MOUNT VERNON — Herald’s Appliance has been receiving a number of phone calls from customers asking about the upcoming switch from old-style analog broadcast to digital broadcasts.
“Most people are asking whether they will need a new TV,” said Aaron Oakley of Herald’s Appliances. “For people with cable or satellite services, it will not be an issue.”
Congress has ordered TV stations to eliminate old-style analog broadcasts and switch to digital by Feb. 17, 2009. After that date, owners of analog-only TV sets will no longer be able to pick up programs. But consumers need not purchase an HDTV just to avoid losing their old analog programming.
Oakley said the store’s sales of flat panel, high-definition televisions are strong, partly because many people think they need to buy a new television, but also because more and more channels are broadcast in high definition. He added that the switch will not be immediate but will be phased in over a matter of a months.
A recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that over one third (36 percent) of Americans living in households with TVs are completely unaware of the imminent transition to digital broadcasting.
A digital television can pick up a standard, digital broadcast. As opposed to analag signals, a digital signal is compressed and requires decoding by a television that is specially equipped. It is also possible to receive digital broadcasts by buying an converter box for the old-style analog-only televisions, a product that many retailers are beginning to phase out. Consumers who own a digital television and receive cable or satellite services do not need to purchase a converter box.
Oakley said that, roughly speaking, most televisions sold after 2000 can receive digital broadcasts. He said there are analog broadcasts, digital broadcasts, and high definition broadcasts. High definition broadcasts are a kind of high quality digital broadcast.
Owners of high-definition televisions can pick up free, high-quality broadcasts from local TV stations by means of an antenna. And, although HDTV owners will be limited to local channels, if they rely soley on an antenna, they can avoid paying a satellite or local provider extra for those channels.
The government has allocated $1.5 billion to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to pay for coupons that will subsidize the cost of converter boxes. But only $5 million of that is for consumer education. Another $1.5 million has been allocated to the Federal Communications Commission for public education efforts.
While more Americans are becoming aware of the transition, 73 percent of those surveyed were unaware of the government coupon program, according to the Consumers Union survey.
Each household is eligible for two coupons, regardless of whether they have pay-television service or not. To request a coupon, consumers can apply online at www.dtv2009.gov or call the 24-hour hotline, (888) 388-2009.