US Not Ready for Transition from Analog to Digital TV

By Leah Hudson
16:36, January 12th 2009

Consumers who rely on antennas to receive over-the-air broadcast signals will soon need to obtain a set-top converter that will receive the digital signal and convert it to analog. 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. One of the rules of evolution is that of next generation television driven by the advent of digital TVs and programming.

But there seems to be a problem. When broadcasters in Wilmington, N.C., voluntarily shut down their analog stations four months ago, they realized that more than 1,000 people weren’t ready for this kind of change. Therefore, President-elect Barack Obama's transition team asked the Congress to postpone the cutoff indefinitely. Manufacturers were not happy at all with this decision because they have been promoting the switch to digital for more than a decade.

The Obama transition team representatives also said that the subsidy program for converter boxes ran out of money last week. The Congress seems to have a solution to the problem, so that Washington has enough time to resume mailing coupons this month, giving recipients a few weeks to use them before the scheduled switch. The converters vary in price and can be purchased online or through retailers such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart among others.

But according to the National Telecommunication and Information Administration Web site, since the 4^th of January, consumers requesting coupons have been placed on a waiting list in order to receive them on a first-come, first-served basis as funds from expired coupons become available.

Kevin J. Martin the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission stated on Saturday that postponing the turnoff of analog TV broadcasts beyond the scheduled date, might confuse consumers. The 17^th of February date for the turnoff has been widely advertised by local TV stations.

Digital tuner rules are being specified starting the 1^st of March, 2007 and the commission says that all new TVs must include digital tuners. Therefore, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, technology companies from around the world presented television sets that can display personalized and interactive broadcasts, tune in programs from the Internet and effortlessly grab pictures from cell-phones, cameras and camcorders.

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 do not understand exactly what the broadcast television transition implies and what their options are in this case.