New Help Available for Your Home DTV Set-Up

    We began this week with every indication the DTV switch, the change from analog to digital television, would be delayed from February 17 to June 12.  The U.S. Senate approved the nearly four-month delay, and industry experts predicted the House would follow suit.

    Uh-uh, not so fast.

    As we end the week, the original transition date, February 17, remains in place.  The delay didn’t get the required two-thirds majority in the House.  The bill could be revised, and both chambers could vote again, but it hasn’t happened yet.

  We have to assume February 17, now less than three weeks away, will still be the big day.

    And we need to get ready!

    If you receive your TV signal via an antenna (set-top rabbit ears or outdoor antenna), you must either buy a converter box (to convert the digital signal back to analog so your old-style TV can see it) -OR- sign up for cable or satellite -OR- purchase a television set with a built-in digital tuner.

    Make sure you have a UHF antenna too.

    Many families purchase the equipment, then aren’t sure how to hook it up.

    If you’re in that group, new help is available to you.

    DTV Transition Help Centers are now operating for North and South Carolina.

    Call this number:  1-877-388-8992.  It is staffed around the clock.

    Besides getting questions answered, you can arrange for someone to come to your home and hook everything up for you.

    The centers also need volunteers to install DTV converter boxes.  Again, call 1-877-388-8992.

    If you prefer getting help via computer, visit http://www.dtv-setup.com.

    I’ve also found this site helpful:  http://www.tvconversionhelp.com.  It has a very simple set-up, and it answers 350 DTV questions.

    And you’re always welcome to contact News Channel 7’s engineering department at 864-576-7777 for answers to your DTV questions.

    Whether the conversion date is changed or not, if you have an antenna TV, you need to get ready for DTV.  Why not do it now and enjoy the greatly improved picture and sound!