Are you prepared for the digital television transition?

If you are among the estimated 19.6 million households that rely on free, over-the-air broadcasts made available through a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears,” your television set may go dark on February 17, 2009, when broadcasters begin airing exclusively digital signals. 

By taking a few simple steps, however, you and your family can continue using your television sets and watching your favorite shows uninterrupted.  To do this, you will need to purchase a new “digital-to-analog” converter box to plug into your set.  Without this device, analog television sets not connected to cable, satellite or a telephone company television service will stop working.  Newer television sets larger than 27 inches – and typically purchased in the last five years – will most likely have built-in digital tuners and will not need a converter box to continue to operate after the change.

For those who choose to purchase a converter box, I recommend taking advantage of $40 coupons made available by Congress to defray the estimated $50- to- $60 purchase price of a “digital-to-analog” converter.  The federal coupon program – operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration – makes available two $40 coupons per household, each of which can be used towards the purchase of a certified converter box.  National retailers participating in the program include Best Buy, Circuit City, RadioShack and Wal-Mart.  
 
To request your coupons and to learn more about the transition, please call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit http://www.dtv2009.gov.  The online process to request the coupons is especially easy.  From the homepage, click “apply for a coupon,” type in your address, the number of coupons you are requesting (one or two), type in the letters for the electronic signature and then click “submit.”  After requesting your coupons either by phone or online, please allow up to 12 weeks for delivery.  The coupons expire 90 days after their mail date. 

The digital television transition will bring noticeable benefits to television viewers.  Digital television will provide additional, free, broadcast television channels along with clearer images and enhanced sound quality.  Some of the channels currently used by analog television stations will be freed up for advanced wireless service.  Other channels have been set aside for public safety communications, which is a key recommendation of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, also known as the 9-11 Commission.

As informed consumers, we can take steps to ensure that February 17, 2009 marks an important milestone in broadcasting history and not a day of confusion or disappointment for television viewers.  I urge all TV owners to prepare now, stay tuned and help spread the word about this exciting upgrade in television broadcast quality.

(Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard’s office offers a wide variety of services to the community, including financial aid workshops, a service academy workshop, a scholarship directory and constituent casework services to assist district residents in resolving problems with federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  More information about federal services can be obtained by visiting Congresswoman Roybal-Allard’s web site at www.house.gov/roybal-allard or by calling her district office at (213) 628-9230.)
 

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