Analog Television Broadcasting is going Bye Bye

You may have heard (who hasn't) that on February 17, 2009, all over-the-air analog television transmission signals on channels 2-13 and 14-69 in the U.S. will come to an end. 

If you own an older analog television (or even an older HDTV with a standard NTSC tuner) and receive  programs over-the-air via an antenna ( not many of us still do it this way) this means that  you will not be able to receive analog over-the-air television transmissions after the cutoff date.

You can continue to use your older television set. But you will need to purchase a separate digital tuner or subscribe to an alternate program provider (such as cable or satellite) Keep in mind, however, that your older analog television set will not display digital programming with the clarity and quality of an up-to-date, digital set. To experience the full benefits of digital television, you will need new digital television sets. If you take no actions to either subscribe to cable/satellite or purchase a digital converter box, you will lose your TV signal in February 2009.

A set top digital tuner is a separate accessory that will receive digital signals and provide an output compatible with older analog television sets. This allows viewers to keep using older television sets with the benefit of seeing all the new over the air digital channels. The digital set top tuner is a small box with a remote control similar to the set top tuners made available by cable and satellite providers.

The new DTV converter boxes are available for purchase now and are expected to cost between $50 and $70. There is a one-time cost for the box; it does not require a monthly service fee. To help consumers cover the cost of the converter box, the federal government will offer up to two converter box coupons valued at $40 each to households beginning in early 2008. Each coupon may be used toward the purchase of a single DTV converter box and the coupon program will be administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Coupons must be redeemed within 90 days of receipt.

You will still need an over-the-air antenna in addition to the converter box to receive a digital signal on your analog television set. Your current antenna should work the same as before.

Don’t forget……….since VCRs and DVD recorders also have built-in analog NTSC tuners, they are also subject to the effects of the analog cut-off date. This is only applicable if your VCR and DVD recorder receives television signals over-the-air. In this case, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box for each VCR or DVD recorder in your household - or each VCR or DVD recorder and TV pair.

In other words, you can connect a digital-to-analog converter box to your VCR or DVD recorder, then route the signal from there to your TV, much the same way many do with Cable or Satellite Boxes. Starting in 2007, DVD recorders are equipped with ATSC tuners.

If you have an old television on its last legs or purchased your last Television about 7-10 years ago, think about getting a new one by 2009. One tip: Prices are not only going down every year, but you will be able to hang your new TV on the wall, if you want, as new CRT sets are being phased almost completely after 2007. Lastly, if you are on Cable or Satellite, and you are not sure how the analog-to-digital conversion will actually affect you, don't hesitate to contact technical support for your service for any updated information.