FCC Counsel Answers DTV Questions

From Patrick Webre, Senior Counsel and Southeast Regional Director for the FCC DTV Transition National Outreach Team:

Describe what will happen during the test Wednesday evening?

What is Happening today?
Today, across the country, broadcasters are participating in a nationwide soft test to highlight the fact that we are just two months out from the transition to digital.

Stations in 43 states have volunteered to conduct soft tests today, and consumer phone banks will be held in 31 states.

What is a Soft Test?
Currently, most stations are broadcasting simultaneously in analog and digital.  In order to conduct a “soft test,” a station will show digital transition information solely on their station’s analog broadcast and continue to show regular programming on their digital broadcast.

How does this help consumers?
If a consumer continues to see uninterrupted programming during their station’s soft test, they will know their television is digital ready. 

Why is a Soft Test important?
The willingness of these local broadcasters to participate in a nationwide soft test will raise awareness about the switch and ultimately help the entire country prepare for the final transition to digital on June 12, 2009.

It provides an opportunity for broadcasters and consumers to minimize the potential burden the early transition could impose on consumers in these markets and maximize their ability to benefit from it.

What does someone need to do if they still get an analog signal when the switch happens tonight?
Consumers have three choices in order to be ready for the DTV transition:
1.  Connect your analog TV to a digital-to-analog converter box.  If you receive good quality reception on VHF channels (2-13) and UHF channels (14-51), your existing antenna should work for digital broadcasts.
2.  Buy a digital television (a TV with a built-in digital tuner).  You do not need a HDTV.  Plus, if you receive good quality reception on VHF and UHF channels, your existing antenna should work for digital broadcasts.
3.  Subscribe to a paid TV service (such as cable or satellite TV).  If you receive your local broadcast stations through a paid TV provider, you are already prepared for the DTV transition.

Why is television being converted to digital?
Federal law requires the switch.  An important benefit of all-digital broadcasting is that it will free up parts of the valuable broadcast spectrum for public safety communications (such as police, fire departments, and rescue squads).  In addition, DTV is much more efficient than analog.  DTV allows broadcasters to offer improved picture and sound quality.  It also allows broadcasters to offer several simultaneous digital programs using the same amount of spectrum required for one analog program.  This is called “multicasting.”  Additionally, some of the spectrum that will be freed up has been auctioned to wireless companies for the provision of advanced commercial wireless services for consumers (such as wireless broadband).