Official DTV Transition FAQ

[Stuart Sweet]

As the deadline approaches for the end of full-power analog TV transmission in the US, DBSTalk.com is proud to lead the discussion on the transition. This thread is for discussion of all issues related to the upcoming switch to digital TV.

The Basics:
from http://www.dtv.gov, the official government site for the transition:
After February 17, 2009, full-power television stations will broadcast in digital only.

There is currently no deadline for (low power, Class A, and tv translator) stations to convert to digital broadcasting.

Every U.S. household is eligible to receive up to two coupons, worth $40 each, toward the purchase of eligible digital-to-analog converter boxes.

For more information on the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, visit the NTIA’s website at www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon, or call 1-888-388-2009

[Stuart Sweet]

The most important thing you need to know:

Satellite and Cable subscribers should be almost completely unaffected by this transition.

If you have satellite, and receive all your TV from the satellite, then there is no need for action.

If you have satellite and receive some of your stations through an antenna, but use the satellite for guide data (DIRECTV HR10/HR20/HR21 series for example), the satellite operator is working hard to make the transition as painless as possible.

If you have cable, you may need to upgrade to digital cable. This decision is made by your cable company on an operator by operator basis and in some cases on a city by city basis.

[Stuart Sweet]

Coupons

From the Fact Sheet at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon:

Households will be able to apply for a maximum of two (2) coupons, each worth $40. Coupons will be mailed to eligible households and will expire after 90 days of issuance.

Coupons will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis to all U.S. households until $890 million has been expended.

If these initial funds are exhausted, an additional $450 million will be made available to households that receive only over-the-air television service.

[Stuart Sweet]

Converter Boxes

For those who get TV over the air, ATSC to NTSC converter boxes are slowly becoming available to the public. The coupon program is currently in full swing and several manufacturers will be selling boxes at or near the $40 coupon point.

One such box that came to the attention of the DBSTalk.com staff was Echostar/Sling's TR-40 which will be available "soon". For more information, visit http://www.slingmedia.com/get/pr-converterboxes.html

All converters are not alike, however. If you have a special need, for example, if you're still expecting to get TV from low-power analog stations after the transition, you might want to read the specs carefully and choose the right box for you.

[Stuart Sweet]

What You Can Do Today

The staff at DBSTalk.com ask you, the well-educated home theatre afficionados, to do what you can to educate your friends and neighbors. If each DBSTalker told one person a day for the next 100 days about the digital transition and how it can be achieved, that would be five million people reached. If each of them only told five people, that would be twenty-five million people.