How to prepare for the transition to digital television on Guam
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!