CyberGuam Inc.

With the transition to digital television just around the corner for Guam, along the rest of the US, all old analog televisions will not function with the new digital signal coming from Marianas Cable Vision without a converter box to change the signal from digital to analog and vice versa. In addition, many Guam residents will probably use this time as an excuse to shell out some cash to purchase that new digital television they’ve been dreaming about for quite some time, and we thought providing some helpful information on how to choose a new digital tv would be a great idea.

There are many quality levels of digital television programming. The most common are:

Standard Definition TV (SDTV) - SDTV is the basic level of quality display and resolution for both analog and digital. Transmission of SDTV may be in either the traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format.

Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV) - EDTV is a step up from Analog Television. EDTV comes in 480p widescreen (16:9) or traditional (4:3) format and provides better picture quality than SDTV, but not as high as HDTV.

High Definition TV (HDTV) - HDTV in widescreen format (16:9) provides the highest resolution and picture quality of all digital broadcast formats. Combined with digitally enhanced sound technology, HDTV sets new standards for sound and picture quality in television. (Note: HDTV and digital TV are not the same thing — HDTV is one format of digital TV.)

When you purchase a digital television look for a sticker on the screen which will tell you the quality of the digital television: SDTV, EDTV, or HDTV; or you can ask the salesperson for some help if your unable to find this information labeled on the digital tv. If your looking for the best picture quality to play high-definition DVD’s (Blueray discs) or to take advantage of programs broadcasting in high-definition you will need to purchase a HDTV. The other digital formats (SDTV and EDTV) will still work with high-definition DVD’s and broadcasting but you won’t get the best picture quality like on a HDTV.

Pricing on digital televisions depend on the quality of the digital television and the size the screen your purchasing. SDTV quality televisions would be the cheapest priced, HDTV the highest priced, and EDTV somewhere in the middle; and of course the larger the screen the higher the price goes up.

If your out to get a new digital television we recommend you skip the SDTV and EDTV quality televisions and spend a few extra hundred bucks to purchase a HDTV for the best picture quality. If you don’t have enough to purchase an HDTV today it would be better for you to wait until you can afford one, rather than purchasing a SDTV or EDTV television. Today’s television sets last a lifetime and once the conversion from analog to digital signal takes place it’s safe to say there won’t be another huge change in technology in our lifetimes which will require us to purchase another television set.

In a little over a year all television broadcast stations within the United States, including the television broadcast station (Marianas Cable Vision) on Guam, will be required to completely switch over their television broadcast signal from an analog signal to a digital signal. The exact deadline for this cut-over as specified by the FTC is set to be on February 17, 2009.

What does this mean to the average consumer who has a television in their home? The biggest issue related to the conversion of analog to digital in 2009 will be the effect on older television sets that can only receive analog signals. Once Guam’s television broadcast stations transmit completely in digital these older analog televisions will cease to function, unless a digital to analog converter box is purchased that will receive the digital signal from your local television station and convert it to an analog signal that your television will be able to understand.

The FTC has required all television set manufactures to produce televisions that are compatible with digital signals as of March 1, 2007. So most new televisions that are on store shelves today are compatible with the upcoming transition to digital television. Just to be safe, if you are unsure of how to tell whether a television set will be compatible it would be best to speak with one of the sales people and verify this information before making a purchase. There may be some retail locations still selling old “analog only” television sets, but they are required by United States law to display a sign in front of television equipment. The text would read:

Consumer Alert
This television receiver has only an analog broadcast tuner and will require a converter box after February 17, 2009, to receive over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna because of the Nation’s transition to digital broadcasting. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products. For more information, call the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-225-5322 (TTY: 1-888-835-5322) or visit the Commission’s digital television website at: www.dtv.gov.

The good news to consumers is that between January 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 all households will be able to request two coupons towards the purchase of these digital to analog converters. Each coupon is worth $40 each and more information on obtaining these coupons can be found at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s website: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/dtv/dtvcoupon.html

The transition to digital television is a great thing for consumers because more features and services can be provided with digital television than analog television such as on-demand services, greater interactivity, and a higher picture quality. So the small trouble to transition over to digital television will be worth it for most consumers!