Jun 1, 2009 7:43 pm US/Eastern
DTV Just 11 Days Away: What's That Mean For You?
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Countdown graphic to June 12, 2009, the date when television stations nationwide must switch from the old method of transmitting TV signals known as analog to digital television (DTV).
CBS
There are big changes coming to broadcast television. On the afternoon of Friday, June 12, the federal government is requiring WCBS-TV and all other full-power television stations to terminate their analog service.
So what exactly does that mean for you, the viewer?
Most TV stations out there put out a great picture over analog TV and over the newer digital TV, but you heard over and over again that on February 17, 2009, your TV is gonna go to snow. But then the dreaded Friday the 17th came and went, and you still had an analog picture. So what happened?
Well, the government looked at the entire situation and figured the nation just wasn't ready for the big change just yet. So they changed the date from February 17 to June 12, which now is when your analog TV will look snowy.
Now remember, this will only affect people who use antennas to receive their TV signal. If you get your signal from a capable company or if you get it from a satellite provider, you won't have a problem.
If you have an antenna on top of your TV or if you have an antenna on your roof, there's a few things you're gonna have to know about that antenna. It must be a VHF and UHF antenna, and if you l ive behind a big building or a big mountain, you might not get the station at all.
No matter how old your TV is, you're still gonna get the new signal over the air. For an older TV, you're gonna need a converter box.
If you receiver the over-the-air signal and not cable or satellite, on your newer TV, you're gonna have a digital tuner right in that one. Now you've determined that you have the right kind of antenna, you know what kind of TV you have and whether you need a converter box, it's quite simple.
Right now, you've got all these different channels floating around you – both the analog and digital channels. But on June 12, the analog channels are going away leaving you just with the digital.
Once you have everything in place, you'll need to re-scan your TV. It's pretty simple, you just go into the menu and select "Re-Scan." What it's going to do is one-by-one go through the different channels, figure out that the analog channels don't exist anymore, and all you get now is digital.
If you still have questions, you can watch CBS 2's special on DTV airing on Saturday at 2 p.m. You can also find all the information you need including frequently asked questions and even more detailed directions by
clicking here.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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