Don't Let The Digital Tv Transition Stop You From Enjoying Your Favorite Shows

A few months has passed since President Barack Obama's DTV Delay Act went into effect. With this proposal, the original digital transition date of January 17, 2009 was changed to June 12, 2009. That gives people in the United States a little less than five months to get their home prepared for the transition. Despite months and months of warnings and advisories broadcasted on television, radio, newspapers, and basically all forms of media, there were a few million households that were not yet ready for the switch.

Frequency broadcasts were crowded, and the decision to switch from analog to digital broadcasting frees up some much-needed frequencies. These same frequencies will be made available to emergency and law enforcement personnel. Fire departments and emergency rescue squads will have better access to these signals. The switch to digital also means better picture and sound quality. Your favorite shows will be crisper, cleaner, and will look and sound better than ever. In addition, digital channels can also be broadcast in high-definition, so if you have a TV that is capable of this very popular technology, then make use of it and enjoy the stunning and beautiful clarity HD has to offer.

So now the question remains: are you ready for the DTV transition? With less than a month before the switch, you need to act fast to ensure that you don't miss a beat of your favorite sitcoms, reality shows, and series. If you're just a little bit confused about this DTV transition, then you need not to worry because you can find out quickly whether or not you will be affected.

First thing's first. Take a look at how you currently receive TV service. Are you using an antenna? Or are you subscribing to TV service through a cable or satellite provider. If the answer is the latter, then you will most likely not need to do anything else because your TV provider will do everything on their end so that their customers are not affected by the digital transition. Just to make sure that you will not be affected, you can contact your provider and ask them directly.

If you are currently using an antenna, then there are some things you need to look at before you can determine if you will be affected. First, take a look at your television. Does it have a "HDTV" logo on it? Do you know if it came with a built-in tuner or receiver of some sort to receive digital channels? Take a look at the manual or contact the manufacturer to find out for sure. If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", then your TV is capable of picking up digital signals. Another way to determine is the date you purchased your TV. If purchased before March 1, 2007, then there is a good chance it did not come with the proper hardware to accept digital signals.

If your television is not HD-ready, then you will need to obtain a digital converter box, which is connected to your current antenna and TV. The converter box converts the digital signal your antenna receives and converts it to analog, which is what your TV recognizes. This device, which is usually around $50 to 60, can be purchased at a local electronics store, or you can sign up for the digital converter box coupon program. With this program, each household is eligible to receive up to two $40 vouchers that can be redeemed at a list of participating retailers.

Don't let the digital television transition take away from your entertainment time! Act now!