Digital Television Transition Deadline Draws Closer
From Staff ReportsWHEELING - The way TV signals are received is about to change.
The federal government has mandated that the nation's over-the-air networks and local television stations - CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX and more - transition from analog to digital broadcasting. The change is set to occur Feb. 17.
The switch to a digital format for television broadcasts will free up signal capacity for use by first responders, such as local police and fire departments. Television stations report that digital format will help improve not only their picture and sound quality, but also allow them to transmit high-definition TV signals and new channels.
"We are getting very, very close now to this actually happening," said Robert Grove, manager of public relations and community affairs for Comcast cable service. "We are making an outreach to everyone, and we want to continue to make sure we get the word out to as many people as possible as to what is happening.
"If you are a cable customer or have a satellite dish, then you are covered," he added. "But still, there is a decent amount - 10 percent - without. We want to make sure they get what they need."
Grove said the digital broadcast transition will affect consumers with analog TV sets who rely on "over-the-air" signals. Most TV sets sold before 1998 do not have digital tuners.
The change will not impact TVs that are connected to cable or satellite service. Therefore, cable and satellite customers do not need to do anything.
Secondary analog TV sets not connected to cable or satellite, however, will be impacted.
"If you purchased your TV in 2004 or up, there is a pretty good chance it has a digital tuner," Grove said.
The broadcast, cable and consumer electronics industries, as well as the federal government, began in-depth communications campaigns in 2008 in an attempt to educate consumers about the digital broadcast transition to ensure a smoother switch for all homes.
Options for broadcast viewers include purchasing a digital converter from a participating retailer, buying a TV with a built-in digital tuner or signing up for a subscription video service.
Comcast representatives said the digital revolution is impacting cable service as well, as 65 percent of Comcast's Three Rivers region customers now receive digital service - and this number continues to grow rapidly, according to Comcast. By moving select analog channels to a digital lineup, Comcast officials said they have the capacity to deliver more of what customers are asking for in this day and age. However, analog service will still be available through the company.
According to Comcast, as more customers leave analog behind, they will benefit from more innovation delivered over a converged fiber network. It was projected that 1,000 high-definition choices would be available by the end of 2008 along with 6,000 movies On Demand at any time. A projected 3,000 high-definition movies will be available by the end of 2009.
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JustAnotherLowWageWorker
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01-06-09 4:56 PM
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Nah...they're just making room in their pockets for more dough. Everyone protest. Stop your cable service today and tell them why. When you go to the store to buy some eggs, you are not forced to buy milk, bread, water, beer, toilet paper, and duct tape. You can buy just the eggs. Cable companies make you pay extra for extra crap, and if you don’t want crap, too bad. The greater the percentage of people who drop their service, the greater the chance that programming and pricing improves. Consumers do have more power than is realized.
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6children
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01-06-09 11:49 AM
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Gee, wonder how much my cable bill is going to increase - they keep raising the price and cutting the number of channels I actually watch. When the FTC decided to deregulate cable companies back in the late 80's, it was supposed to foster competition among the cable providers - what a joke. I finally staged my own mini protest and cut back to plain old basic - then the cable company retaliated and removed some really great channels from their basic line up to the higher channels, because they "had to make room for the HD channels" can anyone explain that one to me?
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