When the first television signals breached the airwaves, the dawn of a new era was born. And over the next 80 years, this revolutionary technology would become not just a cultural icon; but a remarkably resilient one. While phonographic records turn into compact discs, VHS tapes become DVD's, and the daguerreotype became digitally created and enhanced, TV sets have somehow been overlooked by the digital revolution. But its time has finally come.
The Federal Communications Commission will soon require all US television broadcasters to turn off their analog signals in favor of digital signals. The digital signal takes less bandwidth, and provides a better signal quality than the analog variety. Take a look at a decent high definition television displaying a true digital signal and you'll see what I mean. More than just a pretty face, one reason behind the switch is to free up an already crowded frequency spectrum for critical emergency services entities.
Considering what percentage of Americans are subscribers to cable and/or satellite television the conversion won't be too much of an issue. However, for the estimated 20 million people in the US who still rely on broadcast television, and thus the analog signals, this could be a very big and potentially costly issue indeed.
The National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA), who is taking the lead in the conversion from analog to digital broadcasts, predicts that this upcoming change will most impact the elderly, a market segment least likely to be cable and satellite subscribers.
But the elderly are not alone. Imagine the cabin or vacation home owner who visits only a few weeks or months a year. In many cases, it's often cost prohibitive to subscribe to terrestrial cable or satellite service that is used infrequently. But once the cut over takes place, watching the football game out in the icehouse, or viewing a favorite show while traveling cross-country in a motor home will be next to impossible without either a newer television, a subscription to satellite service, or a digital converter.
Lastly, it's important to consider that for some, subscribing to cable or satellite simply isn't affordable. Entertainment is a luxury; personal safety a necessity. Consider the national Emergency Alert System, or EAS. Who will be left out of having access to and receiving critical news or weather information that follows those familiar series of beeps? In fact, the digital conversion already ushers in its own 'upgrade' with the release of the next generation of emergency alert, the aptly named Digital Emergency Alert System, or DEAS, allowing emergency services to target specific users or areas; accurately and instantaneously. Imagine the power of knowing an F3 tornado will come down within a mile of your home 20 minutes before it happens.
But all this change isn't expected to come cheap. The NTIA has asked for, and congress has approved up to 1 billion dollars of federal funds to aid consumers who may otherwise bear the biggest burden of the conversion. So, beginning on January 1st, 2008, US households can apply for coupons that can be used to offset the costs associated with purchasing digital to analog converters, a necessary component for the segment of the population destined to be affected by the cutover.
Keep in mind however, that these coupons come with the number of rules and regulations you'd expect from your federal government. For example, there is a limit of 2 coupons per household, and they are offered on a first come, first served basis. In addition, the coupons can only be used to purchase approved converters from select retailers, and the coupons will expire 90 days after issue. You can read more about Digital Television, the upcoming conversion, and in particular, the DTV Coupon program at http://www.dtv-coupon.com/.