Cheers, rabbit ears. It’s been swell.
You served admirably for so long, plucking invisible waves from the sky and producing clarity onscreen, a magic act of modern life. You never complained about being left at undignified angles, twisted, telescoped or crowned with foil.
You made TV-watching an active sport, luring us off the couch for one more nudge, tap or abusive strike. You determined the hierarchy of household authority — only the boss could command “Don’t touch it!” or “A little to the left.”
For years you obligingly wore a hanger, hung out the window or gathered dust.
But now you’ll need extra help.
The digital switch is upon us.
Most TV watchers have heard about the major change in the way we receive television. It’s coming, Feb. 17, 2009, and it’s time to make sure your neighbors, family and friends are prepared. Folks who are accustomed to old-fashioned rabbit-ears TV in particular may need your help.
In other words, if you don’t need to do anything, chances are your parents or grandparents do and, well, you were looking for a holiday gift suggestion anyway, weren’t you?
The digital switch: Cause for hysteria or merely mild aggravation?
If everyone pays attention, this should be easy. If you get your TV shows from an antenna, either the rabbit- ears kind or the thing that looks like a barbecue grill on the roof, you need to do something to update before the government-sanctioned deadline.
At midnight Feb. 17, all of TV will go digital.
If you’re among the 8 percent of the country deemed “completely unready” by A.C. Nielsen, you’ll awake Feb. 18 to a dark screen.
The other 92 percent of us won’t notice a thing. We’ll be ready because we get our TV either from cable or satellite or we have digital TVs.
But some 9 million households do need to make changes. If you live in one of those 9 million homes, you have three choices:
1. Get a digital converter box, on sale at most big electronics stores for $50-$70. (Government coupons will cut $40 off the price. Call 888-388-2009, or go to ).
2. Sign up for cable or satellite service, or
3. Get a new TV.
If you use a rooftop or attic antenna to receive your current TV signal, or even set-top “rabbit ears,” don’t throw them out yet — you may still be able to use them with the digital converter box. Check to see if those devices will receive the digital signals being broadcast in your area. If not, you may need to upgrade to a newer, digital antenna.
Now then, just because it should be easy doesn’t mean it will be. People are understandably confused.
Let’s reiterate one point you won’t learn from the salesperson at the big- box store: Brand-new TVs are nice but they’re not absolutely necessary. There’s plenty you can do short of forking over $1,200 for a flat-screen.
Note that we’re not talking about high-definition here. While all high- def sets are digital, it’s possible to have a digital receiver without having HD. If your TV set was built as recently as 2004 or later, it probably has a built-in digital receiver. Check the owner’s manual. (I know, I wouldn’t be able to find mine, either. Go online or call the manufacturer.)
If you decide to go the converter-box route, know that every television set in the house will need its own box.
Bear in mind the government coupons expire after 90 days. A number of readers have called to ask what to do when the coupon runs out. If you’ve applied for only one coupon and it expires, you can get a second. If two coupons expire, you’re out of luck. The last day to apply for one is March 31, 2009.
Let’s say you’ve followed these instructions so far with no problem. You’re not done yet.
Laura Coffin of Haxtun writes: “We receive our television through an ordinary antenna on the roof that is about 12 years old. We bought the converter boxes and they do not find any channels. We live in a rural community on the northeastern plains. We do not know if the antenna now needs to be replaced also. We cannot find answers to this problem on any of the websites. We really do not want cable or satellite. Can you please help us?”
Turns out, when the converter box scans for channels, it may not find any, given the particular topography. If the outdoor antenna is the problem, you can find a better one at , a site run by the Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Broadcasters. They’ll figure out what you need according to your ZIP code.
Finding someone to install a rooftop antenna may be another headache. Most of the major stores don’t offer that service. I found a few Colorado firms listed on Antennas Direct online, .
Another reader asked if he’ll have to ditch his under-the- kitchen-cabinet portable TV. If your old portable TV has an RF or line input jack, it can be connected to a DTV converter box. Otherwise, you’re sunk. If you need a portable to go camping, for instance, there is at least one battery- powered converter box available, from Winegard. But be aware that camping with a TV is a crime against nature.
Other questions folks have been asking:
Will the channel lineup on the dial change so I won’t be able to find my favorite channel?
No. At least for the time being, the channel numbers don’t change. Eventually, more will be added.
Will I need to kick my VCR to the curb?
Maybe. If you use a videocassette recorder simply to play movies or tapes, it will be fine. However, if you use it to record off the air and play back, and if you’re currently using an old antenna, then you may need to upgrade to a DTV antenna.
But here’s a trickier part, if you have separate antenna feeds into your VCR and TV (so that you can watch one channel and record another), you’ll need separate converters for each.
What if I do kick my old TV to the curb?
How to recycle old electronics? Find out at mygreen .
What kinds of TV sets will be workable after the switch?
Sets sold as “HD-ready” and purchased several years ago are not going to help. Those brand new sets called “monitors,” that are sets without built-in tuners, will likewise be useless without either a converter box or a new VCR or DVR that routes signals from the antenna through that digital device and to your TV. (If you go this route, you’ll have to keep the recorder running in order to watch TV.)
Really, doesn’t all of this make you want to junk the set/tube/monitor and go read a book?
Before you give up, the Consumer Reports online site on “how to survive the digital TV transition” is helpful. Or you can call the FCC’s consumer hotline at 888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322). All of the local TV stations can answer questions; this week KBDI-Channel 12’s technical staff will do so on the air, on “Studio 12” Wednesday at 8 p.m.
While broadcasters are helping the government sell the idea, the Consumers Union, a watchdog group, gives the transition plan thumbs down: a senior policy analyst found it “underfunded” and “intentionally difficult for consumers to use.”
The group notes that the digital transition is likely to be “more than an annoyance to consumers; it will be a financial burden as well.”
Which brings us to another point: The digital switch mandated by Congress stands to drive millions of dollars to cable and satellite providers as customers scramble to go digital. But what have the cable/ satellite industries done for us lately? Besides raising their rates? How does the public stand to benefit?
According to Common Cause, this switch will particularly hit those people most likely to own older TV sets. “Especially reliant on free over-the- air television are low-income Americans, seniors, persons with disabilities, non-English speakers and minorities.”
As FCC Commissioner Michael Copps told a group in Denver during a recent tour promoting the digitial switch, this is about more than missing soap operas. There’s a public service and safety element here — all Americans are entitled to get information about threatening blizzards or emergencies, not just those who can afford the latest video technology.
The transition from analog to digital TV should mean that the public gets more: not just better-quality TV pictures, but better local programming. It should mean that the public airwaves could be used to make access to the Internet more available at low cost to rural, low-income and minority households and to small businesses.
A number of public-interest groups argue that broadcasters have misused the public airwaves for years and that this switch is the perfect time to reassess what’s on the air.
Do prepare for the digital switch. But be mindful. This may be a good time to ask what’s in it for you.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
What they owe us
The switch could be a windfall for TV programmers near and far. In return, they should step up their offerings and ditch the dreck.
For all the hassle to consumers, and considering the financial upside for the telecom industries, cable and satellite owe us . . .
More original programming, fewer “Law & Order” reruns. More diverse shopping channels, less cubic zirconia. More first-run movies, less Heidi Klum.
More music videos, fewer MTV “reality” shows. More arts and culture, less do-it-yourself fixing up.
How about a true competitor to CNN since both Fox News and MSNBC have abdicated the roles of unbiased, nonpartisan newscasters? Bring on more news channels.
More credible documentaries, fewer hours of the titillating “Lock Up” on MSNBC. More local civic programming (let’s hear it for Channel 8!) to match the endless tiers of sports programming.
More video-on-demand, less promotion for a handful of new releases.
With digital technology, it will be possible for one TV station to broadcast five streams of programming in the broadcast space where only one program could be aired before. Expect to see local stations streaming all-news, all- weather, all-whatever sub-channels. The point is, television stations were awarded digital TV licenses from the FCC in what’s been called a $70 billion giveaway (what the channel space would be worth if it had been auctioned off). Doesn’t that mean the local stations owe us too?
More local and network news, less promotional chatter.
More local public affairs, less car-accident coverage. More statewide coverage, less Denver-centric news.
More on-demand offerings to take advantage of the digital age, less schedule-bound programming.
Access to the Internet via the public airwaves for rural, low-income, minority and small-business users.
— Joanne Ostrow
