Student's Guide

Before you go out to spread the word about the DTV Transition, keep these handy tips and suggestions in mind.

How do I answer questions about DTV?

Many people are confused about what the Transition will mean for them. Some of the questions you’ll hear over and over are….

• Do I have to buy a new TV?
• Answer : No. If you use rabbit ears, all you have to do is apply for a converter box coupon, order the box, and install it. You’re TV will continue to work.
• I can’t afford an HDTV, why do I have to switch?
• Answer : DTV isn’t the same as HDTV. That’s “high definition.” DTV is just a new way of transmitting SD or “standard definition” shows. You don’t have to buy an HDTV to get a DTV signal. All you need is either a TV with a digital tuner or a converter box on your analog TV.
• I have cable/satellite, do I need to be worried about the Transition?
• Answer : If all of your TVs are hooked up to the cable/satellite feed, you don’t have to worry. However, if any of your TVs are getting broadcast signals over the air, and they don’t have a digital tuner, that TV won’t work after June 12, 2009.
• I have basic cable, but my cable company says I have to switch to the digital tier because of the transition. Is this true?
• Answer : No! The new law doesn’t require cable operators to switch to digital. Several cable companies are abandoning analog on their own in the coming years, but that has nothing to do with the Transition.
• How do I know if I have a digital TV?
• Answer : If you bought your TV before 1998, it’s analog. If you bought your TV between 1998 and 2004, and it’s less than 42 inches, it’s almost certainly analog. If you bought your TV after 2004, it’s almost certainly digital.
• Answer : If you see anything that says “digital tuner” “DTV” or “ATSC” on the front or back of your TV, or in the instruction manual, it’s a digital TV.
• Answer : If you get channels like 5-2 or 5-3, then it’s a digital TV. Most stations have been broadcasting digital signals alongside the analog for years, and any station in an X-X format is a digital signal.
• Television was fine before, why is America doing this?
• Answer : Analog signals take up a lot of space in the wireless spectrum and the picture doesn’t look that great. With digital signals, the picture and the sound on your TV will be DVD quality, and digital signals take up 1/12 of the space of analog. With all that extra space, broadcasters can “multicast,” meaning they can show up to 6 different programs at the same time, using the space it would have taken to show one program using an analog system.
• Answer : Beyond just looking and sounding better, moving to digital will free up space for next generation radios and communication equipment for police, fire departments and emergency rescue workers. There will also be more space for high-tech cell phones, microphones and other wireless devices.
• Is digital television really that much better than analog?
• Answer : Yes! It’s like going from cassettes to CDs. The picture and the sound will be much clearer.
• My VCR and DVD player are probably analog. Will they stop working?
• Answer : No. The transition only affects broadcast signals coming into your home / workplace from outside. VCRs, DVD players, video game systems and other peripherals will continue to work.