http://web.mac.com/videopalitalia/iWeb/Site/Photos.html

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD PEOPLE TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR COUNTRY!

No, thanks

Welcome to TimesPeople

What’s this?

TimesPeople Lets You Share and Discover the Best of NY...

7:15 AM

TIMES TOPICS > SUBJECTS > D > DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION

Digital Television Transition

Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press

Updated: June. 5, 2009

In October of 2005, Congress enacted the Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005. The bill established that, by February 17th, 2009, all analog television broadcasts from full-power stations must cease and be replaced by digital transmissions. Why the switch? Moving to digital does two things: It allows broadcasters to send more data more efficiently - in addition to the show you are watching, you may get program and scheduling information on a pop-up screen, as well as higher-quality image and sound. Moving to digital also frees up the existing analog spectrum for other uses such as cellphone and public-safety radio transmissions.

That spectrum leads to another reason: cash. That older, analog spectrum was auctioned off by the government and went for nearly $20 billion.

On Jan. 26 the Senate passed a bill that would have postponed the switch to DTV to June, which was then defeated in the House. On Feb. 4, the House voted again to extend the transition to digital television by four months until June 12. President Obama signed the legislation that pushed back the deadline and allowed some stations to turn off their analog signals earlier.

The main question everyone has about the DTV transition is: What do I need to do about it? This part is simple: If you have cable or satellite, you don't have to do anything. If you get your TV signal from an antenna, you have to buy a digital converter box in order to continue to watch television. You only need the box, and possibly a new antenna - older antennas may not pick up UHF signals, which is what DTV uses. You do not need a new television, or a high-definition television (HDTV).

So, how does one get a converter box? This is slightly less simple. Converters are sold at many locations: online, at big-box retailers, possibly your local drug store. They cost $50 to $70. You have to buy separate converters for each TV you own.

So you may be wondering why you have to shell out $50 or more to upgrade your TV when you didn't ask for this conversion in the first place. That's why the government set up a voucher plan. The idea was that people who needed a converter could get up to two vouchers (one per converter), each valued at $40. That would make converter purchases nearly cost-free, or at least pretty inexpensive.

Then things got complicated. Originally, the vouchers had a 90-day expiration date and all had been sent out, and no money remained to fund any more. But on March 24, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced that the backlog for digital television converter box coupon requests had been cleared and that the government now had sufficient financing to send out more.

The F.C.C. said more than 4,000 people were available to answer the agency's phone number, 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322), to help consumers who are confused about the switch.

Highlights From the Archives

Millions Face Blank Screens in TV Switch

By STEPHEN LABATON

Despite government efforts to promote the switch to digital signals and a delay of four months in the schedule, three million homes are unprepared.

June 6, 2009TECHNOLOGYNEWS

Millions Still Not Ready for Digital TV

By ERIC A. TAUB

More than 3 million households are still not ready for the digital TV transition, according to a new report from Nielsen.

May 29, 2009BLOGSWEB LOG

DTV Coupons Are Back

By ERIC A. TAUB

The federal government has resumed issuing converter box rebate coupons for the digital TV transition.

March 24, 2009BLOGSWEB LOG

TV in Peril. Is Nothing Sacred?

By GAIL COLLINS

Shape up people. It’s post-inauguration now. It’s all about the issues. And one issue at hand is every American’s God-given right to television reception.

January 31, 2009OPINIONOP-ED

Digital TV Beckons, but Many Miss the Call

By JACQUES STEINBERG

For viewers who still use set-top rabbit ears, the switch to digital television has often proven a bewildering and cumbersome burden.

January 29, 2009ARTSNEWS

ARTICLES ABOUT DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION

Newest First | Oldest First

Page: 1 | 2 | Next >>

No Longer Free in a Digital World

By BARBARA ELIASSON

The looming digital conversion created stark choices for a longtime customer of free broadcast TV.

June 7, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:TELEVISION, NEW YORK CITY

Putting Words to Pictures

By J.D. BIERSDORFER

I have a long spoken-word audio clip that’d I’d like to put online, with a series of images to go along with it. What’s the best way to do this?

June 4, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:PHOTOGRAPHY, COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET,SOFTWARE, DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION,RECORDINGS AND DOWNLOADS (VIDEO), YOUTUBE.COM,MICROSOFT CORP

Tip of the Week: Scanning for Digital TV Channels

By J.D. BIERSDORFER

If you have a converter box set up to receive digital TV signals, you also need to scan for new digital channels to make sure you’re pulling in all the stations in your area.

June 4, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION

With Four More Months to Switch, Hundreds of Television Stations Are All Digital

By BRIAN STELTER

More than 400 stations have stopped broadcasting in analog form, months before the rescheduled transition to digital TV.

February 18, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION

I Want My Free TV

By JOHN SCHWARTZ

Can an antenna guy, who is decidedly not a cable guy, go digital?

February 15, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION,FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Switch to Digital TV Wins a Delay to June 12

By BRIAN STELTER

Television owners will have four more months to upgrade old sets before they will no longer receive analog signals.

February 5, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Digital TV Beckons, but Many Miss the Call

By JACQUES STEINBERG

For viewers who still use set-top rabbit ears, the switch to digital television has often proven a bewildering and cumbersome burden.

January 29, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:TELEVISION

MULTIMEDIA; An Public Plea to Convert Your TV

Senate Approves Digital TV Delay

By BLOOMBERG NEWS

The Senate voted to delay next month’s transition to June 12 because some viewers would not be ready for the switch.

January 27, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION,SENATE

Digital TV Delay Runs Into Protest

By BRIAN STELTER

Some lawmakers have argued that a delay would only exacerbate the confusion about the transition to digital TV.

January 17, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND: UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT, TELEVISION

An Income Gap in Who May Lose TV

By ALEX MINDLIN

An audience research firm reported that the median household income of adults with only over-the-air television is about half the income of those with cable or satellite television.

January 12, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION,INCOME

The Looming TV Blackout

Unless Congress has a better plan, millions of consumers will be without television reception on Feb. 17 the deadline for broadcasters to switch form analog to digital signals.

January 10, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, BLACKOUTS AND BROWNOUTS (ELECTRICAL), TELEVISION,EDITORIALS

Democrats Seek Delay in TV Shift

By BRIAN STELTER

The Obama transition team is seeking to delay the Feb. 17 move to digital TV, saying millions of homes aren’t ready.

January 9, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION,COUPONS, NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, OBAMA, BARACK,PODESTA, JOHN D

Don’t Touch That Dial

By WILLIAM KENNARD and MICHAEL POWELL

Unless Congress delays the nationwide switch of over-the-air TV signals to digital from analog for a few months, we are heading for a train wreck.

January 9, 2009

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION,COUPONS, COMMERCE DEPARTMENT, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

In Move to Digital TV, Confusion Is in the Air

By ERIC A. TAUB

When the switch is thrown to convert all TV transmissions in America to digital by the Feb. 17 deadline, millions of people may be left with no signal at all.

December 22, 2008

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION,FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

NATIONAL BRIEFING | WEST; Hawaii: Birds Hasten Digital Tv Switch

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hawaii will switch to digital TV on Jan 15, more than month ahead of nationwide mandatory conversion; federal wildlife officials recommended earlier date so that nesting season of endangered volcano-dwelling petrel will not be disrupted by demolition of analog transmission towers

November 12, 2008

MORE ON DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION AND:PETREL (BIRD), DIGITAL AND HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION, TELEVISION, ENDANGERED AND EXTINCT SPECIES, DEMOLITION, BIRDS, HAWAII

SEARCH 27 ARTICLES ABOUT DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION:

Page: 1 | 2 | Next >>

» Digital Television HDTV

» Channels TV

» Satellite TV Reception

» FreeView Satellite

» Satellite Channel