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Digital TV: Transition on the Way for Broadcasting

Posted on: Sunday, 13 July 2008, 06:00 CDT

FAIRMONT -- The transition from analog to digital TV is on the way.

The federal government has directed local network affiliates to broadcast only in digital signal and stop broadcasting in analog. This federally mandated switch will take place on Feb. 17, 2009.

"What's happening in February 2009 is the government is recalling all of the analog broadcast," Lenny Hannigan, general manager of the Time Warner Cable office in Clarksburg, said. "The government is saying you can no longer transmit an analog signal."

Bob Grove, spokesman for Comcast, explained that this change is about the way the local broadcasters put out the over-the-air signals, which is why it's called the digital broadcast transition. It really only impacts a small number of channels, the local channels, and doesn't affect the cable programs.

If a person has either a cable connection, satellite dish or a digital tuner on the television set, he or she will be covered for the transition and doesn't have to do anything, he said.

However, someone who accesses local stations with rabbit ears on a TV or an antenna on the roof will have to action. Grove, who works out of the Pittsburgh office, said persons in this situation can either subscribe to cable or satellite or purchase a converter box to get the digital signal.

A federal government program provides people with two coupons, each worth $40, toward the purchase of one of these boxes, he said. The converter boxes are made by a variety of manufacturers and are available in retail stores.

To apply for these coupons, individuals can visit www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-DTV-2009. The coupons, which are good for 90 days after receipt, are mailed with a list of local retailers that carry the converter boxes, Grove said.

He said persons who have televisions with a digital tuner are already equipped to pull in the channels, so they won't need a converter box, cable or satellite. Some TVs already have a digital tuner, so people should check to make sure. Since March 2007, all televisions in the United States have been required to have a digital tuner.

If an individual has an older TV set, he or she could choose to purchase one with a digital tuner, Grove said.

However, it isn't necessary for everyone to go out and buy a digital television, Hannigan said. The government has made the converters available so people don't have to purchase a new TV.

Grove said many people have more than one television in their homes, and sometimes the second or third TV set is not hooked up to cable. These sets won't get any of the broadcast stations after Feb. 17.

Comcast is working hard to inform people about the federal government's directive for networks to stop broadcasting in analog and switch to digital, he said.

"We at Comcast are making a big educational push," Grove said. "Cable and the broadcasters together are really trying to get the word out about what's happening, when it's happening," and how it will affect viewers.

Hannigan said there's a lot of misinformation out there. As much as Time Warner Cable has tried to talked about the issue, many people still have a lot of questions and are confused about what the digital transition means.

"We want folks to be educated," he said. "We are trying to fully educate folks on what exactly is happening."

In addition to sending out messages in bills and offering brochures and materials, Time Warner Cable has also been doing cross-channel TV spots to tell people what's going on.

"If you're a cable customer, you have absolutely nothing to worry about," he said. "Customers that are on cable will not be affected by this whatsoever."

To get ready for the digital TV transition, noncable customers who are using rabbit ears, antennas or similar devices will need a converter, Hannigan stressed. He explained that the box converts the digital signal to analog.

"What digital quality means is there's more pixels, so it's a tighter picture," he said. "It means better picture quality, oftentimes better sound."

For more information, visit www.comcast.com/dtv  or www.timewarnercable.com/Clarksburg/products/cable/dtv/default.html.

Other helpful Web sites include www.dtv.gov, www.dtvanswers.com and www.dtvtransition.org.

Source: The Times West Virginian

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