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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes Don't get stuck in the proverbial television snow come February; here's what you need to know about the digital TV switch  Image courtesy Mitsubishi For Americans who use rabbit ears or rooftop antennas to watch television, the end of over-the-air broadcasting at midnight on Feb. 17, 2009 is not the end of the world but rather a new beginning. "About 85 percent of television stations nationwide are already broadcasting in digital, so the person who makes the switch will see an immediate improvement in the quality of the picture and the choices of channels," says Bart Forbes, public affairs specialist with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. But while hooking up a digital converter will change your picture immediately, it will not give you HD TV, Forbes points out. By slicing up the broadcast spectrum, local television stations can offer more channels. "For example, public broadcasting channels [can divide up] kids, how-to and cultural programs, instead of them all being on one channel," Forbes says. To make the switch to digital, consumers using antennas for their analog televisions have three options: 1) Buy a television with a digital tuner; 2) Connect to cable, satellite or another paid television service; or 3) Keep the existing analog television and purchase a converter box that plugs into the television. The government is offering a $40 coupon toward the purchase of a converter box, which can be found at local retailers. Although each household can request up to two coupons, and while there are more than 33.5 million coupons available, the coupon offer does not last forever. The deadline to apply for a coupon is March 31, 2009. The coupon also has an expiration date of 90 days - and that's not 90 days after Feb. 17, 2009, either. "We encourage people to apply for a coupon and buy a converter box as soon as possible because on Feb. 17 at midnight, their analog television will not pick up a signal without a converter box," Forbes says. "The problem is we don't have control over the U.S. Postal Service. You should allow for up to six weeks for delivery of the coupon." For more information on the digital television transfer, go to www.dtv2009.gov. |
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