Less than two weeks before the expected end of analog broadcasting the House of Representatives voted 264-158 on Wednesday to push back the 17^th of February deadline to the 12^th of June. Consumers who rely on antennas to receive over-the-air broadcast signals will need to obtain a set-top converter that will receive the digital signal and convert it to analog and now it appears that they have four extra months to do so. The decision, strongly supported by president-elect Barack Obama, gives approximately 6.5 million unprepared households more time to get ready for the transition. Surveys show that nearly every TV viewer is aware of the switch, and is preparing for it with analog sets that will need to be connected to cable, satellite TV or a $40 to $70 converter box that can tune in digital signals.

 

The bill passed by the House on Wednesday does not include new money for a federal program that provides viewers with $40 coupons toward a converter box. The program has dispensed its total of $1.34 billion worth of coupons and is waiting for other unused ones useable for 90 days. The coupons waiting list gathered 3.5 million requests at the moment, especially since the legislation allows consumers to reapply for a coupon in case their vouchers have expired.

 

The delay does not mean every station will continue to broadcast in analog. Broadcasters will be permitted to shut off their analog transmission before the 12^th of June, creating a potential uneven transition for analog viewers. But whether they lose some channels or not depends strictly on what local stations decide to let go of the analog transmission.

 

To overcome any problems, communities will surely need the help of plenty of volunteers for this major operation, especially to attend the elderly and minorities. Besides all of them, most customers still do not understand exactly what the broadcast television transition implies and what their options are in this case.