Keep viewing with your converter box
Charlotte Sun
May 9, 2008
NEIL HUGHES
Staff Writer
In 2009, local broadcast television stations will be forced to undergo a monumental switch, the likes of which the industry has not seen since the introduction of color television more than a half-century ago.
Though the first color TV sets were sold in the 1950s, they eventually caught on with consumers by the ‘60s, and it was demand in the market that forced broadcasters to distribute content in color.
But the coming 2009 revolution — the switch from analog signals to digital — is different. This time, the change is mandated by the Federal Communications Commission, and will render millions of TVs unable to receive the same free over-theair signals that have provided life to television sets since the first black-and-white RCA tubes were sold in the 1930s.
Though analog TVs remain prevalent today, U.S. federal government will deem such sets outdated with a mandatory switch to digital broadcast signals by Feb. 18, 2009. The move will free up the airwaves for use by emergency responders.
That means at the stroke of midnight, millions of televisions will go dark and will no longer be able to receive an over-theair signal.
Fear not: Though some with older sets may be forced to buy a digital converter box in order to continue watching television with an antenna, most, including satellite and cable TV subscribers, will be unaffected.
With the prospect of an inoperable television set and the complex differences between analog and digital signals, it’s no wonder that rumors and misunderstandings regarding the switch have caused concern for couch potatoes.
For those left with no option other than to buy a converter box, the federal government has offered a $40 rebate, making the technology, which can be purchased for around $50 before the rebate, more affordable to the masses.
WINK, the Fort Myers-based CBS affiliate, is available to 2.4 million viewers in Southwest Florida. Nielsen Media Research estimates that 5.3 percent of the station’s six-county market, which includes Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties, still watches via the station’s analog overthe-air signal.
That means nearly 130,000 area residents will be affected by the switch.
Gregory Stetson, program director for WINK News, said he feels most of those viewers will get a digital converter box. But he worries about those who have cable or satellite service, but don’t have a digital TV set. Should their cable or satellite become unavailable — say, because of a hurricane — they won’t be able to get stations via traditional analog antenna after February of ‘09.
“If they don’t have a converter box and they have an analog set, they’re pretty much out of luck,” Stetson said.
For that reason, he said, all analog TV set owners should request a $40 digital converter box coupon from the government. They can be acquired through the Web site dtv2009.gov.
Local broadcast stations and cable and satellite TV providers have started to run public service announcements, highlighting the most important facts of the digital switch.
It’s important for consumers to know that they don’t have to go out and buy a new TV, even if they don’t have cable or satellite. The digital converter box will serve their needs just fine, as long as they are happy with their current set and over-theair channels via antenna.
Sarasota-based ABC-7 hopes to get that message out with its own informational campaign on the digital mandate, said Jack Dillon, director of engineering.
Though a relatively small portion of the viewing audience, Dillon said it’s important that viewers with analog sets are not left in the dark come February 2009.
“It’s still a significant number,” Dillon said.
Mark Lipford, vice president for Comcast’s West Florida operations, characterized the concern among customers so far as a “mild worry.” But no matter how many commercials are run stating that Comcast cable subscribers will be unaffected, Lipford expects even more worries as the Feb. 18, 2009, deadline approaches.
“I suspect,” Lipford said, “we’ll see more and more of the frantic phone calls.”
How do I
know if I have
a digital-capable TV?
Not all TVs receive digital signals, and new TVs sold now must come with a warning if they are not capable of receiving digital.
For those who purchased sets in the last five years, the easiest way to tell if your set can receive a digital signal is by reading the manual that came with your set.
Labels such as “Integrated Digital Tuner,” “Digital Tuner Built-In,” “Digital Receiver,” “Digital Tuner,” “DTV,” “ATSC,” or “HDTV” suggest your set should be able to survive the switch without a converter box, according to the FCC.
But television sets labeled as “Digital Monitor,” “HDTV Monitor,” “Digital Ready” or “HDTV Ready” are likely to require a converter.
Additionally, sets labeled “analog” or “NTSC” without any indication of a digital tuner will require a converter box.
If you are unsure after checking the documentation, call your television set manufacturer with the model number to inquire.