When Must You Buy a Digital TV?

Many thanks to one of my faithful readers for writing me a very timely and pertinent question recently about television. Specifically, he wanted to know how long does he have before he must go out and purchase a digital TV because his old analog set will be rendered obsolete by order of Congress?

A good question, I thought at the time, as the date has been moved back several times. So, I found the answer and shared it with him. But the question and answer are important enough that I thought I would share it with you all. But first, a little background.

In 1997, Congress passed a law that stipulated that analog television signals would have be cut off on Dec. 31, 2006, or when 85 percent of households are capable of receiving digital signals, whichever arrived sooner. Obviously, we are not yet near that figure and will probably not be one year from now. The government wants to deploy part of the band that currently carry analog signals to police, fire and other emergency communications...And also for wireless communications.

Analog TV signals currently use the 700MHz frequency band, meaning that by nature, they travel farther than those on bands used by the wireless and electronics industries today. Reusing that spectrum could mean easier and cheaper deployment of broadband networks, and translate to more affordable, widespread high-speed Internet access for consumers.

Digital transmission of TV signals also means a better quality TV signal, especially when tied in with high definition TV. But, again all of this means purchasing a new digital-ready TV set. But, you ask, what is the current date that we must all have one of the these new-fangled TV's in our homes.

The answer to that question is now February 18, 2009 (or will shortly be, anyway). The new date is part of a larger bill covering Medicaid and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that has been OK'd by the Senate and will move over for President Bush's signature after final approval by the House.

But before you go putting that date on your calendar, you should know that this date only effects people who get their TV signals over the airwaves. It does not affect the majority of us folks who get our TV via cable or satellite. Households that already rely solely on cable or satellite broadcasting should not have to make any changes. Satellite services, such as DirectTV, are already capable of converting signals, and most cable companies intend a seamless transition, such as re-engineering their signals at the source, so that no extra home hardware is necessary.

FCC rules require all television sets and other TV receivers on the market to contain digital tuners by March 1, 2007. Short of buying a new digital-ready television, consumers who get their TV over-the-air can opt for a digital-to-analog converter box, which manufacturers estimate will cost about $50 by 2009.

The approved Senate package would also dispense up to $1.5 billion in government subsidies to households, which may request up to two $40 vouchers to use toward purchasing set-top boxes.

The bottom line is that for most of us, it looks like we don't have to run right out and buy a new TV for quite some time, although it sure is tempting when I see a football game being shown on a high definition TV.