More Info, Less Griping…about DTV

More Info, Less Griping…about DTV by Roxanne McDonald

They are doing a DTV countdown, but are we, the consumer public, the ones who really should matter, ready?

Okay, okay, ignorance is supposedly blissful, but in the case of how we will all be going digital, ignorance is actually miserable. But I found out that not only will we, the television-obsessed, not be forced to buy new TVs or new converters or what-have-you, but we also can learn about the nation-wide conversion from analog to digital broadcasting.

According to the FCC, “On February 18, 2009, full power television stations will stop analog broadcasting and transition to digital broadcasting.” Now, at first consideration, we would agree that since the new technology did not exist when we bought our TVs, which could be as recently as yesterday or a few hours ago, we do not have a DTV TV or any converter technology to go with it.

This means that if we do not also subscribe to cable or satellite service that we will “need either a [new] television set capable of receiving DTV programming, or a digital-to-analog converter box,” the latter of which will enable us to get a DTV signal on our non-DTV (analog) TVs.So we don’t have to buy yet another plasma wall screen but can instead hit the participating retail stores where digital-to-analog converter boxes will be available [in retail stores during the transition].

But before complaining about yet another enforced expense on already bulging budgets, know that according to the FCC, “The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce is developing rules that will allow households to obtain coupons that can be applied toward the purchase of digital-to-analog converter boxes.”

Check out the very clearly detailed (surprisingly easy to understand) info at FCC’s site, http://www.dtv.gov/ — where you can read up on everything from FAQs to definitions; or go directly to the source for information on the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Assistance Program at NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration), where you can read up on NTIA’s FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).

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