Digital TV: Are you ready?

Rep. Dan Boren, D-Claremore
Special to the News-Capital

Fri, May 16 2008

— Less than a year from now our nation will undergo one of the most significant technological changes in history: The transition to digital television. On Feb. 17, television broadcasters will begin exclusively airing digital signals. Analog television sets that are not connected to a converter box, cable, or satellite will stop working.
There is no question that the digital television transition will bring our nation great benefits. Some of the channels currently used by analog television stations will be freed up for advanced wireless service, while other channels have been set aside already for public safety communications. This was a key recommendation of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, or the 9-11 Commission.
The digital television transition will also bring benefits to television viewers. Digital television will mean more free broadcast channels, in addition to clearer images and enhanced sound quality.
Consumers need to begin preparing for this monumental change now, not only to enjoy the benefits of digital television, but to avoid losing their television service altogether. Families who receive their television signal over the air using a traditional rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears” will have to acquire a new digital to analog converter box so that their television sets can display the new digital signals. Television sets connected to cable or satellite service should not require a new converter box.
This shift from analog to digital is a major undertaking: in 2005, the Government Accountability Office estimated that more than 20 million households nationwide could lose service on one or more television sets. Many of those families who will be affected do not know they need to take action. A recent Consumers Union survey found that of those Americans who will have at least one television affected by the transition, nearly two-thirds (61 percent) incorrectly believe they are not affected, do not know that they are affected, or are completely unaware of the transition. Clearly, if households and families are not properly informed and prepared, there is great potential for confusion next February.
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has set up a program to help consumers offset the cost of converter boxes. Every household is eligible for two $40 coupons, each of which can be used toward the purchase of a converter box.
Every one of us has a crucial role to play in this transition. I will continue working to educate my constituents about the steps they should take. On my Web site, www.boren.house.gov, I have posted a link to information on the steps Oklahomans need to take to be ready for the digital television transition. Consumers can also call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit http://www.dtv2009.gov to learn more.
Feb. 17, 2009, will be a notable day. Together, we can ensure that it marks an important milestone in broadcasting history, not a day of nationwide consumer confusion.
Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, represents Oklahoma’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves on the House Armed Services Committee. Contact him at 216 Cannon House Office Building, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., 20515. Washington: 202-225-2701. McAlester: 423-5951, 321 S. Third St., Suite 4, McAlester, OK , 74501.