Analog To Digital Transition Feb. 2009

So let’s talk about why should I get a digital to analog converter box. If you are a cable or satellite subscriber in the week’s and month ahead you will see information from your cable and satellite company that will tell you about the up coming digital to analog transition to take place on February 18th 2009. You will be told that because you are a cable or satellite subscriber you do not need to worry about the digital to analog transition
as the set top box you currently have is already equipped to handle the transition. This is all true, every TV in you home that is hooked up to a cable or satellite set top box will work fine. There are many American house holds who subscribe to cable and satellite that also have additional analog TV’s in their homes that are not hooked up to a cable or satellite set top box such as in a child’s room, the garage or maybe a portable TV that you use out on a patio. Many of these older TV’s have an analog tuner and use an antenna to receive over the air television signals. If this is you, you will want to request up to two $40.00 coupons from the Federal Government starting in January 2008 to apply to the purchase of a digital to analog converter box.

If you are a cable or satellite subscriber and you live in an area of the country where there are hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes or just heavy storms and you still have analog TV’s that are hooked up to cable or satellite you might still want to purchase with your Federal Government $40 coupon a digital to analog converter box for emergencies.
When a disaster strikes there in nothing more important then being able to receive emergency information from you local broadcasters. This has been proven time and time again. It is not unheard of that during a natural disaster those satellites dishes get knocked down underground cables get flooded out and overhead cables get knocked down. If you
have a digital to analog converter box and a set top antenna you will still be able to receive the over the air emergency broadcast information and programming from your local broadcasters.

Just remember just because you are a cable or satellite subscriber you are still eligible to request your two $40.00 coupons from the Government starting January 2008. To many people have forgotten that television is still being broadcast over the air and it is free and
In some circumstances may be your only way to receive critical information during a time of a natural disaster. Remember now is the time for you the consumer to start becoming more proactive. The next time you visit your local electronics outlet start
asking questions about the up coming digital to analog transition.

Stay tuned in the weeks to come we will be talking about what retailers are doing and information about antennas.

For all who do not know on Feb.17th 2009 television will change as we know it. This has nothing to do with television programming but how we as viewers receive our television signal. This is also known as the DTV transition Over these many years we have been receiving an Analog TV signal on Feb. 17th 2009 American consumers will only be able to receive Digital TV signals.

Who will this affect? The analog to digital TV transition will mainly affect any one who receives there television signal (OTA) over the air. This means if you receive your television signal through an antenna either on your roof or with a standard TV antenna also known as rabbit ears you will be affected by this transition unless you have a new TV with a digital tuner. The tuner is how we receive our TV signal and change the stations. It is estimated that there is well over 20 million Americans still receiving (OTA) television reception.

Between now and through 2009 you will start receive and see on you local and Network television stations a great deal of information regarding this DTV transition. The Federal Government has set up a coupon program for the American consumers to off set the cost of purchasing a converter box. These coupons will be available starting January 1st 2008.

We will post information as to where and how to get your coupons and where you can purchase a coupon compliant converter box as soon as the information becomes available. As consumers it would be a good idea to start asking retailers who sell TV’s if they will be carrying coupon compliant converter boxes in January 2008. The more consumers start asking retailers about the converter box the better chance there will be that the retailers will have the converter boxes in stock when the coupon program starts.

Below we have provided some information that will help to get you started on the DTV transition. We will be posting additional information as we draw near the coupon and DTV transition date.

How can I prepare for the DTV transition? Preparing for the DTV transition is and requires one of three steps by February 17, 2009:
Purchase a new television set with a built in digital tuner.
Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that plugs into an existing television. The boxes,
which are expected to cost between $50 - 70 will be available for purchase in 2008. Beginning
on January 1, 2008, U.S. households can request up to two coupons valued at $40 each. Each
coupon can go toward the purchase of a single set-top converter box that will allow you to
continue watching free “over-the-air” television on an analog set
Subscribe to a cable, satellite or telecommunications service provider if all desired local broadcast stations are carried by that service.
Any of these steps will ensure that “over-the-air” television consumers will continue to receive programming.

If you purchased your current TV before 1998, it almost certainly will require the addition of a converter box to receive and display DTV signals.

Beginning in about 1998, TVs featuring built-in DTV reception capability have been sold as “HD Built In” or advertised as having an “integrated HDTV tuner” or “ATSC tuner.” A very limited number of such sets — mostly projection TVs with screens measuring 42″ diagonal or larger — were produced and sold from 1998-2004.

Beginning in 2004, there has been a sharp increase in the number of digital-tuner equipped TVs introduced to the marketplace. These TVs will not be affected by the pending changes. For additional information about your TV go to the manufactures web site or ask someone at the retail outlet you purchased the TV from.