DTV Transition: The Countdown to Digital
Not since 1999 New Year’s Eve celebrations has a countdown been so closely watched and anticipated. After the stroke of midnight on Friday, June 12, 2009, all full-power television broadcasting will be in digital format. The end result for the television viewer will be clearer images and better audio.
If you currently enjoy your favorite programming from a cable or satellite provider, you will continue to enjoy their programming on your analog television and shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You may want to contact your provider if you have any questions about your service before the DTV transition deadline arrives.
But, if you currently receive free, over-the-air television signals via dipole (rabbit ears) or rooftop antennas, you’ll need a digital converter box to continue watching your analog television. The transition to digital doesn’t mean you need a digital television, it just changes the way your television receives the signal.
Ensure your transition to digital is seamless, prepare now so your television won’t go dark and silent. The countdown to digital has begun!
HISTORY
Although the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting has only been in the daily public limelight since about January 1, 2008, it has been in progress for many years. It all started back in 1996, when the U.S. Congress authorized the distribution of an additional broadcast channel to existing television stations so they could begin preparing for the digital transition.
Since 1998, television stations have been constructing new facilities and broadcasting digital programming while still using their analog spectrum. In all television broadcast markets across the United States, at least 1,624 full-power stations out of the 1,762 nationwide already offer digital programming while simultaneously broadcasting their analog channel.
The agreement between the U.S. Congress and the broadcasters was they would eventually surrender their analog spectrum and broadcast only in digital. That agreement became law when the deadline was set.
ANALOG SPECTRUM
The industry standard broadcast technology has been analog since the first regularly scheduled television service began in the United States in 1928. If you’re wondering if the analog spectrum will go away, the answer is an emphatic – No! In fact, it will be put to good use.
The segments of the analog real estate formerly occupied by television broadcasters will be used to transmit and receive audio communications for public safety first responders including police and fire departments. The remaining segments of the spectrum will be literally auctioned off to wireless communications companies for the provision of advanced commercial wireless services (e.g., wireless broadband) and the production of new services.
WHAT IS DTV?
The new format of cutting-edge broadcast technology is known as digital television (DTV), which can also be used for data services and interactive video – not possible with analog technology.
DTV is the sending and receiving of moving images and sound via digital signals as opposed to traditional analog signals. These digital signals (video and audio) are sent as data bit streams which are lines of ones and zeros (just like your desktop computer). Your broadcaster can carry more information on these data bits than is possible with analog technology.
Analog televisions transmit signals by painting lines onto your screen using an internal electron gun. Some of the signal is lost in transmission which equates to even poorer quality images being displayed than were originally 
received. Not good. Digital signals don’t degrade so the audio/video signals received are the incredible sights and sound displayed. Plus, since DTV is more efficient and flexible than analog, broadcasters can provide DTV with much higher image resolution and sound quality than analog could ever provide.
One of the biggest assets to DTV over analog is more programming choices. This is because broadcasters have the ability to multicast, or the ability to simultaneously broadcast multiple SDTV channels over the same signal. The audio and video quality differences between analog and digital can be compared to the differences between cassette tapes to CDs for sound and VCR tapes to DVDs for video. There is simply no way for analog to compete in the digital world.
Another advantage of digital television over analog is the transmission of the signal. With digital signal broadcasting, you either get a perfect signal or absolutely no signal at all. With analog broadcasting, the farther away your television set is from the television station’s antenna, the worse your picture will be.
One common misconception is that DTV and HDTV are the same thing. Not true. HDTV is DTV but so is SDTV (standard definition television) and EDTV (enhanced digital television). A high-definition (HD) DTV signal can be transmitted by a broadcaster and then received and displayed on your HDTV. There are high-definition television signals and there are televisions capable of receiving high-definition signals knows as HDTV. Confused? Let’s explain the difference:
ANTENNAS
If you have a television with a built-in digital tuner and you want to use a rooftop antenna to receive analog signals, then chances are you’ll be able to continue using the same antenna to receive over-the-air digital signals once the DTV transition is complete. Good reception; however, is based on accurately characterizing signal conditions, and selecting an antenna that works best in your location. Which type of antenna is best for your location depends on just that – your location.
To find out what type of antenna works best for your location and to find out which stations you’ll receive, visit AntennaWeb. Based on geographical address and signal strengths in your area, you’ll be matched with a color zone to help determine which antenna will suit your needs.
CLOSED CAPTIONS
For analog television broadcasts, closed captions are invisibly encoded (embedded) into the signal. DTV can support the analog format, plus a newer format that gives the originator of the programming several font choices (including color and size). This will result in better visibility and ease of use for the viewer to read the words on their screen.
DTV can carry both the analog format and the newer format along with the audio and video content. In both instances, the format is not embedded in the video signal rather it is written on top of the images. Due to U.S. government mandates, closed captions are included in all digital television that has a diagonal screen size of 13-inches or larger. The mandate also covers all stand-alone digital TV tuners and set-top boxes (STBs).
CONVERTER BOXES & COUPONS
If you want to keep your old analog television, a converter box is your answer to transition to DTV. A converter box has one job to do and that is to receive digital signals, convert them back to the analog format, and then send them to your television.
If you would like to learn more about converter boxes and the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, click here.
TRANISITION TO GREEN
If you decide that going digital means going all-out and purchasing a HDTV, you’ll need to dispose of your old cathode-ray tube television properly. That doesn’t mean leaving it curbside for your weekly trash pickup because electronics contain toxic chemicals (e.g., mercury) that can pollute the land and our waterways if they are discarded improperly. To learn more about recycling your old television and other electronics, click here.
BUILT-IN DIGITAL TUNERS
As of March 1, 2007, all televisions (with no exceptions) shipped in interstate commerce or imported into the United States must contain a pre-installed digital tuner. If you’re not sure if your television is analog or if it has a built-in digital tuner, most DTVs and other related digital television equipment will have labels or other forms of identifying markings on them affixed during manufacturing. The labels or markings might be worded as, “Digital Tuner Built-In” or “Integrated Digital Tuner.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
The DTV transition is a positive move for everyone involved, and it changes television viewing as we now know it. Analog is on its way out and high-definition digital audio and video entertainment is here to stay.
A little preparation is all that is needed to successfully survive the DTV transition; you’ve got three choices to ensure you can stay up late watching infomercials.
- Purchase a converter box and connect it to your analog television (the television you already own). You might be able to receive a $40 coupon to assist in the purchase of your converter box.
- Purchase a new television with a built-in digital tuner. To view hhgregg’s selection of plasma, LCD, and projection televisions, click here.
- Subscribe to a cable, satellite, or a telecommunications television service provider. All three are premium services. If you are an over-the-air television viewer and chose to subscribe to a premium service such as cable or satellite, ensure the channels you enjoyed over-the air are carried by that service.
After you’ve completed one of the three items listed above, grab some popcorn, sit back in your favorite chair, and prepare to be amazed at what you’ll see and hear.
Still have questions? – feel free to speak with an hhgregg associate. We offer the best-educated associates in the business who are smart enough to make it simple. Price and Advice Guaranteed!
