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Home > DTV Transition > Why The Switch?
DTV is a more flexible and efficient technology than the current analog system. The switch to digital broadcasting will enable television stations to offer dramatically clearer pictures, better sound quality and more programming choices. Under legislation passed by Congress – the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 – full-power over-the-air broadcast television stations are required to turn off their analog channels on February 17, 2009, and continue broadcasting exclusively in the digital format. Later, Congress set June 12, 2009 as the final date that full power television stations can broadcast analog signals. As of June 13, 2009, full power television stations will only broadcast digital, over-the-air signals. Your local broadcasters may make the transition before then, and some already have.
Since digital television is more efficient than analog television, the analog turn-off will also free up parts of the airwaves to provide wireless spectrum for future innovative services by entrepreneurs. Today, 1,624 full power television stations out of 1,760 stations nationwide offer digital programming in all markets across America.
What are the benefits of DTV?
Digital television allows TV stations to offer a number of new and better services. In addition to providing dramatically better pictures and sound quality, DTV also enables TV stations to provide several channels of television programming at once. This is known as “multicasting.” DTV can also be used to provide data services (such as significantly enhanced closed captioning) that are not possible with analog technology.
Who's affected?
Consumers who receive over-the-air television signals through antennas on television sets that are equipped with analog tuners – and who do not subscribe to cable, satellite or a telephone company television service provider – will be affected by the transition.
At least 19.6 million households receive over-the-air signals exclusively in their homes, and 14.9 million households have secondary over-the-air television sets in their bedrooms or kitchens. Overall, nearly 70 million television sets are at risk of losing their signals by June 12, 2009, if consumers do not make the easy transition to DTV.
Consumers who receive free, over-the-air broadcasting on analog sets will have three options for continuing their television service:
* Purchase a DTV converter box that will convert the digital signal into analog for an existing television set;
* Purchase a new television set with a built-in digital tuner; or
* Subscribe to cable, satellite or a telephone company television service provider if all desired local broadcast stations are carried by that service.
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