DTV Transition | Print |

 

 

 

D-day for your television. Are you ready?

 

On February 17, 2009, the nation will undergo a change in the way television broadcasting is transmitted over-the-air, and it may affect television viewing in your home. On that date, all full powered television stations will transmit signals digitally, requiring special equipment if you get you TV signal over the air using an antenna (not cable or Satellite). The Digital Television transition will provide television viewers with clearer pictures and more program choices, but this process will be expensive for many, requiring new equipment and can be patricianly confusing for some who live in rural areas.

What Do You Need To Do? 

If you have an analog television set which is connected to cable or satellite, those service providers will make sure that your television set receives a viewable image after the transition.  If you have a digital television set, your television is ready for the DTV Transition.  If you have an analog television set which receives signals by means of rabbit ears or an over-the-air antenna and you desire to keep this set in service, you will need to attach a small digital-to-analog converter box to your television set in order to continue receiving over-the-air television broadcasts.  These converter boxes will be sold nationwide at retail stores and online.  In addition, the federal government has a coupon program to help offset a portion of the cost to purchase converter boxes. 

Where Can I Get Help? 

 All U.S. households may request up to two $40 coupons to go toward the purchase of up to two digital-to-analog converter boxes, which are expected to cost between $50 and $60 each.  The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a federal government agency, is in charge of the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program.  Upon request, the NTIA will mail up to two coupons and a list of local retailers in the area that sell converter boxes.  The converter box coupons expire 90 days after they are issued.  NTIA will start mailing coupons to eligible households that have requested them once the converter boxes are available for purchase in retail stores.  For more information about the Coupon Program and how to apply for coupons, go to the NTIA website at http://www.dtv2009.gov/ or call 1-888-DTV-2009.   

Rural Residents Need to be Cautious 

 Unfortunately there are still some remaining problems with the transition that need to be addressed. There are still thousands of communities and a large number in southwest Oregon that receive television signals through low powered translators. These come in the form of local community based channels such as KEVU-LP in Eugene as well as rural areas that rebroadcast signals from full powered stations that are too far away for their main signal to reach like K63DO in Coos Bay and K55CM in Gold Beach. There are over 400 of these low powered stations in Oregon alone. The Bush administration has decided that these low power translators do not need to be ready for the digital transition in February of 2009. So for those consumers who receive some of their TV programming through these low powered translators, they will need to buy a convertor box that has what is know as “pass through” technology so that they are capable of broadcasting both digital and analog signals. The Bush administration has refused to require all of the available converter boxes to be pass through capable. Only 6 out of the 50 currently available converter boxes are pass through capable.   

How to Make Sure You Keep All Your Channels   

To find out if you receive any low powered stations in your area you can go here for a list of the more than 400 stations in Oregon that broadcast using low powered translators. For a list of pass through capable converters you can go here, where they are marked with an asterisk. For more information on Low powered translators click here.  In order to make sure these stations are upgraded as soon as possible I have introducedbipartisan legislation with Greg Walden to allow over $65 million dollars in funds to be released to stations on the date of the transition to make sure that consumers will not be left behind.  

 For additional information about the DTV Transition and what you may need to do to prepare for it, visit the Federal Communications Commission’s website http://www.dtv.gov/ or call 1-888-225-5322.