The Digital Ultimatum

In February 2009, there’s going to be a small revolution in the way we watch TV in America. The FCC, a government agency which controls TV broadcast standards, is going to require all over-the-air broadcasts to be in a digital format, rather than analog. This change won’t affect most people, but anyone who is still using an “analog only” TV set with its trusty rabbit-ears antenna will be forced to upgrade their gear.

The reason it’s sort of a big deal has to do with compatibility. In the very beginning of TV broadcasting, everything was broadcast in black and white, which was no problem since every TV was a black-and-white TV. Then in 1953, the FCC adopted a set of standards detailing how color TV would be broadcast, and how color TV sets would work. The good thing about these standards was that they were backwards-compatible: you could still use your old black-and-white set to watch the new color shows. They wouldn’t be in color on your set, of course, but at least you could watch them.

The new digital standards, however, won’t be backwards-compatible. If your set isn’t capable of receiving a digital signal, it’s simply going to become an expensive paperweight. The good news is that it’s easy to figure out if your set can accept digital signals, and if not, you’ll just have to attach a digital-to-analog converter box to make everything work. And if you’ve been thinking about upgrading to a new HDTV (High Definition Television) anyway, all HDTVs will accept digital input, so now is as good a time as any to take the plunge.

If you’re unsure about your TV, check for the word “digital” anywhere on the set, as in “digital tuner”, “digital receiver”, “DTV”, or “ATSC”. If you see any of these markings on the set it can probably handle digital, and you’ll just have to find the setting on your TV or remote that sets the input to digital.

If you have an analog-only set and you don’t want to upgrade, you will need a converter box in 2009. Luckily, the government has set up the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program for just such an issue. Every household in America can get up to two $40 coupons toward the purchase of a box. Visit DTV2009 for details on this program, and The FCC’s DTV Page for information on the format change in general.

The more exciting way to deal with the change, though, is to upgrade your TV to the latest and greatest technology. HDTV information abounds on the internet, and a great way to get a handle on it is to visit an HDTV tutorial website to get your bearings and make a confident decision on your purchase. You’ll want to get familiar with terms like Plasma, LCD, 1080p resolution, HDMI cables, and many many more before handing over your cash.