AT&T Tech Support 360
January 30, 2008 12:58 PM PST
FAQ: What the digital-TV switch actually means
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January 30, 2008
Editor's note: This is an updated version of an FAQ first published in September.
faq In a little over a year, some analog television sets will go dark in the U.S., but avid TV viewers shouldn't panic. Chances are, most Americans won't even notice.
February 17, 2009, is D-day for broadcasters to turn off their analog broadcasts and switch to digital. For most TV viewers, the switch will come and go without much notice. But for a small minority of the population, who still get their TV over the air using rabbit-ear antennas, some adjustments will have to be made.
As the the congressionally mandated deadline nears, confusion is mounting as to who will be affected and what can be done to make sure TV viewing isn't interrupted. Broadcasters have already begun airing public service announcements to educate the public on the change, but the government is starting to put pressure on broadcasters to increase their awareness campaigns.
So in case you missed a public service announcement that aired on your local TV station at 2 a.m., here's the lowdown on what you need to know to make sure you don't miss any episodes of your favorite shows.
Q: Is it true if I subscribe to cable or satellite TV service, I can continue using that hand-me-down TV set from a few decades ago after the switchover?
That's right. Because the cable and satellite set top boxes do the digital conversion already. So if you're not even using your TV set's over-the-air tuner, there's no problem. You'll continue to receive all the channels you'd expect--including local broadcast offerings, assuming the service carried them in the first place and will continue to do so--without any need to buy new equipment. And naturally, those who receive Internet Protocol or IPTV--that is, channels shuttled over the Internet--through telephone carriers like AT&T and Verizon, won't have to make any changes either.
Q: I currently rely on free, over-the-air broadcasts and have no intention of ever subscribing to cable or satellite service. What are my options?
If you bought your TV recently, it may already include a digital tuner. As of March 2007, nearly all new televisions should include a built-in digital tuner.
converts like to show: contrast the
snowy picture generated by the good ol'
rabbit-ears antenna and analog tuner
on the left screen with the clearer
image on the right of the analog
TV outfitted with a converter box.
If it's older, you're in the minority that has to do something before the deadline if you want to keep watching over-the-air TV. The simplest--and most expensive--option is to buy a new television equipped with a digital tuner. Many of them are already on the market, labeled as either SDTV (standard-definition TV, which refers to an analog TV equipped with a built-in digital tuner), EDTV (enhanced-definition TV, which can display high-definition images but doesn't have enough resolution to do them justice) and HDTV (high-definition TV, the most common type of digital television). (Click here to view CNET's TV buying guide.) You could also choose to purchase a DVD player or recorder equipped with a digital tuner.
The most economical route may be to buy an external digital-to-analog converter box, which is a digital tuner with an analog output that will let older TVs receive digital transmissions after the switch. Since January 1, the federal government has been offering households two $40 vouchers to defray the cost of designated devices, which cost $50 to $70.
Q: What if I don't have a set-top box, but my cable plugs into my analog TV? What should I do?
You should check with your cable provider. But you might have to get a new TV or the converter box.
Q: So the government is actually giving me up to $80 for nothing?
That's right, although of course you're paying for it yourself (along with the overhead for a government bureaucracy to administer the program) in taxes. Regardless of how much money you make or even whether your household relies on free, over-the-air TV broadcasts, you'll be eligible to apply via phone, Web, fax or snail mail for the coupons during a first phase, in which 22.5 million coupons are expected to be available. The last day to make such requests is scheduled to be March 31, 2009. Coupons are set to expire three months after being issued.
Q: What if the coupons run out?
Some consumer groups have argued that Congress should really be making double the number of coupons available to accommodate all of the some 70 million television sets they expect will need the converter boxes. Some Democrats have thrown support behind that idea.
If the first wave of coupons runs out, Congress could authorize an additional $450 million, creating up to 11,250,000 more vouchers. But those would be limited to households that claim they rely on over-the-air TV.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is overseeing the coupon program, has more information on its Web site. The agency said earlier this month that more than 2 million vouchers had been requested since January 1.
Q: If I requested a voucher when will I get it?
According to the NTIA Web site, the agency will be sending out vouchers starting February 17, 2008.
Q: So I can use my address and my friend's address and my mom's address to get a bunch of these coupons, with a market value of $80 for a pair? If I can scare up five mailing addresses somehow, that's $400 for one or two minutes of work, right?
Right.
Q: Dang! Is it legal to resell these vouchers on eBay?
If there's only one person behind five different addresses, it might be considered fraud. On the official Web site for requesting a coupon, the Commerce Department says: "It is illegal to sell, duplicate or tamper with the coupon."
Q: I'm an inmate in state prison in Cresson, Penn., and I don't get out for nine more years. Can I and 100 of my best friends here each get $80 in vouchers?
No. Although the Commerce Department mentions the prospect of prisoners (PDF) receiving Digital TV converters on its Web site, a spokesman said the U.S. Census definition of "household" does not include anyone who dwells in prisons and other "institutions," including college dormitories, nursing homes, and group homes. That means those TV watchers are not eligible to apply for their own coupons.
See more CNET content tagged:
digital television,
TV,
broadcaster,
FAQ,
analog
https://www.dtv2009.gov/FAQ.aspx
How many none techies actually visit this site?
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you.
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.
Oh-a oh
They took the credit for your second situation comedy.
Rewritten by machine and new technology,
and now I understand the problems you can see.
Oh-a oh
I met your children
Oh-a oh
What did you tell them?
Digital killed the analog star.
Digital killed the analog star.
High Definition TV came and broke your heart.
Oh-a-a-a oh
And now we meet in an abandoned studio.
We watch the broadcast and it seems so long ago.
And you remember the jingles used to go.
Oh-a oh
You were the first one.
Oh-a oh
You were the last one.
Digital killed the analog star.
Digital killed the analog star.
In my mind and in my bar, we can't rewind we've gone to far
Oh-a-aho oh,
Oh-a-aho oh
Digital killed the analog star.
Digital killed the analog star.
In my mind and in my bar, we can't rewind we've gone to far.
High Definition TV came and broke your heart, put the blame on DVR.
You are an analog star.
You are an analog star.
Digital killed the analog star.
Digital killed the analog star.
Digital killed the analog star.
Digital killed the analog star.
Digital killed the analog star. (You are an analog star.)
set of digital channels to analog all the time? For example, can I
watch one channel while recording another with only one box?
Now - answer this one:
Will they come out hand-held digital TVs in the U.S.?
I've read about development of hand-helds that will operate on the European system (not compatible with the U.S. format) - but not a word for the U.S. During power outages I don't want to be relegated to having to: 1) Paying my cell phone company for access 2) Watching on a tiny cell phone screen.
coupons to get set-top converter boxes. But I
never found the complete link to the govt.
source for the coupons.
I expect the analogue output won't be as sharp as full digital, but isn't that true even if we go with 1 box per TV?
I help out one of my family members.
Specs are:
Family member is 90+
Lives in a rural area - No cable ....,
no interest in paying monthly for Satelite(plus the down side of the compilication factor)
Uses a broadcast antena.
Uses a VCR daily, to tape while watching a diff channel.
Changes in remotes, TV's and VCR's are a real problem - no real technology savey- its all by rote.
Fixed income - cash is kinda scarce.
Issues:
Not even sure from the start if any OTA-DTV will be available, this is a ways from any city. I'm not sure people are truely compehending the drop in service with digital since anything below a sufficient signal yields zero signal.
To start we talking folks that were the last to get electricity and phone service.
How many folks are gonna be where they have to go to monthly service or lose service.
The set-tops seem to only be single tuner, so 2 would be needed one for VCR one for TV.
VCR's are actually kind of hard to come by and the whole DVR thing is kind of a stretch.(Hey it is what it is - she understands VCR's - DVR's not the same)
Going from 2 remotes to 4 remotes.
Why can't there be multi-tuner ones?
And the whole thing about; now the Remote controls the box and not the appliance is a huge step back and additional complexity.(Not including the losing the automatic VCR channel change) Cable guys must be laughing it up, see as how complicated this is getting just to watch "free" tv.
A lot of these problems would be solvable - but the hardware guys are either too far behind or are the same guys that would rather sell you a 1K flat panel.
I'm at the point, I don't have a clue what to recommend, I feel bad that along with the aches and pains of age, now they've got a government induced headache.(Yea Yea greater good - ... this is another typical - cake and eat it too - I want the spectrum for re-sale but I don't want to pony up on the costs so I'll just dump it on somebody else cause I can get away with it)
or main digital TV converter box per each house hold? Then run cords, or whatever is less annoying, to the box ...
Why MUST we be forced into switching? I have a few crummy little cheap TV's spaced around the house,
garage, etc. that are not worth $40.00 ... am I expected to get digital converters for them?
What about my little handheld? Now it's a $250.00 worthless piece of #@$%! ???
I think people ought to have the option of keeping what they have, are use to, can afford
to up grade. Not being forced into what others believe is best for them.
And how long will it be untill there are no longer
any free TV singals?
Upon reading the lengthy instructions which accompanied the coupons I noticed that I had only 90 days to use them. Ah...but there is NO date either on the cards themselves, the instruction sheet or even the envelope. So when did the 90 day count down begin?, your guess?and a guess is all it can be?is as good as the next persons.
Alas I was without the needed funds to make the purchase at that moment so I waited until my check arrived and then hurried to the nearest Wally-World and forked over the money to cover the added cost of the boxes.
After hurrying home I immediately read the instruction book to assure myself that I knew exactly how to install my marvelous new digital TV receptors. No need to mess with my outdoor high gain antenna as it is already aimed precisely for best reception of the four main channel transmitters located within a close geographic area 45 miles distant. In effect at that range all the transmitters fall within the narrow beam and does not require any re-aiming of the antenna for each individual station.
The upshot of this new and improved television reception is that I now receive one, count em...ONE, channel. Before the improvement I was receiving no less than eight (8) channels clearly and another five (5) in fair to poor strength, depending upon weather conditions at the time.
So, when the law of the land goes into effect and I am forced kicking and screaming to view new and improved digital television, I will be limited to a single station to choose from. Ain't progress great?, but I'm sure someone in the government knew this would happen and are taking steps even now to rectify the error. But I won't hold my breath waiting to the "fix" to appear.
On the other hand, just what am I missing? Truth be told nothing, nothing at all. Well maybe that's not absolutely correct as I do sometimes watch the weather when there are storms approaching from Alabama. Nice to know when there's a tornado heading my way but otherwise there's nothing but the constant flow of dysfunctional families, cop shows and far flung political tripe inter spaced by talent less talent shows and home videos of seemingly brain dead folks trying to make their bodies do likewise.
All in all I'm not missing a thing.
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by bmph8ter
June 17, 2008 1:19 PM PDT
- Ambicious: Your 90 days began the day they were mailed. Don't be discouraged about your channel count either. There will be more stations coming online between now and February. I know it sucks to wait; You may consider unhooking the box for a while and maybe just try it every so often to see if any more stations in your area have switched.
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