The DTV Switch: What You Need to Know

Television is going to undergo a significant change on June 12th, 2009. Here's what you need to know about how it is going to affect you, and how you can ensure that you're still able to watch TV on the 18th.

1. February 17th, 2009 is No Longer the Deadline. It's June 12th!

On June 12th, 2009, over-the-air analog television broadcasts will cease, and digital television broadcasts will be the only way to get TV signals over the air. The reason for this is that Digital TV takes up less airspace, or bandwidth, than analog does. Freeing up the analog broadcast spectrum provides lots of fresh, empty real estate for new uses, such as improved emergency communications, new innovations in wireless technology like phone and Internet service, or other, yet to be devised broadcast scenarios.

Digital TV also provides superior picture quality and service when compared to analog TV, so in general, this switch should be a positive step.

6/12/09 is the day everything will change. It's up to you to find out if you'll be affected before that date.

2. If You Have Cable or Satellite TV, Don't Worry

The DTV switch only involves over-the-air broadcasts, the kind beamed out of huge broadcast towers and received by old fashioned rabbit-ear antennas. Cable and satellite TV are special services that plug directly into your television and are not broadcast over-the-air. Therefore, if you have cable or satellite TV, you don't have to do anything before or after 6/12/09. Your TV will work normally.

The one caveat: if you have an older TV that does not have a digital tuner, and decide to cancel your cable or satellite service, your television will not be able to receive over-the-air TV broadcasts. If you are in this situation, please consult section 5 of this guide, "If You Have an Older TV, Here's What to Do."

3. If You Have a Standard-Definition Digital TV, Don't Worry

If you bought a standard-definition television in the last few years, it most likely includes a digital (ATSC) tuner. Between 2005 and 2007, most new televisions above 25-inches in size were required to include an ATSC tuner.

Still, that does not mean that TVs without ATSC tuners were not sold during that time period, so you should check your owner's manual to determine whether one is present. If your TV doesn't have an ATSC tuner, you'll need to read ahead to section 5 of this guide.

4. If You Have a HDTV, Don't Worry

All HDTVs include over-the-air ATSC digital tuners. Please note that some HD displays are sold as "monitors" and though they can be used with cable and satellite TV, they do not include any tuners. Do not confuse an HD monitor with an HDTV. If you wish, you can use your HDTV to receive digital broadcasts, which are often in high-definition, where available.

5. If You Have an Older TV, Here's What to Do

Lots of people have older, standard-definition TVs that receives analog television broadcasts over the air. After 6/12/09, TVs configured in this way will no longer function. However, all is not lost. There is a way to make these TVs work again and receive digital television.

Since all that is keeping these TVs from receiving digital TV is an ATSC tuner, a converter box that contains an ATSC tuner can be purchased and hooked up in between the antenna and the television. The antenna (the same one you used for analog TV) will pick up the digital signals in the air, and send them to the converter box. The box will then decode the signal and output digital video through a cable connected to your television and onto the screen.

Digital converter boxes are expected to cost anywhere between $40 and $70, depending on the brand. Don't worry about the cost: the federal government has decided to provide up to two $40 vouchers per household to Americans who submit a request. They figure since they're the ones mandating the switch, they should pick up the tab (mostly). You can find out more information about these Digital TV vouchers at https://www.dtv2009.gov/.

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