Digital TV (DTV) Broadcasting.
Understanding the transition from analog to digital broadcasts.
What the transition from analog to digital broadcasts means to you.
When will the transition from analog to DTV broadcasting occur?
The short answer is on February 17, 2009. The more thorough explanation is that Congress has passed legislation requiring all conventional "analog" TV broadcasting to stop on February 17, 2009. After that date, your local television broadcasters will be making only "DTV" broadcasts. If you receive your signals via an antenna these broadcasts will require different TV tuners.
What is "DTV?"
In layman's terms, DTV stands for "digital television." DTV signals are sent from local transmitters, over the air, to homes, by modern digital techniques rather than the older "analog" methods that are not as efficient.
Will there be any charge to receive these digital channels?
No. Broadcasts that are now free are expected to remain free. It's possible that additional "pay" services may be launched in the future, but these are not expected to replace the free services offered today.
Why must over-the-air broadcasting stop using "analog" channels?
For more than half a century, TV broadcasts have used the technology that was invented in the 1920's and 1930's. Sure, color was added in the 1950's, but the core technology was the same. Then, in 1997, broadcasters became interested in HDTV, and in order to find additional space for emergency communications and advanced services, Congress decided that it was time for TV broadcasting to move towards more modern and efficient "digital" techniques. So, Congress instructed the FCC to assign to broadcasters new and different "DTV" channels and, after a "DTV Transition" period, to have the broadcasters return their old analog channels.
The frequencies used for the old analog channels will be re-assigned for other uses through an auction. Holding an auction for these frequencies will free up space for new broadband and other communication services, and will help emergency responders to coordinate their communications.
I now subscribe to cable or satellite—Do I need to be concerned about the end to free, over-the-air analog broadcasts?
You probably won't notice much of a change. Cable operators pick up most local broadcasts at a central location and send them to homes over cable; satellite services increasingly are able to do this as well. It is likely that they will continue to provide whatever free local broadcast programming they currently provide to you, even after there is this change in broadcasters' means of transmission. However:
- If you have TVs in your house that are not hooked up to your cable or satellite service, and rely on an antenna to receive conventional broadcasts, you will need to make alternative arrangements to keep watching these TVs.
- In the future, cable operators might also move to "all digital" means of delivery, which could mean you would need to lease a "set-top box" or own a TV with a digital cable tuner (such as one with a "CableCARD" slot) to continue to receive the channels you now view on a conventional TV.
- If a local broadcaster launches several new digital channels, a cable, satellite, or other programming service operator might not agree, or be required, to carry all of their local channels, or to carry them in HDTV. You might, therefore, need a DTV or HDTV tuner and an antenna in order to receive those channels.
If I am shopping for a new TV, what does the February 17, 2009 shutoff of the analog channels mean to me?
If you're planning to purchase a new TV that will rely on a rooftop or indoor antenna, you'll want to make sure that it has a built-in (integrated) HDTV or DTV tuner. In fact, FCC rules require that by March 1, 2007, any TV produced with an analog broadcast tuner must also have a DTV broadcast tuner built-in or marketed to retailers with the set. Many of these "built-in" sets also have slots for CableCARDS which, when provided by your cable operator, allow you to tune premium cable channels (including HDTV channels) without needing a set-top box. This gives you an additional choice if you plan to subscribe to a cable service.
If your new set is going to be hooked up to a cable, satellite, or telephone company video programming service instead of to an antenna, you may not need a DTV broadcast tuner. You can expect to receive all of the broadcast channels that you are accustomed to watching if they are carried by this operator. However:
- If these broadcast channels are not carried, or are not carried in full HDTV resolution, you will need an antenna to get the remaining local channels, and your set will need an HDTV or DTV tuner built-in or added on (depending on whether the channels you want include HDTV broadcasts and whether your set can display HDTV). For local information, see www.antennaweb.org.
- You may in the future need to lease a set-top box from your cable, satellite, or telephone company, particularly if your new set does not accept a CableCARD.
I'm watching TVs in my home now that are not connected to a cable or satellite service. What does the February 17, 2009 shutoff of analog channels mean to me?
If your TV is not currently hooked up to an antenna (for example, it is being used to play video games, or to watch DVDs or camcorder movies, etc.), nothing will change, because only free over-the-air broadcasts will be affected by this DTV broadcast transition. If your existing TV currently relies on an antenna to receive free broadcast programming you will have several options:
- You could subscribe to a cable, satellite, or other program delivery service that carries the broadcast programming in which you are interested. If you are already a cable, satellite, or other programming service subscriber, you can extend your hookup to reach this TV.
- To continue to rely on an antenna, you will need an external "DTV Broadcast Converter".
- If your set is an HD Monitor (sometimes called "HD-ready") you will want a tuner that can display HDTV broadcasts in full HDTV resolution (rather than "downconverting" them to a lesser format).
- If your set is a "standard" television, you will want to obtain a "DTV Broadcast Converter" product that converts a "DTV" or "HDTV" broadcast to a standard "analog" output that your TV can receive—either as "channel 3 or 4" or one of the other standard inputs that your TV already has. Congress has provided funds to assist consumers, from January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009, in obtaining these converters via coupons that can be applied to their price.
What is "EDTV?"
Enhanced Definition Television, or "EDTV," refers to the capability of displays to show pictures that look very similar to DVD quality—better than pictures from standard analog broadcasts, but not of the same quality as an HDTV display. For such a set, you might get better performance from a broadcast converter product that has enhanced capabilities as well.