MC readies for TV switch

Previously trusty “rabbit ear” antennas will no longer bring you your favorite television shows.

Those who use older style, non-dish antennas to receive over-the-air TV broadcasts will have to make some changes to keep their TVs broadcasting “The Tonight Show,” the evening news and any other programs that have become a part of their daily routine.

Older, analog televisions that lack a “digital tuner” will no longer work following the upcoming nationwide transition to digital broadcasting set for Feb. 17.
However, there’s a chance this deadline will be pushed forward. Officials on President Barack Obama’s transition team have asked Congress to delay the switch since they say the government has not done enough to help Americans prepare for the change, according to published reports.

Most analog televisions purchased before 1998 do not have a built in “digital tuner,” according to the Federal Communications Commission’s Digital Television Transition Web site.

Federal officials suggest checking out your TV’s owner’s manual to see if it will be able to process digital signals. If the manual’s long gone, check for an input connection on the TV that says “digital input” or “ATSC” to see if it has a digital tuner.

Televisions without a digital tuner will need to be hooked up to a digital converter box in order to display anything besides dead air following the switch to digital-only broadcasts.

Over the past year, Madison County residents have been gearing up for this change. One local retailer has already sold 450-500 converter boxes since this past February, according to Kelly Lacy of Greystone TV and Appliance.

“Sales within the past five months have really picked up when more people have become aware of it,” Lacy said. 

The U.S. 29 store doesn’t anticipate running out of the boxes as store representatives receive weekly shipments to replenish their supply. Another Madison County-based business – Sure Site Satellite on Washington Street – is also selling the converter boxes, in addition to other area electronics retailers, according to the federal digital television transition Web site. 

This past year, Greystone TV and Appliance received many requests about the digital transition from its customers. Store representatives found that people were confused about the switch, when it is set to take place and what equipment they would need to purchase, according to Greystone employee Carrie Lillard.

Lacy says that some residents, especially the county’s older citizens, expressed concerns about the transition.

“They think it should stay the [same]. They think, ‘Why does it have to change?’” she said. “They don’t want to have to buy another piece of equipment.”
A converter box averages between $40-$70, the digital television transition Web site states.

Those who need converter boxes can apply for government-issued coupons that will slash off a portion of a converter’s price.
“The coupon takes $40 off of them, that’s a big help,” Lacy said.

However, these coupons may no longer be available, according to recently published reports. Money set aside for the coupons has apparently run dry, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration reported this past week.

New coupon applicants are being put on a waiting list and will be contacted if more funds become available, according to reports. President Obama representatives have cited a lack of these coupons as another reason the transition should be delayed, reports state.

Instead of purchasing a converter box some residents have decided to buy new televisions altogether.

“There are some people that maybe want to update their TV, and some people that maybe are just using it as an excuse to buy a new TV,” Lacy said smiling.

The switch to digital broadcasting will provide better television viewing and will free up airwaves that will then be turned over to be used for emergency radio communication by emergency responders, according to the federal government’s digital broadcasting transition Web site.

For information about the digital television transition, visit http://www.dtv.gov.