Analog to Digital TV: Are We Ready?

Oct. 19, 2007 — -- In 2009, millions of televisions around the country could go black when networks switch from analog to digital broadcasts. Although the move is federally mandated, debate is raging over whether the nation, specifically people who live in poor or rural areas, will be fully prepared for the switch.

On Feb. 12, 2009, television stations will begin broadcasting in digital signals instead of analog, freeing up valuable airwaves for both public safety announcements and wireless providers. Televisions that receive their programming via "rabbit ear" antennas, instead of cable or satellite service, will no longer be able to receive broadcast programming.

"This is a really exciting time," said Jenny Pareti, communications director at the Consumer Electronics Association. "[The switch] offers very high-quality digital programming that you're still able to get over the air. ... It also offers multicasting: You can cram more information into the same space."

Multicasting enables networks to have more than one broadcast running on a station. For example, viewers of Channel 5 could in theory also watch Channel 5.1, which might be devoted exclusively to weather, 5.2 which might be devoted to sports and so on.

"There are benefits to this," Pareti said. "Public safety is a huge benefit and ... the entertainment benefits as well."

But not everyone is so enthusiastic about the switch, specifically about the timeline.

About 98 percent of Americans have an analog television in their home, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. According to surveys done in the past year by the National Association of Broadcasters, 60 percent of Americans don't know about the change at all.

These issues are precisely the major problems that the government faces in the transfer.

"There's estimates that 20 million consumers [will] continue to receive their TV programming over the air," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research firm NPD. "Consumers who are most likely to be affected by this are likely to be in lower-income households and will tend to be in more rural areas, probably the only option for extended programming would be satellite service. There's no cable company serving them. ... They're probably not going to be as likely to invest a huge amount in their television."