What Is The Digital TV Transition
In 1996, the U.S. Congress authorized broadcast television stations to add a digital channel alongside their analog channel. On 17 February 2009, local television stations will cease broadcasting using analog signals; effective 18 February, all television in the U.S. will be composed of a digital signal.Digital broadcasting provides a clearer picture and more channels and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders.
David Rehr, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, called this "the most significant advancement of television technology since color TV was introduced."
In addition, the law allocated $990 million - $1.5 billion for the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program. Congress limited administrative expenses to $100 - 160 million. Approximately 35 million households were expected to need a digital converter box to continue receiving over-the-air television broadcasts. The program ran out of money in early January 2009.
The Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program began in February 2008 and is administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the Department of Commerce. The subsidy is a $40 coupon; each household was allowed to order two, and each voucher is valid for 90 days. Converter boxes cost $40-70.
It's not too late to apply for a coupon, although there is no guarantee that you will actually get one because the program ran out of money in early January 2009.
The deadline is 31 March2009. Apply online or call the hotline, 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009). Or complete an application (pdf) and fax it to 1-877-388-4632.
Any TV connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service does not require a TV converter box from this program.
In September 2004, the FCC rejected proposals to require more disclosure (labels) about digital TVs. Since 1 March 2007, any device receivingover-the-air TV signals -- frompocket-sized portable TVs to personal computer video capture card tuners -- has included a digital tuner. Effective 25 May 2007, the FCC required "Consumer Alert" labels on any non-digital television for sale. But because retailers had no deadline for when they had to stop selling old inventory, in the summer and fall of 2007there were still analog TVs for sale.
This isn't the first time that there's been a major change in how television signals were broadcast. Until the mid-1950s, television programs were broadcast in black-and-white.
Initially in the black-and-white-to-color saga, the FCC approved an approach developed by CBS which would have required consumers to own separate TVs because the color-TV could not reproduce black-and-white images. In modern parlance, it wasn't backwards compatible. However, the Korean War intervened; RCA engineers developed a new TV that could reproduce both color and black-and-white images, a development a feat "considered by many to one of the major technological feats of the 20th century." The FCC approved the RCA system in 1953.
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David Rehr, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, called this "the most significant advancement of television technology since color TV was introduced."
Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005
Congress enacted the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act on 20 October 2005. Among other things, it set the end of the analog era as 17 February 2009. One originally proposed cutoff date was 31 December 2008; the date was changed so that the transition didn't interfere with either college or professional football.In addition, the law allocated $990 million - $1.5 billion for the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program. Congress limited administrative expenses to $100 - 160 million. Approximately 35 million households were expected to need a digital converter box to continue receiving over-the-air television broadcasts. The program ran out of money in early January 2009.
Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program
A TV converter box plugs into your analog TV and, along with your antenna, will keep your analog set working after 17 February2009.When Congress mandated the change to digital broadcasting, it also set up a program to subsidize the cost of the digital converter box, even though the products were not yet on the market.The Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program began in February 2008 and is administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the Department of Commerce. The subsidy is a $40 coupon; each household was allowed to order two, and each voucher is valid for 90 days. Converter boxes cost $40-70.
Getting A Digital Converter Box Coupon
It's not too late to apply for a coupon, although there is no guarantee that you will actually get one because the program ran out of money in early January 2009.
The deadline is 31 March2009. Apply online or call the hotline, 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009). Or complete an application (pdf) and fax it to 1-877-388-4632.
Any TV connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service does not require a TV converter box from this program.
Analog to Digital Standards Switch
We are moving from "NTSC" (National Television Systems Committee) television to "ATSC" (Advanced Television Systems Committee) television. The two standards are incompatible; that is, a TV receiver designed to decode one of these signals cannot decode the other. That's because NTSC television tuners are designed to receive signals that travel through the air in invisible waves and the ATSC television tuners are designed to receive signals that travel through the air or some other medium as a series of zeros (0) and ones (1).Digital TV Transition On Store Shelves
If the industry has known about this flip-the-switch moment, when did it stop producing, and when did retailers stop selling, analog televisions? The answer: not until the FCC made them.In September 2004, the FCC rejected proposals to require more disclosure (labels) about digital TVs. Since 1 March 2007, any device receivingover-the-air TV signals -- frompocket-sized portable TVs to personal computer video capture card tuners -- has included a digital tuner. Effective 25 May 2007, the FCC required "Consumer Alert" labels on any non-digital television for sale. But because retailers had no deadline for when they had to stop selling old inventory, in the summer and fall of 2007there were still analog TVs for sale.
We've Done This Before: B&W To Color
This isn't the first time that there's been a major change in how television signals were broadcast. Until the mid-1950s, television programs were broadcast in black-and-white.
Initially in the black-and-white-to-color saga, the FCC approved an approach developed by CBS which would have required consumers to own separate TVs because the color-TV could not reproduce black-and-white images. In modern parlance, it wasn't backwards compatible. However, the Korean War intervened; RCA engineers developed a new TV that could reproduce both color and black-and-white images, a development a feat "considered by many to one of the major technological feats of the 20th century." The FCC approved the RCA system in 1953.
What Is The FCC?
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission was created by Congress on 19 June 1934 and was charged with regulating broadcasting and wired communications. The agency had three division: broadcast, telegraph, and telephone. As communications technologies developed, Congress expanded the scope of the FCC to include television, satellite and microwave communications, cable television, and cellular telephones.1996 Telecommunications Act
The transition story begins with the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which is notorious because of its attempt to regulated adult content on the Internet. In the 1980s, the TV industry began developing a digital television standard and pitched it to Congress; Congress formally adopted this new standard in 1996. The old standard would be replaced by the new one over a 10-year period; the new era of digital television was to begin on 1 January 2007.Sources and Resources
Sources:
- Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 (pdf)
- Digital TV Primer
- Golden Age of TV
- How To Get Government Coupons
Sources and Resources
Sources:
- Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 (pdf)
- Digital TV Primer
- Golden Age of TV
- How To Get Government Coupons
Sources and Resources
Sources:
- Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 (pdf)
- Digital TV Primer
- Golden Age of TV
- How To Get Government Coupons
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