Community Newsletter: Q&A: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009
- 5/16/08 3:56 PM
My cable company says it will continue to work as it has.
by edwardgfisher - 5/3/08 5:08 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Charter says it will continue to work as it has been. When they say this I think they mean, don't worry we will just raise our prices and brag we fixed the signal for you and charged you extra for the service.
ATSC tuner
by willivon4 - 5/3/08 5:26 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It's true that only those of us relying on broadcast TV are to be affected by the event coming next February. Those of you with cable aren't supposed to be affected. The same is supposed to be true of Dish , Direct or the new ATT Advanced TV systems. They all connect to the signal source via a converter box that comes with the service.
The rest of us may not be out in the cold either if we have a new enough TV. I've been told that the FCC has dictated that all new TVs sold in the US have for some time been required to have the ATSC tuner required to receive digital broadcast TV. It should be described as present along with the NTSC tuner the current analog signal requires in the operators literature that came with the TV. It may even be part of the FCC labeling on the back of the TV. All of us who haven't bought a new TV in the last few years and aren't subscription TV customers will need a converter box for each TV we have. Of course we could go out and buy new TVs. I plan to buy at least one HDTV around the start of the Christmas season when my co-worker who was in the consumer electronics game for many years assures me the price will come down significantly.
Should be Ok
by terrierterrorNH - 5/3/08 5:28 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My understanding is that the cable companies are handling the "transition" to digital cable. Therefor you are not supposed to need the boxes. If you want to get "over the air" channels, you will need the converting boxes. Where many people and I get confused is if you want to view High Definition televison. That is were you need a converter box for that. I have an HD TV in the living room and a analog TV in the bedroom and both work well, despite the fact that I have "digital" cable now from my provider. I just can't get above the basic cable channels So don't worry be happy. We needed to replace the failing TV in the living room this January with a HD TV and upgraded cable and love it, but the cost is not for everyone. My two cents.
You're 100% okay as is.
by DarkHawke - 5/3/08 5:29 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You're quite correct, the analog-to-digital shift is only applicable to over-the-air reception, not cable. If you don't need a cable converter box to view channels now, you won't need one after February next year.
Now there ARE some digital cable channels that you'd need a converter box to view, but that has nothing to do with the DTV boxes they're selling in stores. For instance, I have a TV plugged directly into my cable line as you do, but I also have a digital cable converter box, provided by my cable company, that allows me to view about 100 additional channels, including premium channels like HBO and Showtime. I don't need it to watch, say, Discovery, A&E or my local network affiliates, but for channels like NickToons, Style, and the aforementioned premium channels, a digital cable converter box is required.
And just to complicate it further, you can also get an HDTV cable box that'll allow reception of any high-definition channels your cable company provides. You'd have to have an HDTV to view those channels, as you might expect.
But to be absolutely clear on this, only analog TVs that receive over-the-air transmissions by some form of antenna will need a DTV converter box when the change-over from analog to digital broadcast happens next year. If your TVs are hooked up to your local cable provider, the change-over doesn't apply to you and you need no extra equipment than you already have.
Analog Tv
by Florida Panther - 5/3/08 5:53 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Any kind of TV connected to cable - either analog or digital - will work perfectly. The salesman you talk to is totally wrong - as usual.
Converter boxes- HDTV
by hcarter004 - 5/3/08 5:59 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You are correct in thinking that you will be fine as long as you have your cable hooked up. However, if someone has an antenna on their house or "rabbit ears" on top of their TV, AND that is their ONLY means of TV reception (ie: no cable, sattelite etc...) then a converter box would be needed. Check this website to apply for a coupon to help offset the price of the converter.
https://www.dtv2009.gov/CheckStatus.aspx
You may also want to check with your cable provider and see what they are doing, or may suggest regarding this issue.
Yes, your tv will still work
by clziemann - 5/3/08 6:03 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hey Chuck! Your TVs will continue to receive the correct signal as long as you are connected to a cable or satellite provider. Only if you use rabbit ears will you need a converter box. Of course, any tv used for a gaming system will be okay. Check out the website, www.dtv.gov they have all faq's for this transition. Cheryl
DTV transition
by marjie - 5/3/08 6:08 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi, Chuck! I called my cable company (Time-Warner) to ask this same question, and I was told I would need set top boxes for my four cable-connected TVs. They will charge me $8 each month rental fee for the first box and $10 a month for each of the three others. That means my cable bill will automatically increase by $38 a month. I researched this online and discovered that some cable systems will continue to broadcast in both digital and analog, but apparently Time-Warner will not.
I am now looking for a cheaper way to transition to digital, and I believe either Dish or Direct TV will provide my new service.
Clarifying DTV transistion in 2009
by kbbf - 5/3/08 6:12 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You are ok as you are now, as long as you continue to receive your service through a cable provider. Nothing will change in your case. If you were one of the few that still recieved broadcasst tv, you would need the convertor, but there probably are still coupons available from the gov. that will cover most of that cost. In your case, you've got it covered!
DTV transitionin 2009
by jake1289 - 5/3/08 6:16 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You are right the sales man is wrong as long as you analog tv is conected to cable or DSS you will not need a conv box since the signal is sent via the cables not the air weaves(shorter band).
kz
Get or not to get Box
by bcementpond - 5/3/08 6:27 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you get Directv every thing will be converted and you will not need a (Box).
What happens in my city...
by taylor.ren - 5/3/08 6:34 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Chuck,
I have gone through your situation here in my city about 1 month ago when the CATV supplier I use switched to digital signal.
Using my old analog TV box, I can still receive 8 channels, compared to another TV which is connected to a digital receiver and can receive around 80 channels, the difference is too much. So I decided to buy another box.
Well, situations in your place maybe different but my experience tells me that: unless I am happy with only 8 channles, I will have to buy a box per each TV I have in my house.
Normally, to promote the switching over and considering the situation that normal families will have 2 or more TV stations, CATV companies will have some bundled sales package.
In my city, they will just give the 1st box for free. For a 2nd box, you will pay a certain equipment fee but the monthly subscription fee will remain unchanged. However, for additional channels, you will have to pay extra for EACH box. I guess that is how they generate their cash flows.
HTH.
Rgds!
Digital TV
by bobhist - 5/3/08 6:35 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I can tell you what all of the TV stations in S.C. are reporting, and I would assume it's the same everywhere. All have had special broadcasts with phone-in banks manned by professionals and here is what they state:
If you have cable T.V. (Time Warner in my locality) or a satellite dish, you need to do nothing, that you will still receive analog signals and your TV set will function just as it did before. Only persons using an antenna (outside or rabbit ears) will need a converter box.
That's as simple as I can state it.
Bob Stevens
Darlington, S.C.
My Answer For Chuck
by skips-fifi - 5/3/08 6:43 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Chuck,
Being in a nursing home I too was worried about the same thing. What I found out via the internet, those connected with cable company's have nothing to worry about. The cable company's need to be ready, not the customers. The ones needing convertor boxes are those not using cable connection. This may have changed or updated since last checked. Either way, this all I know. Good luck.
Don't trust TV salesmen
by spdickey1 - 5/3/08 7:29 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You are correct that over the air broadcasting is changing forever. Analog signals are going dark in 2009. All broadcast stations will be going digital only, except for some low power TV stations, and translators used to relay channels into small communities. So if your old analog TV set is hooked into a rooftop antenna, or rabbit ears, yes, a converter box is required. You can find them at your local electronics big box store. And if you sign up at dtv.gov you can get a couple of free $40 off coupons towards two boxes.
As for TV's connected to either cable TV or satellite, you need do nothing. Cable TV operators will continue to broadcast the analog signals as usual to their customers. You don't even need a set top box from the cable company to continue to watch what you get now. Your cable company will pick up the digital signals from the tv stations, and convert them to analog for you. Satellite TV viewers all ready have a set top box, they also won't be affected at all by the transition.
A few years later, cable TV operators will have to turn off the analog signals and provide all their customers with some type of digital to analog device to allow you to keep watching TV without buying a new digital television set. Either a set top box, or a whole house digital to analog converter will be offered. But for now, cable TV subscribers just need to sit back, and watch their shows without doing a thing.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
