DTV - The Basics You Need to Know

1. On Tuesday, February 17th, 2009, precisely at midnight, News Channel 7 (and all other full-power TV stations) will stop broadcasting its analog signal and will broadcast in digital only.

2. For several years, we’ve broadcast in analog on Channel 7… and digital on Channel 53, a UHF channel.  When the transition happens 2/17, we will transfer our digital signal to Channel 7 and discontinue use of Channel 53.

3. Why is the DTV transition important?  If you‘re a cable or satellite customer, you’re set, and you don’t need to worry about it at all.  But if you get “free” TV… in other words, you receive your TV signal via an antenna and don’t pay anyone for TV service… you are at risk of not receiving a TV signal anymore after 2/17.  250,000 households in South Carolina (including 98,000 in the Upstate) are “free” TV households and will be affected by the DTV transition.

4. “Free” TV households must choose one of 3 options to continue receiving a TV signal:  (A) buy a new TV with a digital tuner; (B) become a cable or satellite customer; or (C) purchase a converter box that converts the digital signal back to analog so older model TV’s will still work.

5. Coupons are available from the federal government to defray the cost of converter boxes.  The coupons are bright red and look like credit cards.  Each household (not each person, but each –household-) can apply for as many as -2- DTV coupons.  Each coupon is worth $40.  Converter boxes range in price from approximately $50 - $70, so the average price is around $60.  A person who has a 40-dollar DTV coupon will need about $20 cash to buy a converter box.  The coupons come with a list of stores in your community that sell converter boxes.  As a general rule, any place that sells TV’s also sells the boxes:  Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Radio Shack… and in some communities, Rite Aid drugstores also sell the boxes.  Apply for coupons either by calling 1-888-388-2009… or visiting http://www.dtv2009.gov.  Note you must give a street address; coupons will not be delivered to a post office box (to reduce the possibility of fraud).

6. The coupons take approximately 3 weeks to arrive, and they have an expiration date.  They are good for 90 days, and the clock begins ticking when the card is mailed to you.  If your card expires before you get around to using it, you can’t apply for another.  But you can ask a neighbor, friend, relative, etc. to apply for the cards and give you one of theirs (this is perfectly okay).

7. It is strongly recommended that as soon as your DTV coupon arrives, use it right away, purchase your converter box, and hook it up {the FCC calls this “APPLY (for the coupon)… BUY (the converter box)… TRY (it out)”}.  The digital channels are available now.

8. A good antenna is an essential part of a good DTV experience.  Some viewers will get a good quality picture using a “rabbit ear” antenna on top of their TV set.  Other viewers, especially those living 30 miles or more from a station’s transmitter, may need an outdoor antenna and might also need an amplifier to boost the TV signal.  The need for an outdoor antenna is affected not only by distance, but also by obstacles like trees and the walls of the home.

9. The antenna will need to handle both VHF and UHF signals (UHF is channels 14 and higher).  While all digital channels are currently broadcast on UHF, some will move to VHF channel positions after 2/17.  For example, News Channel 7 is currently analog on Channel 7, digital on Channel 53.  After 2/17, our digital signal moves from 53 to 7.  Other local stations are expected to make similar moves.

10. Many homes already have outdoor antennas but may need a new antenna to get the best DTV signal.  That’s because the existing antennas may have deteriorated with age… or they may not deliver high-quality reception of both UHF and VHF signals.  An existing antenna might also need to be repositioned for maximum reception.

11. If you have a TV with a digital tuner built in, you do not need a converter box.  Only on a TV with a digital tuner will you get the maximum benefit of DTV… the higher quality picture and sound.

12. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET RID OF YOUR OLD TV!  You can still use your older model (analog) TV.  But you’ll need a converter box to see the signal.  Again, refer to item 11… only with a digital TV will you get the maximum benefit of DTV.

13.        If you are a cable or satellite customer, don’t forget about TV’s you might have in your kitchen, basement, etc. that are not hooked up to cable or satellite.  If they are not digital, those TV’s will need a converter box.