Digital Television Converter Guide

On June 12, 2009, all television broadcast stations in the US were required to stop transmitting their traditional analog signals and switch entirely to digital television. Wow, that sounds ominous, doesn't it? Well, don't panic. The changes will only affect people who receive their television signals over the air - either through a set-top antenna or an outside antenna. If you receive your television service by cable or by sattelite, you don't have to do anything. Your current cable connection, converter box, or satellite receiver will continue to provide you with the same service that you're getting now. The good news is that digital television is well worth all the trouble. I'll say more about that later in this article.

But if you receive your television signal over the air with an antenna, the change will affect you, especially if your television is more than 3 or 4 years old. The key is that your television needs to either have a digital tuner built in, or you will need to buy a digital converter box to covert the digital signals into the analog signals older sets were designed to use. If you have a high-definition television or if your set is less than 3-4 years old, it probably has a digital tuner already. But you need to check the instruction manual or the manufacturer's website to be sure. For the last few years, retailers have been required by law to post prominent signs by televisions they display to warn consumers if they do not have the necessary digital tuner. But several retailers have recently been fined by the FCC because they did not post such signs. So, check the instruction manual or the label on the television to get the model number and then visit the manufacturer's website to check the specifications for your set. It must say "digital tuner" or "ATSC Tuner" to be ready for the new digital signals. And if your set has a digital receiver built in, you're all set and you don't need to do anything. Just make sure that you have it set up correctly to recieve the digital channels. So what do you do if your set doesn't have a digital tuner? You need to buy a digital converter box. They cost between $40-60.00. The good news is that the Federal Government is issuing free coupons worth $40.00 off the price of approved converter boxes, so the ultimate price to you should be under $20.00, and possibly next to nothing. You can get up to 2 coupons per household. Just click on the ad to the left here. You may also need to buy a new digital-ready antenna, but that depends on where you live and where your local stations are located in relation to you. JUNE 12, 2009 UPDATE: The change-over to all digital television is now with us. If your TV stopped working, you need a digital converter box. You can still apply for one of the $20.00 coupons, but since you won't receive it for a couple of weeks, you have to decide if the wait is worth it to you. IF YOU BOUGHT AND INSTALLED A CONVERTER BOX BEFORE JUNE 12, YOU NEED TO RE-SCAN FOR CHANNELS. Following the cut-off of analog signals, many stations around the country changed the frequency they used to transmit their new digital signals. So you need to re-scan - or, essentially, reset your converter box. Just turn your TV on, and use the remote control to enter the Set-up Menu. Select "Scan" or "Re-Tune" or whatever your box says for setting up the channel selections. What happens is that the converter box will scan for channels and reset the selections available to you. You may well find that you have new channel choices as some stations are boosting their signal strength, now that they don't have to pay for two transmitters. Even though this program has been developing for several years now, whether or not you have a coupon, finding a digital converter in stores can be difficult. Three major retailers have made a significant commitment to carrying these converter boxes: Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, and Best Buy. When you receive your coupon, a list of the stores closest to you is included in the envelope. However, you may find the converter boxes are often sold out, or only one of the stores from in your area offers them. So you may have to shop or call several of them before you find one in stock. You can also order a converter box by mail through Amazon.com and use your $40.00 off coupon online. See the box at the right.

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Installing a Digital Converter

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The Benefits of Digital Television

You will almost certainly find that the quality of the picture you receive with the converter box is significantly better than what you were used to with the old analog signal because the digital signals are less subject to problems of interference and work well even with relatively weak signals. In addition, television stations can now broadcast more than one signal on their digital channels, so you might find that you are able to receive several more channels. Most stations will broadcast both a standard definition signal and a high definition signal. Yes, that's right. Digital television and high definition are not the same thing. Old standard definition television is broadcast at 480 lines of vertical resolution. High definition television is broadcast at 720 or up to 1080 lines of resolution. A digital converter box will let you see the high definition channels. While high definition channels will certainly seem sharper on all televisions, older televisions will only show them to the best of their capabilities.

For more information about the change to digital television, including information on getting your $40.00 off coupon, visit the FCC website at http://www.dtv2009.gov/. When you receive your coupon, bring it with you when you go to the store to buy your digital converter box and you will receive a $40.00 discount at the cash register.

My Personal Experience With A Digital Converter

While we have cable for the living room and bedroom televisions, there is no cable connection for our kitchen TV. Even though I live in a large city, the over-the-air television reception is poor in our neighborhood. Only two or three stations have an acceptable signal. But with the converter box, I was able to receive all of the local network stations, as well as a couple of independent stations I hadn't been able to receive before, and all with a very sharp, clear picture and static-free sound. Growing up, I can remember how the picture would be distorted when airplanes would fly overhead. That won't happen with digital TV. And since the box picks up both the standard definition and the high definition channels, on many stations I have a choice of full-screen or widescreen images. Beyond that, the local PBS station has three extra digital channels - one general interest, one dedicated to children, and one that shows cooking and creative arts programs. The local NBC affiliate has a special digital weather channel. Weather is something of an obsession here in Minnesota. Our unique "theater of seasons" always keeps us guessing, so I'm sure that's a popular channel. And the digital signals include program schedule information so that with a push of a button on the remote control, I can see the name of the program that's showing at the moment and what's coming up next.

Installation was dirt simple and required no tools because the kitchen television has a coaxial cable connector. The digital converter box I bought came with the extra length of cable, so I didn't need to buy anything extra. But even if your set uses the old two-wire connection, the only tool you'll need is a small screwdriver. I removed the rabbit ears from the set and spread them out over the window curtain rod next to it.