Digital TV - act now, help others

By: By Robert McDowell | GUEST COLUMNIST
Published: December 01, 2008

The clock is now ticking -- loudly -- on the final countdown to the nation's digital television transition. In 79 days, your over-the-air TV may be useless to you unless you act today. On Feb. 17, 2009, federal law requires most stations broadcast only the new digital signals. Will you be ready?

Digital television, TV's biggest technological leap since its invention, delivers crisper pictures, better sound and more free programming channels. Many Americans already enjoy the benefits of DTV because most stations have broadcast both analog and digital signals for several years.

Thanks to the growing number of news stories and promotional campaigns, most Americans -- up to 92 percent by recent estimates -- know that something called the "DTV transition" is going to happen soon. Yet as I've traveled the country in recent weeks to promote DTV readiness, I've learned that many Americans still aren't sure what they must do to prepare for it.

If you are one of the approximately 12 percent of Americans nationwide who use only antennas, rather than cable or satellite TV, to receive local TV signals, you will need to take a few steps to make sure the TVs in your household are ready.

As a member of the Federal Communications Commission, I encourage everyone to join the government and media industry to help those at risk of being left behind when the change comes: the elderly, the infirm low-income individuals and non-English speakers. These are the people who need to get the DTV message today. So let me convey a few simple points, and ask you to relay them to anyone who may seem uncertain about what is happening:

If you have a TV set that was built before 2002 and uses an antenna, you have two options: (1) buy an inexpensive digital converter box and connect it to your existing analog set, or (2) buy a new, more expensive TV that has a built-in digital tuner.

If you need to acquire a digital converter box for an analog set, buy it today. These devices work with antennas to translate digital broadcast signals into a language that old analog sets can understand. The cheapest boxes cost about $40, the same price as the coupons Congress has subsidized to help Americans make the transition. The boxes are available in electronics stores.

Once you get a converter box, hook it up to your TV set immediately. You may need to adjust your antenna to pick up the digital signals, and you will have to "scan" the new channels into the device for it to work properly. If you have problems receiving signals, call 1-888-CALL-FCC or check the Web at www.DTV.gov.

If you need help to pay for a converter box, apply for the government coupon today. Each household may acquire up to two coupons. To apply, call 1-888-DTV-2009 or check the Web at www.DTV2009.gov. The coupons expire within 90 days.

If you do not need the government subsidy to buy a converter box, don't bother. You're free to purchase a box whenever you wish. It takes weeks for the government to process coupon requests. In the meantime, you're losing time to hook up the box, check your antenna connections and start enjoying free digital broadcast TV right away.

Don't wait until Feb. 17 to get ready for DTV. Act today, and help others do the same.

■ Robert McDowell is a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission.