Digital TV Updates

12/10/08.  The NTIA, the "Coupon Agency" responsible for issuing the free digital converter box coupons to U.S. households, reminded all its partner groups across the country that are helping Americans to apply for coupons that they must remind consumers to act this year.  In a conference call today, the NTIA program manager pointed out that getting coupons is a "3 steps - 6 weeks" process.  

The three steps are "Apply for the coupons - Buy a converter box - Try the converter box with an antenna and older TV."  From the date coupons are requested, it can take up to 4 weeks to receive them in the mail.  Then the coupon owners need more time to find and purchase a converter box and set up the converter with their TV and antenna.  The shutoff of traditional analog TV channels will happen on February 17, 2009, a little over 6 weeks into 2009, so viewers planning to get converters should take action now, in 2008.

The agency also reported that 20.5 million US households have applied for over 38.5 million coupons, with an average of 180,000 requests received daily, and over 36 million coupons have been mailed out.  Overall, 15.8 million coupons have been redeemed to purchase converters; 8.7 million coupons are "active" and ready to use, and 11.8 million coupons expired because they were not used within 90 days of being issued.  

The NTIA representative also pointed out that consumers who have extra, active coupons can donate them to others who can't get coupons on their own or may have coupons that have expired.  Many church and community groups are coordinating programs to re-distribute active coupons and provide volunteers to help purchase and install converter boxes for those who need assistance. 

To order coupons, go to www.dtv2009.gov.  More information on the coupon program is in the Coupon Program Section on this site.

11/18/08.  The Senate may vote soon on a bill that would allow U.S. TV stations to keep their analog signals on the air for a few weeks past the February 17, 2009, analog signal shutoff date.  The bill, introduced by Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA), would allow some stations to continue to broadcast in analog for up to 30 days, though they could not continue to broadcast their primary channel programs, which will continue on their digital channels.  Instead, they would show digital TV or emergency information.

The TV "nightlight" bill is supported by broadcasters after TV stations in one city, Wilmington, NC, turned their analog programming off on September 8, but continued to broadcast messages about the DTV transition.  The on-air messages helped explain to viewers who hadn't made plans for digital viewing what they needed to do to watch the stations in digital.  A similar bill is pending in the House.  More from Broadcasting & Cable here. 

11/12/08.  Nearly 40 million U.S. households now own at least one HDTV set, and 25 million bought theirs in the last 12 months. Over 10 million of those homes spent over $1000 on their HDTV sets.  The results, released by Leichtman Research, are based on a survey of 1302 households throughout the U.S. 

The top reason for buying a new TV set, cited by 38% of the HDTV owners, was to replace an old or broken set or get new TV set.  22% percent said that picture quality was the most important reason for the HDTV purchase.  More from MultiChannel News here. 

10/31/08. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld an FCC decision to require cable TV companies to deliver "viewable" or analog local TV signals for three years after the analog TV cutoff date.  In a victory for the FCC and broadcasters, the court affirmed the FCC ruling that says cable companies must continue to provide local TV signals in analog if the cable systems are not fully digital, even if they provide a digital signal for the same channels. More from Broadcasting and Cable here.

10/20/08.  Ouch - the "Digital TV Transition Ford" sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) crashed during its inaugural race on October 19.  The car, driven by Dave Gilliland, hit the wall at the Tums QuikPak 500 at the Martinsville Speedway, Virginia, on the 485th lap.  The FCC has spent about $350,000 to sponsor the car for three races to help raise awareness of the DTV transition. More from the Wall Street Journal here. 

10/30/08. Still using rabbit ears?  Know how to produce a short video?  Young or old, you could win a contest sponsored by the  Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) to help promote the digital TV transition.  On October 21, the CEA named the latest winners of their "Rabbit Ears Pioneers" contest, Michael and Carol Barlow of Duluth, Georgia, who enjoy historical specials on PBS on their black and white TV set. Entries are still being accepted. Entry information here. 

And the CEA has teamed up with the popular country music band Whiskey Falls to invite TV fans to produce their own YouTube videos which show how to get family and friends ready for the digital TV transition. A winning video will be chosen, and the producer will get a home entertainment center with HDTV.  Contest information and a Whiskey Falls video here.

10/20/08.  As of today, residents of licensed nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, and assisted living facilities can apply for one free converter box coupon, or have someone apply for a coupon on their behalf.  Previously, a maximum of only two coupons could be issued to a U.S. street address.  This rule change by the NTIA now allows each of the many residents of a single facility to order their own converter coupon. Download the nursing home converter box coupon application here. 

Also, converter coupon applicants who use a PO box for mail delivery can now apply for up to two coupons through the normal application process.  More information here.

10/13  Hawaii will complete its transition to digital broadcasting by turning off analog TV channels on January 15, 2009, a month ahead of the U.S. analog shutoff date of February 17.  Why move up the date? By February, the endangered Hawaiian dark-rumped petrels will begin their nesting season on the island of Maui, near the location of the TV transmitter towers.  So Hawaiian full power stations will turn of their analog signals early and dismantle their transmitting towers on Maui prior to the nesting season.  More from the Star Bulletin here.

10/1.  Bills have been introduced in both the U.S Senate and the House that would direct the FCC to create rules to let TV stations keep their traditional analog channels on the air for 30 days after February 17, 2009, when, by law, analog TV broadcasting for full power stations must end.  Stations would not carry their standard programming on the channels, but would instead broadcast information about the transition to digital TV and how to view digital channels.  More from Broadcasting & Cable here.

9/16/08.  The NTIA, the government agency that manages the converter box coupon program, announced a new ruling which will allow residents of licensed nursing homes, intermediate care facilities and assisted living facilities to apply for one converter coupon each.  A family member or representative from the facility will be able to apply on behalf of a resident through a special application form. 

Also, a new rule will allow U.S. residents who use a post office box for mail delivery to apply for two coupons through the normal application process. They will be required to provide their physical addresses, which will be checked against a database for confirmation.  Both rules will become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, which happened this week (9/16). More here.

9/18/08.  A run on digital converter boxes?  That's a possibility as the date of the shutoff of analog TV signals on February 17, 2009, approaches. The consumer electronics industry estimates that U.S. households may need up to 28 million converters for over-the-air TVs.  But there are dozens of competing manufacturers, and each has to guess what its sales might be.  More here.

9/11/08.  The biggest challenge for over-the-air TV viewers in Wilmington, NC,  the city that transitioned to "all-digital" broadcasting on September 8?  Old fashioned antennas.  According to a survey by Elon University students, nearly everyone was aware of the end of analog TV signals.  But many had not tried to use or adjust their antennas to receive the remaining digital signals.  In many cases, viewers needed a better antenna.  More here.

9/10/08.  Availability of small, battery-operated portable TVs that receive digital signals has lagged behind availability of the larger LCD and plasma digital TV models.  But more are appearing, and Epoq Multimedia has announced such a model. It features a 7 inch screen, a rechargeable battery, and a remote control, and lists for $279.  Another new model is positioned as a combined digital photo frame and portable TV; it plays digital image and sound files without a computer and lists for $249.  More here.

9/4/08.  TV as a peacemaker?  It is in prisons.  Across the country, prisons provide TVs in break rooms, and even in some cells.  But because many of these TVs use "over-the-air" signals, they may go blank on February 17, 2009, unless they have converter boxes. The government provides $40 converter box coupons to households, but prisons don't qualify under the law, and corrections departments are trying to figure out how to pay for converters. More here.

9/8/08.  In a ceremony at the Wilmington, North Carolina, city hall, FCC chairman Kevin J. Martin and Wilmington mayor Bill Saffo flicked a giant 7-foot switch at noon, symbolizing the end of analog television signals for the five local commercial stations.  The stations continued to broadcast only digital signals, completing a transition that will happen for the rest of the country on February 17, 2009.

At the FCC's invitation, Wilmington, which has about 180,000 TV homes, agreed to be the national "guinea pig" for the digital TV conversion.  It was supported by a massive public and private agency communications outreach as local residents were told about the early end of analog TV and reminded to make sure they were ready for all-digital TV.  More here.

9/3/08.  At noon on September 8, Wilmington, North Carolina, will be the first U.S. city to experience all-digital TV broadcasting as the five commercial TV stations turn off their traditional analog signals forever and continue broadcasting digital signals only.  This will be the first community-wide demonstration of digital-only broadcasting by full power TV stations, and comes five months prior to the end of analog broadcasting for the rest of the U.S., scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009. 

The early conversion has earned a lot of attention for Wilmington; the Federal Communications Commission, local media, TV stations, cable and satellite providers, and retailers have all joined to provide information to the community on the transition to digital TV, including the early conversion date.  The FCC wants to assess whether the types and amounts of communications have been effective in preparing the TV viewers who will be affected.  More here.

8/20/08.  More Digital TV help online and by phone.  National consumer electronics retailer Circuit City has set up a toll free number to answer consumer questions about digital TV: 888-280-9382. A Circuit City spokesperson calls it "an important new sales channel for people who live in rural areas and for customers who find it inconvenient to visit traditional retail locations."  The company also announced a special DTV information section on its website: www.circuitcity.com/tvsignal. 

8/20/08.  Best Buy, the nation's largest electronics retailer, is making DTV information available on the social networking site "Facebook."  The application was developed with a "teach the teacher" concept of reaching additional audiences, and it has a "forward to a friend" feature for users to share DTV transition information.  The company also announced the launch of a dedicated microsite, www.askablueshirt.com, which gives consumers access to Best Buy's home theater professionals. More info here.

8/18/08.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency responsible for implementing the U.S. conversion to digital TV, announced a nationwide initiative to promote awareness of the digital TV transition.  FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that the five FCC commissioners and other staff will host public events in TV markets in which more than 100,000 households or at least 15% of the households depend solely on over-the-air signals to receive TV. 

The Commission named 81 cities that will be on their travel list prior to the shutoff of full power analog TV next February.  Plus they've already scheduled visits in 23 of those cities, starting with Anchorage on September 27.  For the full press release, click here.

8/13/08.  A revival for old-time TV series like The Lone Ranger, McHale's Navy, and The Addams Family?  USA TODAY notes that the U.S. digital broadcasting system allows TV stations to broadcast several programs on the same digital channel.  This ability to "multicast" is already being used by some stations to offer channels specializing in news, weather, movies - and old TV shows. 

Expect more experimentation with digital multicast channels after digital TV becomes the primary broadcasting method next February, and viewers discover that digital TVs can receive the new multicast channels free with an antenna.  Read the article here.

8/4/08.   The U.S. Senate has passed a bill which would allow U.S. TV stations within 50 miles of the Mexican border to get FCC permission to continue broadcasting their traditional analog signals for up to five years after the stations in the rest of the U.S. turn their analog signals off next year.  A similar bill has been sponsored in the House. 

The "Digital Television Border Fix Act"  was introduced last year by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.  Her office said that, due the expense of the transition and the continuing availability of analog TV from Mexico, many households may choose not to participate in the transition.  If they couldn't tune in U.S. digital TV stations, they could lose access to weather warnings and other safety messages from U.S. broadcasters.  Border TV stations are divided in their support for the legislation. 

7/30/08.  For most of the U.S., the end of analog TV broadcasting for full power TV stations happens on February 17,2009. But for residents of Wilmington, NC, the end of analog TV comes earlier, on September 8. There's plenty of information in town; will anyone miss it? Find the link to the NPR report  here.

7/17/08.  More TV stations around the country are scheduling demonstrations of what happens when their traditional analog transmitter goes off the air, so viewers can see how they will be affected when analog transmitters of full power local TV stations are turned off for good on February 17, 2009.  

Typically, during a news show, a TV station simulates turning off its analog transmitter.  Any viewers watching the station with an antenna can see the channel disappear; afterwards, they are reminded that they need to take action to keep watching the station in digital.  Viewers watching the station via cable TV or satellite TV, which will usually not be affected by the transmitter shutoff, get a message that they are ready for digital TV.  

TV stations in Las Vegas, Orlando, Dallas and Portland have done simulated channel shutoffs.  Several stations in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, plan to do it every month.  The demonstration is simple and effective, and endorsed by government agencies.  You may see one in your viewing area soon!  

7/14/08.  The Federal Trade Commission, the government agency that works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices, has issued a Consumer Alert that has tips for handling the digital TV transition.  For over-the-air TV viewers planning to use a government-issued coupon to purchase a digital converter box, the FTC offers these tips:  Never pay for a converter coupon; they are free from the government.  Don't provide your social security number or other sensitive financial information when you order or redeem a coupon.

For TV viewers considering signing up with cable TV or satellite TV service: contact your local cable and satellite providers to see what services are available in your area.  If you're planning to buy a new TV, make sure it has a digital tuner.  You can see the entire FTC Consumer Alert here.

7/7/08.  At 7:59 PM on July 2, twelve Orlando, Florida, TV stations, working together, turned off their traditional analog TV signals for 10 seconds.  They wanted to help viewers figure out if they need to take action prior to the required shutoff of analog TV channels next February, leaving just digital channels on the air.  Viewers with digital TVs or with cable or satellite TV saw no interruption, and got a message saying they are ready for all-digital TV.

On the other hand, viewers who receive the stations with an antenna on older TVs saw the 10 second blackout, followed by a phone number to use for help on getting ready for digital TV.  Out of 365,000 households with TVs in the Orlando area, only 123 viewers called who have older TVs and use an antenna.  The TV stations were pleased with the results, which showed that most viewers can already receive the stations' new digital signals through cable, satellite, or a digital TV.  More here. 

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to beware of an offer being promoted in newspaper ads - a pair of "free" digital TV converter boxes. The BBB says the promotion from a company called Universal TechTronics is really a bait and switch tactic that steers consumers toward the purchase of "five year warranties" for the "free" converters - at a price of $59, with shipping and handling added on.

The BBB points out that the ad preys on consumers' "lack of knowledge" about digital TV viewing.  In fact, digital TV converter boxes can be purchased in thousands of locations and online for prices starting at $49, and US households can request a $40 government coupon to apply to the purchase of a converter. More here. 

6/19/08.  The Denver Post reported that a survey of several local electronics stores showed that digital TV converter boxes were "flying off store shelves," and consumers are either finding them out of stock, or finding just one or two models to choose from.  Demand is being driven by the government's program offering households two $40 coupons that can be applied to the purchase of the converter boxes.  The coupons are only good for 90 days from when they are mailed; consumers need to quickly plan a converter purchase in a store, online, or by phone  See the story here.

6/8/08.   TV stations in Wilmington, North Carolina, that have agreed to turn off their analog channels on September 8, 2008, have chosen to add a new communication tactic: they will keep their analog channels on the air for awhile after the "shutdown" and replace the standard programming with information about how to watch the station digital channels.  The idea is to let "stragglers" who haven't noticed or haven't understood what the digital transition is about get TV viewing information directly from the TV channels where they used to see their programs.

As reported earlier, the Wilmington stations, at the request of the Federal Communications Commission, have agreed to do a shutdown of their traditional analog TV signals on September 8, well before the national deadline of February 17, 2009.  The early shutdown supports a community trial of the impact of the shutdown and a test of the public information efforts by local TV stations, the FCC, and other groups. 

One TV executive says the tactic of broadcasting digital TV viewing information makes a lot of sense, both for Wilmington and the rest of the country, and he will recommend that the FCC consider allowing stations across the US to use this tactic if they want.  According to law, full power TV stations must turn their analog channels completely off no later than February 17, 2009.  To continue to broadcast an analog signal for any reason, a TV station would need permission from the FCC. 

5/8/07.  The acting head of the NTIA (the U.S. agency responsible for the TV converter box coupon program) said that the agency does have the authority to change the current rule whereby converter coupons expire 90 days after they are issued.  Acting NTIA Assistant Administrator Meredith Atwell Baker said that Congressional authority would not be required, but that the a rule change would need a notice and comment period.
Baker was responding to a letter from 11 senators, including the ranking heads of the Senate Commerce Committee, who said they were concerned that issued coupons would expire before some converter boxes were available to coupon holders.  They also suggested that consumers should be able to use coupons to "pre-order" the converter boxes.  Details here.

May 1, 2008.  Carol Brady (The "Brady Bunch" Mom) is looking for "Rabbit Ears Pioneers."  Entertainer Florence Henderson, who played Carol Brady in TV's "The Brady Bunch," announced a nationwide contest on May 1, 2008, sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), to help viewers, especially "baby boomers," who watch TV using an antenna to convert to digital TV viewing.

Contest entrants can nominate "Rabbit Ears Pioneers" by sending in a short essay of at least 200 words and a picture of their nominees and describe how the "pioneers" enjoy over-the-air TV.  Monthly winners will get a digital TV converter box and antenna, and winners and those who nominate them will be elibible to win the grand prize of an HDTV, Blu-ray disc player, and surround sound system.  Contest entry details are at www.antennaweb.org.