Resource Center

Preparing for the Digital TV Transition

A Guide to the making the switch to digital TV
Provided by the Office of Senator Tom Harkin

By June 12, 2009, federal law requires that all full-power television broadcast stations stop broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital format. Your local broadcasters may make the transition before that date, and some already have. "The switch to digital television is the most significant development in TV technology since the introduction of color television in the 1950s," said Senator Tom Harkin.

This resource is intended to provide you with useful information on why the transition to digital television is occurring, what it will mean to you and what you can do to prepare for it. You will also find helpful installation diagrams and information on troubleshooting some common problems associated with making this change.

Find information about the transition provided by the FCC here: www.dtv.gov

Apply for your coupons and find local retailers here: www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-800-DTV-2009.

What Is The Digital TV (DTV) Transition?

Your TV signal is switching to "digital." For more than fifty years, TV broadcasters have sent their shows to your TV using "analog" signals. Currently, many over-the-air stations are broadcasting in both analog and digital TV formats.

Federal law has mandated that, by June 12, all full-power television stations stop broadcasting in analog, and continue broadcasting in digital only. While the majority of consumers in the U.S. can receive the programming of full-power over-the-air stations, there are three other categories of broadcast TV stations - "low-power," "Class A," and "translator" stations. Although these types of stations also must eventually switch to digital broadcasting, there is currently no deadline for them to turn off their analog signals.

Why Are Broadcast Stations Switching to Digital?

Federal law requires them to do so. Digital TV will improve public safety for everyone by freeing up the airwaves for police, fire, emergency rescue and other public safety departments to communicate more easily with each other and the public during emergencies.

Digital TV offers better picture and sound quality, as well as more channels and programming choices.

What does this mean to you?

If all of your TVs are hooked up to cable or satellite, you will continue to get your TV after the switch. Just check with your cable or satellite company to be sure.

If you have a digital TV, you are ready for the switch. (If your TV is more than 10 years old it probably is not digital. If it is less than 10 years old, ask the manufacturer if your TV is "analog-only.")

If you have an analog-only TV with a roof top antenna or "rabbit ears," you will not be able to watch most TV stations after June 12, 2009 unless you get a "converter box."

What should I do to prepare for the transition if I have an analog television and I want to continue to watch over-the-air TV broadcasts?

You have three choices...

  1. Connect your analog TV to a digital-to-analog converter box.
  2. Buy a digital television (a TV with a built-in digital tuner).
  3. Subscribe to a paid TV service.

1.) Digital-to-Analog Converter Boxes

What is a converter box?

A simple device that converts the digital broadcasts picked up by your antenna into analog, so that your analog TV can display the programming.

Why do I want a converter box?

A converter box will allow you to continue to watch free over-the-air broadcasts on your analog TV.

You will not have to purchase a new TV.

How do I get a converter box?

Converter boxes are available at electronics retailers, and should cost between $40 and $70. To get some help paying for a converter box, take advantage of the Convert Box Coupon Program.

What is the Converter Box Coupon Program?

To help consumers with the DTV transition, the Government established the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a part of the Department of Commerce, administers this program.

For more detailed information on the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, visit www.dtv2009.gov, or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).

2.) Buy a Digital Television

What is a digital television?

A TV that is equipped with a digital tuner. A digital tuner is a component within a television which allows the television to display digital programming.

How do I know whether or not I have a digital television?

Many DTVs and digital television equipment will have labels or markings on them, or statements in the informational materials that came with them, to indicate that they contain digital tuners. These labels or markings may contain the words "Integrated Digital Tuner," "Digital Tuner Built-In," "Digital Receiver," or "Digital Tuner," "DTV," "ATSC," or "HDTV" (High Definition television). If your television equipment contains any of these labels or markings, you should be able to view digital over-the-air programming without the need for a digital-to-analog converter box.

If your television set is labeled as "analog" or "NTSC," and is NOT labeled as containing a digital tuner, it contains an analog tuner only.

Because most broadcast stations in all U.S. television markets are already broadcasting in digital, consumers can watch DTV today. You can contact your local broadcast stations to determine the channel numbers on which the stations are currently broadcasting digital programming. You should then tune to the over-the-air digital channels to see if your set can receive the digital broadcast programming.

Do I need an "HDTV" to watch digital television?

NO!

Digital broadcasting allows for High Definition broadcasts, but High Definition is not required, and you do not need to buy a HDTV to watch digital TV. A Standard Definition DTV (which is simply a TV with an internal digital tuner), or a digital-to-analog converter box hooked to an analog TV, is all that is required to continue watching over-the-air broadcast television. Digital broadcast television includes Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) formats. You can watch High Definition programming on a Standard Definition DTV (or on an analog TV hooked to a digital-to-analog converter box), but it won’t be in full High Definition quality.

3.) Subscribe to a Paid TV Service (Cable or Satellite)

What do I need to know?

TV’s that are hooked up to a satellite or cable service will continue to receive the programming which they are currently receiving through that service after June 12, 2009.

If you subscribe to a cable or satellite service, you may receive local programming as part of your subscription package. If local programming is not provided to you as part of your subscription package, you will need to purchase a digital-analog converter box to continue to watch those local channels.

Potential Closed Captioning Problems

Overview

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is concerned that consumers may experience difficulty in receiving and/or viewing closed captioning on some digital television (DTV) programming, including high definition television (HDTV), provided by a subscription television provider, such as a cable company or a satellite television provider.

These difficulties generally could arise from two causes:

  1. the consumer’s set-top box and/or DTV are not properly set to allow closed captions to be displayed; or
  2. there are technical problems with the subscription television provider’s system that prevent closed captions from being received and decoded by the set-top box and/or DTV.

Background

Closed captioning is an assistive technology that allows persons with hearing disabilities to access television programming. Closed captioning displays the audio portion of programming as text superimposed over the video. For a television receiver to display closed captions, it must use a set-top box decoder or contain integrated decoder circuitry.

As of January 1, 2006, all "new" English language programming, defined as analog programming first published or exhibited on or after January 1, 1998, and digital programming first aired on or after July 1, 2002, must be captioned, with some exceptions.

For more information on closed captioning, closed captioning schedules, and exemptions, visit www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/caption.html and see the FCC's consumer fact sheet at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/closedcaption.html.

What You Can Do

If you have difficulties viewing closed captions on DTV programming, including HDTV, received from your subscription television provider, you should:

  • Consult any consumer information and manuals/guides on closed captions for DTV programming provided by your subscription television provider;
  • Ensure that the captioning function on your set-top box, if applicable, is turned on;
  • Ensure that the captioning function on your DTV is turned on.

If you are still unable to view closed captions on DTV programming, you should contact your subscription television provider for assistance.

Filing a Complaint with the FCC

If your provider is unable to help, you can file a complaint with the FCC alleging a violation of the Television Decoder Circuitry Act and the FCC’s implementing rules. There is no charge for filing a complaint. If your complaint concerns the inability of your consumer equipment (for example, your television or cable box) to deliver captions, you may complain directly to the FCC. If your complaint concerns the lack of captioning on a specific program or channel (i.e., you receive captions on some channels, but not others), you must first complain to the programming distributor (meaning your subscription television service provider). For more information on filing a complaint with your programming distributor and the information to include in such complaints, see the FCC’s closed captioning consumer fact sheet at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/closedcaption.html. If you are uncertain where to file your complaint, contact the FCC’s Consumer Center using the contact information provided for filing a complaint with the FCC below.

You can file your complaint using an FCC on-line complaint form found at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice, 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554.

What to Include In Your Complaint to the FCC

The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the on-line complaint form. When you open the on-line form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:

  • your name, address, email address, and phone number where you can be reached;
  • whether you are filing a complaint on behalf of another party, and, if so, the party’s name, address, e-mail address, day time phone number, and your relationship to the party;
  • preferred format or method of response (letter, fax, voice phone call, e-mail, TRS, TTY, ASCII text, audio recording, or Braille);
  • that your complaint is about closed captioning for DTV;
  • the name, address, and telephone number (if known) of the company or companies involved with your complaint;
  • the date and time or other details about timing of the lack of closed captioning for DTV;
  • television station call sign (WZUE), TV channel (13), location (city and state), and name of program involved; and
  • a brief description of your complaint and the resolution you are seeking, and a full description of the equipment or service you are complaining about, including date of purchase, use, or attempt to use.

For More Information

For more information about the digital television transition and HDTV, visit the FCC's Web site at www.dtv.gov and see the FCC's consumer fact sheet at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.html. You can also contact the FCC's Consumer Center using the information provided for filing a complaint.