(Approx. 1,136 words)

Surviving the Switch to Digital TV
By Andy Marken, Marken Communications
www.markencom.com
andy (at) markencom.com

At the stroke of midnight on Feb. 17, 2009, the analog transmissions that have 
beamed free television over the air in the United States for over half a century 
will disappear for good. They will be replaced by digital signals, many of which 
are already broadcasting, in what will be the most significant change to television 
since the introduction of color.

The "digital switchover" brings with it higher image quality, better sound and 
a level of versatility and flexibility previously unattainable through free television. 
It also brings with it a number of significant headaches, as confusion over exactly 
who will be affected is inspiring panic in viewers fearful of being left behind 
in a haze of snow and static as the rest of the country moves into the future. 
Many of those who will be affected know that the deadline is fast approaching, 
but are unsure of how to prepare for it. Thankfully, a solution is simple, easily 
attainable and won't cost you a dime.

There are two major reasons for the switch from analog TV broadcasts to digital 
TV. First, digital signals offer superior image quality and allow for the transmission 
of high-definition signals over the air. This means that a properly equipped 
HDTV can receive local high-definition broadcasts that will look about as good 
as what you'd get from cable or satellite television.

Second, switching from analog to digital frees up real estate on the broadcast 
spectrum for other uses, as digital signals are more efficient and take up less 
bandwidth. Telecommunications companies like Verizon and AT&T have spent nearly 
$20 billion to secure the rights to the frequencies that were previously occupied 
by channels 52 through 69, in the hopes of using that airspace to improve their 
wireless communication networks.

What the digital switchover is actually doing is changing the language that TV 
broadcasters use to communicate with your television. Since 1941, televisions 
in the U.S. have utilized a set of broadcast standards laid out by the National 
Television System Committee. Big broadcast towers sent out information over the 
air using these NTSC standards and were picked up by the television antenna in 
your living room. Inside your TV, an NTSC tuner interpreted the information and 
properly displayed it on screen.

The digital switchover is introducing a new language, a new set of broadcast 
standards, this one designed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee. On 
Feb. 17, those broadcast towers are going to stop speaking NTSC permanently and 
start speaking ATSC. But unfortunately, your old television set doesn't know 
how to translate ATSC into moving pictures and sound. Just about all televisions 
manufactured and sold after Mar. 1, 2007 feature ATSC tuners, but if you purchased 
a television any earlier than that, chances are your TV won't be able to pick 
up over-the-air broadcasts once the switchover occurs.

The solution: A digital converter box, essentially an external ATSC tuner that 
sits on top of your existing television and is linked between your antenna and 
your TV. The ATSC signals are grabbed by the same antenna you've always used, 
then passed to the digital converter box that translates the ATSC signals into 
something your NTSC television can understand. They are easy to hook up and available at a wide variety of stores, including big box stores like Best Buy, Wal-Mart 
and Target, as well as online retailers.

Digital converter boxes cost between $40 and $70 on average, but since the digital 
switchover is being forced upon consumers, Congress has stepped up and created 
the "TV Converter Box Coupon Program." Under this initiative, each American household is entitled to two $40 gift cards that can only be used to purchase a digital 
converter box. Individuals can apply at the official Web site for the DTV switch. 
You can apply for coupons until Mar. 31, 2009; they expire 90 days after they 
are issued. You might want to apply for them sooner rather than later because 
the government has allocated a finite amount of funding.

TV viewers who pay for cable or satellite service need not worry. The digital 
switchover only applies to over-the-air broadcasts, so consumers who get their 
television directly from Comcast or DirecTV will not be affected at all, and 
service will continue uninterrupted and unchanged as the DTV deadline comes and 
goes.

There is, however, a subtler, unrelated analog-to-digital switchover taking place 
among cable companies, one that could affect subscribers. It has usually been 
possible to view a small number of basic cable channels by plugging the coaxial 
cable directly into a television set, bypassing a cable box entirely.

This was a quick and easy way to bring cable TV to many rooms in a home without 
renting multiple cable boxes. Unfortunately, this may not be possible in the 
near future. Cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner are slowly phasing 
out their analog cable services in favor of digital. By switching over, they 
free up more space on their cable networks that can be allocated to new high-definition 
channels and interactive services like "On Demand." The downside is that when 
all cable channels are converted to digital, renting a cable box will be required 
to see any channels at all.

Another point of confusion that retailers and manufacturers have been reluctant 
to clear up: consumers need not purchase an HDTV to weather the digital TV switchover.
 
In addition to the converter boxes, new standard-definition CRT televisions are 
still available, and they are required by law to include the necessary ATSC tuners. 
While an HDTV will allow viewers to take advantage of digital TV's high-definition 
potential, it's important to know that there is a lower-cost option available 
as well.

With the emergence of free, digital, over-the-air television that includes HD 
transmissions, it will be interesting to see if Americans, the majority of whom 
now pay for their television service via cable or satellite, might see the benefit 
of switching back to the old rabbit ears. While the selection of over-the-air 
broadcasts will never be as comprehensive as pay services, that same glut of 
content is often cited as an annoyance--lots of channels that subscribers will 
never watch.

Of course, all this will depend on how smoothly the digital switchover goes, 
and whether or not people are actually able to see the improvements on their 
screen. With just a few short months to go, having the right knowledge to make 
it through is absolutely crucial.

In Pictures: 10 Tips For Switching To Digital TV == http://tinyurl.com/5tj8wq 

See Also:

Ask This Before You Buy An HDTV -- http://tinyurl.com/57jfbu