The February '09 Digital-TV Switchover

On February 17, 2009, all over-the-air television providers in the U.S. will be flipping the switch, no longer broadcasting with an analog signal. Don't hit the panic button just yet- there is some good that will come out of this measured change in American communication standards. On that magical day, all Americans will be able to enjoy 100% digital TV.

Well, I guess saying "all" Americans might be a bit of a stretch. However, the legislators of this country actually had a little foresight into the dilemma that this changeover might cause. As of March 1, 2007, all television reception devices have been required by law to be equipped with a digital tuner. That means that if bought your TV, VCR or DVR after that date, you most likely won't have to worry about making any changes. Most manufacturers' have already been putting digital tuners into their products for years. Approximately 90% of television broadcasters have using both analog and digital signals for some time.

The good news is, consumers now have a valid excuse to upgrade to that nice flat-screen plasma TV you have been wanting. My advice is, get the HDTV while you are at it - most can be purchased at a reasonable cost of about $400 to $500 - and save some yourself time upgrading later. The really great news about the digital change is that most of the major networks - ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox - already transmit some shows in HD. This means that some people will be able to dodge the pricey subscription fees and still get HD programming. The government has also pledged to give a $40 coupon to those without digital equipment to help defray the cost of getting a digital converter box which connects to your TV. The converter box usually cost about $60.

Those who live in some of the rural parts of the country might experience some bigger issues with the digital changeover. Chances are that if you do live in a rural area, still getting a signal in the past hasn't been that big of an issue. This is simply because analog signals work very well over great distances. Those who have already been getting that somewhat fuzzy or snowy picture on their television might experience an even more degraded picture or none at all. If the digital signal strength is too low then the tuner can't decode the signal and they are left nothing but a blank screen. Some city folk might also experience a weaker signal. This is due to the high frequency used on a digital bandwidth. Digital signals can't go around buildings and sometimes have trouble going through walls or other obstacles. Getting a better antenna will help alleviate this problem for both rural and urban consumers.

The change was brought about when it was decided that there was very little bandwidth left on the analog frequencies. By having broadcasters switch to digital, it will make those frequencies available once again. The government has already earmarked some of the spectrum so that it could be used in building a better wireless emergency network. The private sector has already started working on building the next generation of wireless networks. They are waiting for the February deadline, so they can flip a switch of their own.