By now you’ve heard of, and are perhaps even sick of, the pending DTV transition. The government and consumer electronics industry leaders have been pumping out the ads, coupons and press releases galore in the hopes that confusion and panic will be minimized once analog goes dark. If this has all gone on without you, if you think you might’ve missed a step in the transition, or you’re just curious to see how it will really affect what you see on your TV, read on.
Since the DTV transition date was pushed back from February 17th to June 12th, more coupons have been distributed and more Americans are prepared for the switch. The FCC and other organizations have worked tirelessly to educate the public, getting those converter boxes into as many hands as possible and establishing call centers for support. For the latest news on who is still broadcasting in analog and how to get your hands on a converter box, go to the government website set up for this issue: http://www.dtv.gov/.
The first step you should take to prepare your home theater for the switch to DTV is to see if your TV already has a digital receiver. If so, you’re set. No coupon, no converter box, no tuning necessary. So how do you know if you’re one of the lucky ones spared the headache of additional components, cables and setup? Any TV manufactured after March 1st, 2007 must have a digital tuner. You can check with your TV manufacturer to make sure that yours fits into this category, but if you purchased after March 1st, 2007, you’re likely in the clear. However, manufacturers are able to sell older products that they had in their inventory after this date which may not have had a digital tuner installed. To be safe, do a quick search online for your TV make and model code and “digital tuner”.
If you have an older TV, you must install a converter box in order to receive the new digital broadcast signals. And it must be in place by June 12th, or you’ll be in the dark, with no access to local or national programming on your TV set. A digital-to-analog converter box is a device that will convert the digital broadcast to analog signals that your television set can read and display. These boxes are now selling at most consumer electronics stores for about $40 to $80, and the government coupon program (which can be accessed at http://www.dtv.gov/) will help to greatly offset this cost. Once you have your hands on the box, connecting it to your TV is relatively easy, and there are plenty of guides online (http://www.crutchfield.com/Learn/learningcenter/home/dtv.html).
Remember that this transition is not going to affect you if you currently subscribe to satellite or digital cable services. These will not be interrupted, as they do not rely on over-the-air analog broadcasting. Only local TV stations are currently using this analog broadcasting, and it is those 15 or 20 million consumers who receive local TV broadcasts that will be affected.
The transition date is just a little over a week away, so be sure that you understand the facts surrounding this issue. You will save yourself a lot of hassle and headaches if you move on the transition now, and you’ll thank yourself if you can turn on the local news after work on June 13th without a second thought.
Lauren is a contributor to the HD Envy blog. HD Envy creates custom TV wall frame solutions for your home theater. The design experts at HD Envy will work with you to produce a TV wall frame that perfectly matches your décor. Whether you want a leather upholstered TV wall frame or a traditional wood TV wall frame, you will find what you’re looking for at HD Envy. The affordability and durability of the TV wall frame products at HD Envy makes them stand out from the crowd. By including a TV wall frame in your home theater, you will be the envy of all your guests.
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