A Guide to the 2009 DTV Transition

Let's call this one 2009: A TV Odyssey. Your TV won't be calling you Dave anytime soon, but in February 2009, the way you watch TV will change forever. In 2009, free, over-the-air analog television signals will be shut off; all over-the-air broadcasts will be delivered digitally. Over-the-air stations include old favorites like NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS, as well as smaller, more local stations. Stations delivered via cable and satellite will be unaffected by the switchover. To adapt to the new digital world, consumers who have older analog TVs will, at minimum, need to purchase a set-top box that converts the digital signal back to analog for display on their existing set.

Let's look at why the change is being mandated and how you can prepare.

An Economic Back Story

According to the Benton Foundation, 1,600 nationwide TV stations need to convert their signal to digital. The allotted spectrum used to broadcast the analog signal was given to the stations by government. In 1996 the amount of spectrum given to the stations was doubled so that stations could provide both digital and analog signals. After 10 years, the natural evolution to digital has been slow in evolving, so the 2009 date mandates the change. The transition to an all-digital signal will free up the spectrum signal used for analog. The government plans to auction off some of that signal space to put some money in the national coffers; some of it will be used to create an improved national security and first responders communications system.

What's the Benefit of Digital?

The digital network provides a more efficient way to broadcast. The same amount of bandwidth holds a lot more information digitally than in an analog system. Stations can decide to use the bandwidth to broadcast in HDTV or to broadcast using enhanced services like interactive TV, or they can transmit multiple programs over the same signal (called multicasting).

There's also less degradation of the image as it travels from the station to your home with a digital image.

What Kind of New Television Should You Buy?

You'll want to buy a digital TV set, but digital TV is a catch-all term for any television capable of receiving a digital signal. Digital TVs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and with a variet of display capabilities. The current top-of-the-line is the HDTV (High Definition) signal. HDTV, the one most people will want, currently displays 720p; 1,080i; and 1,080p. These numbers tell you how many lines of information the signal holds. The "p" stands for progressive scan—a way that brings the lines of information to your screen in a way that appears fast and smooth to the eye. Remember that just buying an HDTV doesn't mean that you're watching in HDTV; the station needs to be broadcasting in HDTV as well.

When you buy your new TV, you'll need to think about whether you want to continue to receive over-the-air stations only or subscribe to a TV delivery from cable, satellite, or your telecommunications provider.

What if You Don't Buy a New TV by 2009?

The FCC estimates that fewer than 15% of U.S. consumers rely on over-the-air-analog broadcasts today, but that's still something like 20 million homes. If you don't want to buy a new digital television set (which still costs nearly twice as much as a CRT-based analog set), you will be able to buy a set-top box that converts the digital signal back to analog for display on your TV. The converters are anticipated to cost $50 to $70 and the government is offering coupons to defray the cost. They'll be offering two coupons, each valued at $40. (Some of the money for the couponing program is expected to come from auctioning the spectrum.) Stations will also receive some compensation to buy the equipment necessary to make the switch.

Spread the Word

The U.S. is not the first to undergo this sort of transition. The Netherlands was the first to convert to digital. Austria and Sweden are almost done. But it's time for a national outreach to make sure that we're all informed of our choices. PBS recently conducted a poll and found that 60% of U.S. households had no clue about the digital transition or any sort of coupon program. The last time TV had a major disruptive shift like this one was when it transitioned from black and white to color, but that shift was much more gradual and voluntary.

So, start spreading the news. Unless you make the switch to DTV by 2009, this revolution won't be televised.

A specially created coalition, DTV Transition has been created by a number of the stakeholders to keep you up to date on the news.