March Issue Features Advice to Help Consumers Sort Out Confusion About the Transition to Digital Television
YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the digital television conversion just about two weeks away on Tuesday, February 17th, consumers may still be confused about what they need to ensure that they continue to receive uninterrupted television service. The March issue of Consumer Reports features last-minute advice on what consumers need to know regarding the digital TV transition and most importantly if they are indeed affected by it.
If you have ...then you need to...
a subscription to cable, do nothing. Subscribers to these
satellite or phone company TV services will continue to receive
service television service even if they have
an analog TV.
a TV manufactured before 2005 check the owner's manual to see if
and don't subscribe to cable, your set is analog or digital. If
satellite or a phone company TV it's analog, you'll need to purchase
service a digital converter box and connect
it to a UHF/VHF TV.
a TV manufactured in 2005 or check the owner's manual to make sure
later it's digital ready. Most models
bought since 2006 should be. If it's
digital ready and you receive free,
over-the-air-broadcast, you don't
have to do a thing.
How Consumers Can Keep Getting Free TV on Their Current Set
- To continue receiving free, over-the-air broadcasts, consumers who do not subscribe to a cable, satellite or phone-company service and have an analog television will need to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box and connect it to a UHF/VHF antenna and the TV. A digital video recorder with a built-in digital tuner will also work, but it costs more and a government-issued coupon cannot be used towards its purchase.
- Consumers whose TV's have a built-in digital tuner (most sets bought since 2006 do), don't need a converter box to pull in digital stations, but will need to connect a UHF/VHF antenna to their TV.
Getting a Coupon
Every household in America is eligible to receive two $40 government coupons to buy two digital-to-analog converter boxes, which cost $40 to $80 each. However, as of press time, the government had announced that funding for the coupon program had run out and that new requests would be filled on a first-come, first-served basis as older coupons expire.
Digital Converter Boxes
Consumer Reports has tested over 35 digital converter boxes and found that all were capable of pulling in the digital stations at its Yonkers, N.Y., lab, and in tests with progressively weaker signal levels. Several dozen digital-to-analog converter boxes are available online and at stores including Best Buy, Circuit City, RadioShack, Sears, Target and Walmart. Consumers must pay sales tax and most stores only have a few models to choose from; some Web sites carry more. The March issue of Consumer Reports includes a list of converters to consider and a guide for properly connecting converter boxes to an analog TV. Complete Ratings of the models Consumer Reports tested are available free online at www.ConsumerReports.org.
Digital Dead Zones
Consumers with an analog TV who have followed all the steps necessary to receive a digital signal come February 17th, may still be unable to get some stations. During the nation's first DTV trial in Wilmington, N.C., last fall, many consumers couldn't get digital versions of analog stations they'd gotten for years, even though the converters and antennas were set up correctly.
Beware of Marketing Ploys
Consumer Reports has found that some marketers are trying to cash in on the digital-TV transition. Some stores were telling Spanish-speaking customers that they needed to buy a converter box along with a new DTV, which is untrue. Also, some companies are pitching antennas as "digital ready," implying that standard UHF/VHF antennas won't work, they will. Cable companies were moving analog channels to digital tiers, then charging for digital boxes needed to get those channels; cable companies have since agreed to stop moving analog channels to digital tiers through February 2009.
The complete report on the digital television transition is available in the March 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, wherever magazines are sold. The story is also available free online at www.ConsumerReports.org. Visit www.ConsumerReports.org/dtv for more information on the digital television transition.
MARCH 2009
Consumers Union 2008. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants.
