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The digital television (DTV) transition refers to the
switch from analog to digital broadcast television. Congress has mandated that
after February 17, 2009, full-power television stations in the United States
will stop broadcasting in analog, and will continue broadcasting in digital
only. Some consumers living along the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada
currently watch analog television programming broadcast over-the-air by
Mexican and Canadian stations. Canadian TV stations will also transition from
analog to digital broadcasting, but not until August of 2011. Mexico has begun
its transition and will complete it in 2021.
U.S. consumers living along the Canadian and Mexican
borders are able to watch television programming from Canadian or Mexican
broadcast stations with an over-the-air antenna, such as “rabbit ears” on
their set or an antenna on their roof. Because broadcast stations in Mexico
and Canada will not complete their transition to digital broadcasting at the
same time as full-power U.S. stations, their broadcasts will remain in analog
after February 17, 2009, while full-power U.S. broadcast stations will be
available only in digital.
If you have an analog-only television that receives free
over-the-air programming with an antenna, you will need to purchase a
digital-to-analog converter box in order to watch digital broadcast
television. Each U.S. household is eligible to receive two $40 coupons to be
used toward the purchase of two digital-to-analog converter boxes. The
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is
administering the coupon program. (Please note that these coupons will expire
90 days after mailing). More information can be found at www.dtv2009.gov,
or by calling 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).
If you purchase a digital-to-analog converter box to
watch digital broadcasts on an analog TV and also wish to continue watching
analog programming broadcast from stations in either Mexico or Canada, you
should purchase a converter box with "analog pass-through"
capability, which allows analog broadcast signals to pass through the
converter box to be tuned by your analog TV. Converter boxes with analog
pass-through capability will also enable you to watch U.S. low-power and
translator television stations, most of which will continue to broadcast in
analog after February 17, 2009. (For more information on low-power and
translator TV stations, see our Consumer Advisory entitled “The DTV
Transition and LPTV/Class A/Translator Stations,” located at www.dtv.gov/publications.html.)
NTIA's TV Converter Box Coupon Program has certified
converter box models that have analog pass-through capability. A current list
of coupon-eligible converter boxes is available at https://www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm.
The converter box models that have analog pass-through capability are noted on
the list with an asterisk next to them. In addition, NTIA will mail a list of
current coupon-eligible converter boxes, noting with an asterisk those that
have analog pass-through capability, to each household that receives converter
box coupons. You can also check with your retailer to determine whether the
converter box you are purchasing has analog pass-through capability.
If you purchase a digital-to-analog converter box without
analog pass-through capability, you may have to connect an “A/B switch”
and/or a “signal splitter" to bypass the box if you wish to view analog
TV broadcasts. Check with the manufacturer of the digital-to-analog converter
box and your retailer if you need instructions on how to connect the box to
view broadcasts from both analog and digital stations.
For more information about the DTV transition, go to www.dtv.gov
or contact the FCC by e-mailing dtvinfo@fcc.gov;
calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC
(1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.
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Federal Communications Commission · Consumer
& Governmental Affairs Bureau · 445 12th St. S.W. ·
Washington, DC 20554 |
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1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) ·
TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) · Fax: 1-866-418-0232 · www.fcc.gov/cgb/
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Federal Communications Commission
