By Kelly O'Connell Reporter
News 3 On Your Side
The digital switch is coming soon and that means the way you see television could be changing.News 3 On Your Side
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Stumble It!The government is changing the signals to clear up communication space and provide a higher quality of pictures and sounds.
News Three shows you what you need to know for the switch, and shows you how you can tell if your television is already ready.
The way you see this movie could be changing and for some you won't even be able to see it if you don't make some changes.
And you need to make them soon.
Chances are you've seen this or another ad talking about the digital switch.
And time is ticking; it's only a year away.
“A lot of people still come in asking a lot of questions about the digital switch because people are worried if they are going to receive any broadcast with their TVs,” says Akeem Francis of Best Buy in Columbus.
There are simple things you can do to make sure you're ready for the switch.
First, let’s start with the TVs.
Just because all the channels are going digital doesn’t mean you need to go out and get a brand new television.
“You can keep the TV you have even if its analog there’s different ways you can get a converter box or a DVD/recorder that has digital on it,” says Francis.
This is the converter he's talking about, use this with your old TV, and you'll be fine.
You'll also be OK if you have digital cable.
If you bought a TV in the last year, it's a given that it's digital, in fact it’s now illegal to sell analog TVs.
But if you've had your television longer than a year, how do your know what you have?
“One thing to look for is if you still have the manual, look to see if you have built in DTV tuner, that's going to give you digital channels,” says Francis.
Another easy way to tell if your TV is analog is to look on the top.
Do you still use those old fashioned rabbit ears?
If you are still using them to get a signal, it's likely that your TV is analog.
Most analog TVs are boxy.
Digital TVs tend to be thinner.
Although it may seem like a lot of work just to see your favorite shows, experts say it will pay off in the end.
“It’s just cleaning up the airwaves, digital makes everything crisper and clean, the signal is a lot stronger,” says Francis.
And you still have time to make changes to ensure that you won't be left in the dark.
The switch to digital will take place on February 17, 2009.
However, some local stations will continue to broadcast both analog and digital until 2012 for emergency purposes.
The digital converters range in prices from $50 to $70.
The government is providing coupons to reimburse those who decide to keep their analog televisions.
Each household can receive two coupons, worth $40 a piece to help pay for the converters.
You can apply for those coupons by clicking this website
https://www.dtv2009.gov/
You can also call about the coupons.
1-888-DTV-2009
You can also mail in a coupon application.
Send the application to
PO Box 2000
Portland, OR 97208
All requests must be received my March 31, 2009.
Coupons expire 90 days after they were mailed.
