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Denver's bold, diverse and independent PBS station - Colorado Public Television |
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For some quick answers, check out these frequently asked questions:
What is digital television (DTV)?DTV is a new technology that provides viewers with better pictures, sound and even more programming choices. Digital broadcasts are available today. And it's all free when you watch over the air with an antenna or rabbit ears.
Why switch to digital? Couldn't we continue to operate both the current system and digital like we're doing now?The federal government required that all broadcasters switch to digital broadcasting after June 12, 2009 in order to free up valuable broadcast spectrum for other purposes, including use by public agencies and emergency first responders, and for expanded wireless services. For your public television station and other broadcasters, this switch is not optional — it's an FCC mandate.
How do I tell if my TV set is digital?If your TV is more than a couple of years old, it's probably not digital. Check your owner's manual to see if it mentions a digital tuner, or look on the set for an indication of an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) tuner. If your TV has one, your TV set is digital and you've already made the switch. You can also check the manufacturer's Web site for further details about your model. If there's no mention of digital ("digital-ready" does not mean your set is digital) or ATSC, then you have an analog set and you'll need to make changes to view digital television.
Do I need to buy a new TV to watch digital television?No. If you watched analog TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears, all that is needed is a converter box. The converter box, available for as little as $10 after you redeem a coupon from the government, converts the digital TV signals into a picture that can be displayed on your analog television. Find a converter box retailer in your area. See a list of coupon eligible converter boxes. Do you live outside our main transmitter area? If so, you will need a converter box with an analog pass-through feature. Get specific details for your location. If you do decide to purchase a new TV set, be sure to select a set with a built-in digital tuner. With this TV set, you can watch digital TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears for free — no paid subscription to a cable or satellite service is needed. When you are shopping for TV sets, you'll need to choose between standard-definition digital TV (SDTV) and high-definition digital TV (HDTV). High definition offers the very best picture, but the extra step up to HDTV is entirely optional. Although prices are coming down, high-definition TVs are more expensive than standard-definition digital sets. As long as you buy a set with a built-in digital tuner, you'll be able to watch digital channels.
What do I do if my converter box coupon expires before I have purchased a converter box?If you watched TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears — and you do not own a TV with a built-in digital tuner — you will need to purchase a converter box. The federal government has set up a special coupon program to make digital converter boxes affordable for everyone so you can continue to receive free television after the switch to digital. The DTV Delay Act passed by Congress in February will allow the Coupon Program, upon request, to offer replacement coupons for those which have expired without being redeemed. Information about the Coupon Program is available at NTIA's website at www.dtv2009.gov for updates on when applications for replacement coupons will be accepted. Find a converter box retailer in your area. See a list of coupon eligible converter boxes. Do you live outside our main transmitter area? If so, you will need a converter box with an analog pass-through feature. Get specific details for your location.
Do I need to buy a new antenna to watch digital TV?If an antenna or rabbit ears captured a good incoming analog signal, it is likely to continue to work well when the TV is hooked up to a converter box or to a TV with built-in digital tuner. In the right location, a simple low-tech antenna will often produce the best on-screen images and CD-like sound — even better than cable or satellite. Please consider these additional tips: 1. Make sure you have a UHF/VHF antenna so that you have access to the full range of digital signals. Some digital channels will appear in the UHF band and others on the VHF band. 2. If you live far from the Denver metro area (say, Longmont or farther), you may find that you need an exterior antenna to receive Denver stations. 3. For customized advice about the best placement and orientation for your antenna, plus information on which antenna is most likely to work best for you, visit antennaweb.org. For more information about antenna installation and placement, download this article: "Choosing and Installing an Antenna for Digital TV or HDTV" While the advantage of digital television is better pictures and sound — with no static or ghosting — the challenge of DTV is that you either receive stellar reception or none at all. 4. If you hook up your rabbit ears to your analog TV plus converter box or your digital TV and you do not receive reception, first make sure that all the antenna connections are working correctly and are clean and tight. If you still do not receive reception with your rabbit ears, try installing an outdoor antenna. 5. If you install an outdoor antenna and still do not receive reception, you may need to contact a local company for assistance in positioning and installing your outdoor antenna. If that does not result in reception, you may need to explore a different solution, such as cable or satellite, for receiving digital television.
Will my VCR work once I've connected the converter box to my TV?Your VCR will continue to work with your TV once you've connected it to a converter box. However, because your converter box will control which channel you're tuned to on your television set, you won't be able to watch one station and record another at the same time unless you connect a second converter box to your VCR. Although recordings you make from your TV will be in analog, not in digital or HD, they can still be played back on your TV set. Also, clocks in most VCRs will not be automatically set to the current time, since the converter box does not translate that information.
I have a portable, battery-powered analog TV. Can I still use it?If your portable, battery-powered analog TV has the necessary plugs to allow it to be connected to a DTV converter box, you can use it to watch today's digital broadcast TV. Since battery-powered DTV converter boxes most likely will NOT be produced, you will also need an external power source.
Will I be able to use my VCR, DVD player, camcorder and/or gaming console with a digital television set?Yes. Digital television sets are "backward compatible," meaning your current analog equipment (VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games, etc.) will work on digital TV sets. However, their video will only be displayed in the maximum resolution that is available with each analog product. Manufacturers are producing a number of different connectors to hook equipment together and improve picture and sound quality when DTV sets are used with analog equipment. Check with your retailer to determine which types of connectors will work with your equipment.
Is digital television the same as HDTV?No. Digital TV refers to the way the TV signal is put together for transmission from the broadcaster to the home antenna to the viewer's TV set. Digital TV is not the same as HDTV (high-definition TV). High-definition TV is the "high end" within the digital TV world. HDTV produces the highest-quality picture on the screen. Taking the extra step to high definition is entirely optional for you, just as it would be with the "high end" of any other product. You do not need a high-definition TV in order to receive digital channels. As long as you have a TV with a built-in digital tuner, or an analog TV with a set-top converter box, you can watch digital TV channels.
What is the difference between high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD)?High definition (HD) is the best-looking, most attractive form of digital. It has the most detail in the picture. "Regular" digital is called standard definition (SD).
I currently subscribe to a cable or satellite service. Will it continue to work?You should be able to continue watching your existing TV with your current cable or satellite service. Some services may require the addition of a new digital box, supplied by your provider, most likely for an additional fee. Digital cable or satellite boxes are not the same thing as digital converter boxes -- they perform different functions. Check with your service provider to find out what you need, what they offer and at what price.
If I subscribe to a cable or satellite service, will I be able to watch all of my public broadcasting station's digital channels?Comcast carries only the KBDI primary channel. DirecTV carried the KBDI primary channel and MHz Worldview; the DirecTV channel guide lists these channels as 12.1 and 12.2. DISH Network carries only the KBDI primary channel; the DISH channel guide lists us as channel 12. If you would like these providers to carry the full complement of digital channels -- the flagship station PLUS The Documentary Channel and MHz Worldview, share that request with your provider.
Will I still see closed captioning on my digital channels?Closed captioning is designed to assist deaf or hearing-impaired people, English Language Learners, young children learning to read and many others by displaying the dialogue or transcript of the audio portion of the program as printed words on the television screen. You can access closed captioning when you watch digital channels.
Will I still be able to use parental controls like the V-chip with digital TV?Yes. The V-chip enables parents to block television programming based on a show's rating. The ratings are encoded within the television signal. The V-chip reads the encoded ratings information of each program and blocks shows according to the parents' blocking selections. FCC rules require that V-chips be built into digital televisions and other DTV reception devices just as they are now in analog televisions. You can learn about the ratings system, also known as "TV Parental Guidelines," at FCC: V-Chip.
Will there be an effort to recycle the old analog TVs that are being replaced by digital TVs?There are recycling programs — such as myGreenElectronics — for analog TVs and other electronic products. When you visit myGreenElectronics, you can locate recycling programs in your area. But remember, you can continue to use your analog TV set with digital TV.
What will happen if I don't switch to digital TV?If you haven't made necessary changes to be ready for digital, you are no longer able to watch television. You can now make the change. Switching to digital TV is easy and inexpensive. Once you make the change, you can start watching digital channels. Find out how to switch to digital TV. If you live outside the main KBDI transmitter area and are served by a translator (Colorado Springs, Pueblo and portions of Boulder), your conversion date will be later than June 12, 2009. Get specific details for your location.
I have more questions about how to make the switch to digital TV. What should I do?KBDI is here to help:
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