Q: I purchased an EDTV with integrated digital tuner ATSC/NTSC. I thought it would be compatible with the 2009 change but since have heard it might not, that I’d need HDTV. Do I?— Maria DiValco, Denver
A: The television you purchased should be fine, according to the folks at Rocky Mountain PBS Channel 6 in Denver. If not, then “something’s clearly wrong,” station general manager James Morgese told me.
You were quick to have purchased a television set that is ready for the analog-to-digital conversion set to occur on Feb. 17. Too many who rely on over-the-air signals are waiting.
The EDTV — short for “enhanced definition television” — is at the lower end of the digital-receiver spectrum, taking in fewer lines of transmitted image than the upper-tier high-definition televisions. Not to worry, though, because it’s a good set that should prove fine for the switch.
That ATSC/NTSC tuner will actually grab both digital and analog signals, a handy device since you’ll not need the converter box for which the government is passing out $40 coupons.
As long as you’ve got a good high- gain UHF antenna — remember, there’s no such animal as a digital- compatible or digital-ready antenna — and it’s pointed toward Lookout Mountain where all the transmitters are located, you’ll see the free channels just fine come the conversion.
David Migoya wants to get the answers to your consumer questions. E-mail consumertips@ denverpost.com or write to Consumer Shopping Bag, The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave. Suite 600, Denver, CO, 80202.
