Community Newsletter: Q&A: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009
- 5/16/08 3:56 PM
Free coupons, but cable should be ok on analog.
by mikejo28 - 5/4/08 3:01 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Your analog sets should work on the cable OK after the switch-- Comcast here in CA will still transmit analog signals on the bottom ~ 90 channels I think.
In case you want to use your TVs on an antenna or digital source, you can get free govt coupons, to get nearly free converter boxes, at this site, 1 or 2 coupons:
https://www.dtv2009.gov/
You have to use them in 90 days. They may run out of coupons, so I just ordered my 2.
[This is how Ross Perot & Halliburton got rich, govt handouts!]
DTV
by STEVE STONE - 5/4/08 7:04 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you are receiving Cable or Satellite service, they are already sending you a digital signal. You don't need to add anything.
If you are using an antenna, then you need a converter box (usually one per TV) unless you wish to receive the same channel on all TV's at once and run multiple wires from one box.
Cost of conversion
by widow_mari - 5/4/08 8:18 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I dutifully sent away for the two free coupons offered in the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. They are each worth $40 and valid through 6/12/08. Recently, while at Target, one of the participating retailers, I found that the store hadn't yet received their stock of converters. When I question what each would cost, I was told about $60, more likely more than less. So, since these converters are needed for TVs not hooked up to a cable service, one must weigh the added expense versus the purchase of new units with up to date technology.
Off Air Digital
by GDF - 5/4/08 12:03 PM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First lets understand the difference between Off-air and Cable. Currently they both use the NTSC broadcasting standard which is analog. Off-air analog (NTSC) broadcasting is scheduled to cease next February replaced by the ATSC digital system. Any tuner that only has the ability to tune off-air analog channels will cease to function for two reasons. In some cases the channel frequencies themselves go dark. In most cases the channels will begin using the digital ATSC system making analog off-air reception obsolete. Your favorite off-air channel will go permanently to snow. If it does, either your channel moved, or your television was manufactured before March, 2007. Since that time all television receivers have had to include digital tuners capable of receiving the digital ATSC system. You may simply need to do the setup again, this time telling the TV to look for digital broadcast signals. If your tuner is analog only you will require a converter box.
Cable is different. Their timeline for switching to digial-only transmission is muddied and therefore they have more time to convert. So if your current cable system does not require a converter box at this time, it probably is analog and will remain analog for the midterm future. If it is currently digital you probably already have a box and thus will not be affected at all by the February crossover date. Cable companies will probably not move as one on the issue of digital transmission as broadcast has so the digital roll-in for them will be more elongated. But be aware that for the most part they use a different digital standard than off-air so an "off-air" converter box will not work on a digital cable system.
It's easy!
by kitcar - 5/4/08 1:01 PM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Your cable provider will most likely make the change seamless for you. Remember, if you have analog televisions you are already getting a signal that is compatible with your television. It won't change. There isn't a cable provider that is going to invest in the infrastructure to convert every signal to digital with the following caveat: Our cable provider is moving all of it's local channels to guess what? Digital. So now you have to rent a digital converter box to get your local information channels. THAT is what your local big box sales person is talking about, not for your normal tier of channels.
For over the air signals, you will need a converter box. I logged onto the "official" website, "http://www.dtv2009.gov", filled out a form and got two, count them two $40 discount cards. The even better news is that the boxes themselves for over the air broadcasts (I keep mentioning that) aren't very expensive, starting at around $50. The reasoning for the low end cost for the boxes is both political and social; There are a great many people that still use an antenna to receive their television broadcasts. Once television started to compete with radio, it became by default a source of important community information - weather, disaster, Amber alerts and the like. The government (federal) has a vested interest in keeping the information as accessible as possible for the population. Which, of course, brings you to the question, "why the change?" See politics, couched in the argument "better signal quality".
tTVfor next year..
by beerman - 5/4/08 3:38 PM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Chuck:
I asked my cable co (knology). the exact same thing...They told me not to worry existing analog customers will still to have the same bundle or analog service they have now..no need for special boxes or TVs.New customers will only have the digital options,however.
The analog signal cancels are for people who are getting free tv via an antenna (does anybody have that anymore?).
i would contact my cable company, Chuck,and see if they tell you the same thing. Hope this helps a little.
Beerman
Digital TV and the end of analog
by flautist59 - 5/4/08 5:08 PM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Check this website: www.dtv2009.gov for more information, but you only need a converter box if you receive your television signal strictly over the air.
Cable companies are basically re-transmitting over the cable the various signals that they receive (typically on huge satellite dishes - think about that the next time you see the Time Warner commercial that talks about how poor the reception is for satellite).
Sheri DH
What cable does is really up to them
by Teramedia - 5/4/08 8:52 PM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The bad news:
The analog channels consume more bandwidth than the same quality compressed into a digital signal. Because of this, I suspect that cable providers will endeavor to migrate their broadcasts from analog to digital in the long run. So, short answer is that they have no reason to change everything overnight, so you should continue to get analog channels over cable. Long answer is that they probably will switch at some point, at least for the channels that come with Extended Basic and Premium offerings, because it will eventually be to their benefit.
The good news:
Many modern TVs can decode not only over-the-air H/SDTV (aka ATSC), but also cable-based, clear-coded digital TV (aka clear-QAM). So when a cable provider sends out a digital TV signal that isn't encrypted (typically, network channels haven't been, but channels such as HBO have), a TV that is clear-QAM capable can show it without needing a cable box.
So the answer to your question is really that in the short term, you shouldn't need a box for analog channels, and in the long term, if you have a relatively new TV then it should be able to continue to decode the cable signal without a box.
Just to be clear: An HDTV with ATSC decoding but no clear-QAM (or encrypted QAM, with a CableCard) cannot decode a digital cable signal.
anolog tv using hdtv
by petite1945 - 5/4/08 11:56 PM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you have cable, you problely are using anolg tv, you are already using that companys converter box. If not and recieving from off air, antenna use, than you will have to use a converter box for each tv.
Now the only problem I've been told is that some of the older cable boxes will have to be updated or replaced by the cable company you are using. They say this is because the new converter boxes will be converting to a high mghz megahertz. The reason thay gave me was that it was nessasary, but it sounds like a good way to eliminate old boxes to sell a lot of new ones, that just my opinon, you understand. Not that its true.
Digital TV Transition in 2009
by shclarkson - 5/5/08 2:48 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you are using a analog TV set then when the change over come's you will need a set-top box,
if you have cable TV with your TV set then you will not have to do anything.
It's as simple as that!
Hope this helps
Regards Steve.
Cable companies and Broadcast Digital TV
by Howard2nd - 5/5/08 4:14 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Technically (or technologically) the 'Cable' companies can keep the current system. It would require a dedicated box at the cable company for each local channel to convert to a analog signal.
The question is why would they? The 1st way costs them money. Making you rent a converter for every TV set makes them money. You know your 'cable' company better than I do. What do you expect to happen?
should be OK, for a while
by wbowblis - 5/5/08 7:31 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
As I understand it, most cable companies will continue to provide analog singals. Fact is, much of the analog you currently get on cable came to them digitally and they converted it. As analog TVs get scrapped, I expect that cable companies will discontinue analog service and I wouldn't be surprised to see it become a pay service apart from basic cable within the next few years, and "basic" will become digital. Most, if not all, cable systems use a different system than digital broadcast uses and I suspect that most of the current converter boxes do not support it. Check with your cable company before you buy a box. TVs may support it, but they aren't required to.
TV transition
by smack323 - 5/5/08 8:21 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
simple answer. If you get TV via cable you will not need a converter box
TV Transition in 2009
by LarryAldridge - 5/5/08 8:28 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
As long as each TV's is connected through a cable box you will be fine. The problem will be for people with older TV's that receive broadcasts via antennae.
Digital TV transitions
by valkire100 - 5/5/08 9:27 AM In reply to: Please clarify the digital TV (DTV) transition in 2009 by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
No Chuck you do not need a box for every tv, so long as you have cable or satilite service. The FCC requires the cable companies to continue to covert any digital signal back to analog for all of their customers til the year 2012. If any tv is not connected to either then a set top box to convert digital to analog for over the air signal is required but they are handing out free $40 vouchers to customers who need a converter box for over the air. check with www.dtv2009.gov to sign up. It may take a few months to get as i had signed up in Feb. when they were first starting to give out the vouchers and it just got mine at the beginning of May. hope that helps
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