Digital TV is Here

Digital Television Is Here. Conventional (Analog) TV Ends February 2009!

After 2/17/09, your analog
signal will go away.

What You Need to Know
Digital television (DTV) is a new broadcasting technology that will transform your television viewing experience. DTV offers movie-quality picture and sound. It also offers multiple programming choices. It is a more efficient, flexible technology that most countries already use.

By federal mandate, all U.S. TV stations must broadcast in digital and turn off their analog services. The government will auction off the broadcast spectrum space currently used by analog channels for telecommunications services such as public safety and advanced wireless communications.

The Transition to Digital TV
U.S. TV stations, including WVIZ/PBS, are already airing digital television programming. Most stations, including WVIZ/PBS, will continue to provide analog programming through February 17, 2009. That is the date after which, as Congress has decided, full-power TV stations must stop broadcasting on their current analog channels.

If your TV tuner is:	...and you get your programming from:	You will need by 2/17/09:
Analog	Over-the-air with an antenna or rabbit ears	Digital converter box
Analog	Cable or satellite	Your cable or satellite provider will address
Digital	Over-the-air with an antenna or rabbit ears	Nothing
Digital	Cable or satellite	Your cable or satellite provider will address

The New Digital TV Sets
There are several varieties -- LCD, plasma and rear-projection. Each type has its pros and cons. There is detailed information available from Consumer Reports (March 2007) and other magazines, and there is a wealth of information online. (Also see “Buyer Beware” section below.)

Your old TV.

You Can Still Use Your Old TV
If you get your TV by cable or satellite, ask your provider about what equipment you’ll need. If you get your TV free over the air by antenna, using an outside antenna or rabbit ears and an older analog TV set, you will need a digital-to-analog set-top converter box connected to each analog TV in your house. These boxes receive digital signals and convert them so they display on analog TVs. You won’t see full digital quality on an analog TV, but you’ll still get the programming you had been receiving, along with new channels. You may be able to see programs in widescreen format on your analog TV. Check the screen format set-up menu on your TV.

You Probably Don’t Need a New Antenna
In general, if you’re an antenna viewer, you can continue to use your current rooftop or indoor antenna to bring in a digital signal.

If You Get Your TV By Antenna, Be Ready
Conventional analog TV goes away Feb. 17, 2009. We don’t want you to miss any of your favorite programs on WVIZ/PBS or any other local TV stations. After Feb. 17, 2009, antenna viewers will need either a digital TV set or a converter box connected to their older TV sets in order to receive a television signal. Converter boxes are available now.

Get your converter box coupon by
clicking above.

Converter Box Coupon Program
The federal government is sponsoring a coupon program that will help antenna viewers with analog TV sets to purchase converter boxes. Between Jan. 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two coupons worth $40 each toward the purchase of up to two set-top converter boxes. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has responsibility for administering the coupon program. Coupons expire 90 days after they are mailed to you.

Order your converter box coupons here.
Locate a converter box retailer near you.
Here's a list of eligible converter boxes.
More information about the coupon program.

The Sound of Ideas: Digital TV Revolution
Aired April 28, 2008
Say goodbye to snow, ghosts and washed out color. The digital TV revolution is here. And for some of us, the biggest adjustment is yet to come. If you have cable, you're probably getting digital TV now. However, the 21 million American households who still use rabbit ears will need a converter box. Confusing? It doesn't have to be. Listen to the program.

Cable and Satellite TV Viewers
Cable and satellite companies will take care of providing their customers the equipment to receive digital signals on either analog or digital TV sets. You can ask your provider for details on the status of your current cable/satellite equipment. See the WVIZ/PBS channel listing for cable and satellite here.

WVIZ/PBS Digital/HD Channels
WVIZ/PBS has four digital channels available: the main channel with all your normal, favorite programs; WVIZ-HD, a selection of PBS programming in High Definition; The Ohio Channel; and WVIZ/PBS World. Check out the program lineup here.

Buyer Beware
All new TVs sold in the U.S. must include digital tuners. However, retailers may continue to sell analog-only devices from existing inventory. The FCC requires them to display a consumer alert that TVs with analog-only tuners will require a converter box to receive over-the-air digital broadcasts. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products.

Glossary

Analog TV: The technology that has been used for the past 50 years to transmit conventional TV signals to consumers. Analog signals vary continuously, creating fluctuations in color and brightness.

Your brand new HD-ready TV.

Digital Television (DTV): The umbrella term encompassing High Definition Television and several other applications, including Standard Definition Television, datacasting, multicasting and interactivity.

High-definition TV (HDTV or HD): The highest quality level of digital television, with clear, sharp, colorful images and surround sound in a wide screen (16 x 9) movie-like format. You need an HD TV set to see the full effect, but you can receive HD on an analog TV set with a converter box. With a digital TV, you can check your on-screen menu to tell what quality level you are receiving.

Standard Definition TV Format (SDTV): This is the lower quality level of digital broadcasting, though it still produces markedly better images than those of traditional analog TV. SDTV’s quality level is somewhat akin to current digital cable pictures, though its images are not nearly as sharp as those of HDTV. Transmission of SDTV may be in either the traditional (4 x 3) or widescreen (16 x 9) format.

Set-top Converter Box: This is a unit that connects to an analog TV, receives the Digital TV signal and converts it to an analog signal that the TV can display.

Multicasting: Digital technology allows each digital broadcast station to split its signal into 2, 3, 4 or more individual channels of programming and/or data services.

Find out more at the FCC’s consumer web site or contact WVIZ/PBS at 216-916-6301 or .

DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Activity Report

Each quarter, the Federal Communications Commission requires television broadcasters to certify to their activities designed to educate consumers about the switch from analog to digital transmission. The below form (FCC #388) is required to be posted on our website.

FCC #388 - April, 2008
FCC #388 - July, 2008
FCC #388 Analog - October, 2008
FCC #388 Digital - October, 2008