcasters building a digital tower on Lookout Mountain, a good line of sight from your home to the tower is a important factor.
“If you right now use a rabbit-ears antenna and you’re getting good reception, there’s no reason to believe that if you get a converter box, you wouldn’t continue to get good reception,” said Marv Rockford, spokesman for the Lake Cedar Group. “If you have a rabbit-ears antenna and you get marginal reception, there is a possibility you’ll get better reception when the tower goes up at Lookout Mountain.”
The tower is expected to be operational in June, Rockford said, adding that consumers should wait until that time to hook up a digital converter box and existing antenna.
But the National Association of Broadcasters, which is spearheading digital transition efforts, says the determining factor for whether a new antenna is needed is based on whether residents receive a clear picture when viewing UHF channels, or channels 14 and higher on the dial.
“If you have a regular rabbit-ears antenna but don’t have a UHF one, you’re going to be a candidate for a new antenna,” said association spokeswoman Shermaze Ingram. A UHF antenna resembles a semicircle or bowtie, Ingram said.
These recommendations are for residents with indoor antennas. Some users might need outdoor antennas, and finding the right one requires additional work.
“If (the indoor antenna) doesn’t work, then you’ll need an outdoor antenna,” said Lynn Claudy, senior vice president of science and technology for the broadcasters’ association. “There are many different kinds of situations and each one is different, so it’s impossible to give a categorical answer. TV service in the U.S. was designed for use with an outdoor antenna.”
Claudy said that some residents may need more than one rooftop antenna in order to capture signals from different directions.
Leichtman said that part of the problem is that when the federal government began considering an analog-to-digital switch several years ago, it was assumed that most people would have abandoned their old analog sets in favor of new digital or high-definition ones.
“That was a highly flawed principle. . . . The vast majority of sets in U.S. are still analog,” he said. “The people that need to take action are not sure of what action is needed.”
The broadcasters’ association has set up a website, , where people can enter their address to see what kind of antenna they will need.
But Rockford says that trusting a website, or running out to hire an installer for a fancy new outdoor antenna, is premature — and in most cases may be unnecessary.
“My advice on the way to find out whether you would require a different antenna is to get the converter box and see if it works. If it doesn’t, then you can experiment with other antennas,” he said. “Don’t guess what you have. Seek some other counsel and seek another product. TV signals propagate in unpredictable ways depending on trees, other terrain or other circumstances.”
And when you’re at the store choosing an antenna, remember that you need only a basic UHF/VHF antenna — not a digital or high-definition one.
Kimberly S. Johnson: 303-954-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com
To find out more
Information about converter boxes and antennas:
• Go to and type in your address to see what kind of color-coded antenna you may need. Caution: The results are somewhat difficult to understand. The National Association of Broadcasters advises people to purchase the antenna for the highest frequency needed to pick up all signals.
• Go to for more information about the switch and how your TV might be affected.
• Go to to apply for a converter-box coupon.
