The digital transition was originally planned for February 17, 2009, but was delayed until June 12, 2009. On this date analog broadcast signals will no longer exist from full power broadcast TV stations.
DTV converter box coupons
The DTV Converter Box Coupon Program is an effort made possible by your tax dollars - $990 million with a continuation fund of $510 million (if necessary). It was developed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Under the program, every household is allowed to request two $40 coupons good toward a DTV Converter Box.
Who the Transition Affects
The digital transition directly affects only full-power broadcast stations and antenna users. However, it indirectly affects everyone else that watches TV on cable or satellite.
Difference between Digital and High Definition
I’ll try to explain this as simply as I know how: all high definition video is digital but not all digital video is high definition. In other words, high definition resolutions of 720p, 1080i and 1080p are just part of the digital spectrum. The spectrum also includes standard 480i and enhanced 480p resolutions.
Why is this happening?
According to DTV.gov, the Federal Communications Commission’s website about the digital transition, we are converting to digital to capitalize on certain benefits.
For starters, the analog spectrum will be sold to public safety departments (police, fire) for communications. This was a hot topic in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as communicating with rescue workers was especially critical at that time.
It’ll also be sold to private business. According to an article at Digital Trends the sale of the analog spectrum could generate anywhere between $10-70 billion dollars. That’s quite a range.
CNET published an article with an interesting quote by Entner, a vice president at the market research firm Ovum. He said, “Spectrum is like money. You can never have too much of it. And this particular spectrum is beachfront property. And once it's gone, that's it."
According to the FCC, the consumer will also benefit by gaining access to improved sound/picture quality and sub-channels.
Availability of Digital Sub-Channels
Sub channels, also known as secondary channels, are part of what separates digital from analog broadcasting. These are channels that broadcast stations use in addition to their primary feed.
When watching digital TV you’ll notice that channels will have a decimal point in their number, like 7.1, 42.1, etc. The “.1” part of the number signifies the frequency the signal is coming through on.
While a station could operate on 9 channels the reality is that they’ll likely only use two or three of them. The problem is bandwidth. According to the ATSC, each channel has only approximately 19 megabits per second of bandwidth to send signals on.
Every time a sub-channel is added then that bandwidth comes out of the 19 megabit per second amount. Less bandwidth equals less resolution.
How Aspect Ratios Will Change How You View Content
Analog television is only displayed with an aspect ratio of 4:3. While digital television also utilizes an aspect ratio of 4:3 for standard definition video, it complicates matters by using 16:9 with high definition video. The complication centralizes around the TV's ability to accurately reconfigure 4:3 images to 16:9.
One problem with stretching 4:3 to 16:9 is the loss of picture quality. Another problem is that if you don’t stretch the image to fill the entire screen then you’ll be left with two vertical black bars on the left and right edges of the screen. This is a reverse letterbox and it can bother some viewers.
There aren’t any technological solutions to fix this problem. You can retain a better picture quality when stretching images by buying a HDTV with a video components.
Note: This only applies to people watching digital television (DTV) on a high definition television (HDTV). This will not apply to you if you plan on watching DTV on your analog TV with the DTV converter box or with a cable/satellite receiver.